# Floor Plans Made Simple
A **floor plan** is the most common drawing you'll read. Picture the building with the roof lifted off and the walls **sliced through about 4 feet up** — you're looking **straight down**.
## What the lines mean
- **Walls** are the **thick, parallel lines**. Exterior walls are usually drawn heavier than interior ones.
- **Rooms** are labeled with names (and sometimes sizes).
- **Doors** show as a line with a **curved arc** — the arc tells you which way the door **swings**.
- **Windows** appear as a **thinner break** in the wall line.
- **Fixtures** — toilets, sinks, tubs, appliances, stairs — are drawn with standard symbols you'll learn to recognize.
## The dimensions
**Dimension lines** run around the outside of the plan with arrows and numbers, telling you the exact sizes and where walls land. Add a string of dimensions together — they should total the overall length.
## How to start
Find the room you're working in, get oriented with the **north arrow**, then follow the walls and dimensions.
**Takeaway:** On a floor plan you're looking straight down — thick lines are walls, arcs are door swings, and dimensions run around the outside.
> *Educational overview — practice with a real plan set. The more drawings you read, the faster it clicks.*
