How to Calculate a Linear Foot
A linear foot is a unit of measurement used to measure the length of lumber or other building materials. It is equivalent to one foot in length, multiplied by the number of feet in the material’s width. This unit of measurement is most used by carpenters and contractors when pricing and ordering lumber and building materials.
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How to measure a linear foot?
One linear foot is the same as 12 inches. This means that to figure out how many linear feet are in a piece of material, you would simply multiply the length of the material by 12 inches. You can also use this method to calculate square footage or square yards.
For this calculation to work, your measurements must be given in inches. If they are given in centimeters, you must first convert the measurements into inches before determining how many linear feet or square feet there are.
How to calculate a linear foot with metric measurements
When the measurements of your material are not in English units of measurement, you will need to use some standard conversion factors. These are as follows: 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters, 1 foot = 30 cm, and 1 square foot = 10.8 square meters.
When given metric measurements, you can figure out how many linear feet there are in a piece of material by dividing the length of the material by 30 centimeters and multiplying it by 12 to get the number of feet. You can then divide this number by 10.8 to get the number of square feet in the piece of material.
How are linear feet different from square feet?
Linear feet and square feet are not the same measurements. The difference comes in when dealing with materials that are not uniform width. For example, imagine a piece of lumber 18 inches wide by 4 feet long. If you measured this piece using linear feet, you would come up with 6 linear feet. However, since this material is 1 foot wide by 5 feet long, you would have 5 square feet of material.
If you need to know how many linear feet are in a piece of material, simply multiply the length of the material by 12 to calculate the number of inches. Then multiply this number by 2.54 to convert it into centimeters.
How to find linear feet of multiple boards?
To find the total linear feet of multiple boards, simply add up all their measurements. For example, if you have three 2 by 4s that are each 6 feet long, you will simply add up all these for a total of 18 linear feet. If you had five boards that were 12 inches long and two boards that were 6 inches long, you would add up the total length of these boards for a total of 102 inches. Then, you could divide this number by 12 to get an answer in feet and 8 and 2/12ths. You would simply round to the nearest tenth and get 8 1/2 linear feet.
Other important facts about measuring linear feet
Linear feet are typically used about lumber, which is usually 1 inch wide. However, linear foot measurements can be given for other materials that are not 1 inch thick or wide. If you order 3/4-inch-thick lumber, you are typically buying 1.5 linear feet for each piece of wood. If your measurements are given in centimeters instead of inches, remember that 1 cm equals 0.39 inches and that 3 cm is also equivalent to 1 inch.
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Conclusion
Linear feet are often used to measure lumber and other building materials. They can also be used with any material with an even width if the length of the material is measured in inches. When given metric measurements, you can figure out how many linear feet there are in a piece of material by dividing the length of the material by 30 centimeters and multiplying it by 12 to get the number of feet. You can then divide this number by 10.8 to get the number of square feet in the piece of material.
FAQ
How is linear foot different from square feet?
Linear feet and square feet are not the same measurements. The difference comes in when dealing with materials that are not uniform width. For example, imagine a piece of lumber 18 inches wide by 4 feet long. If you measured this piece using linear feet, you would come up with 6 linear feet. However, since this material is 1 foot wide by 5 feet long, you would have 5 square feet of material.
How do you calculate the linear feet of a piece of material that is not 1 inch wide?
Start by finding the width of the material and multiplying it by 12 to get the total number of inches. Once you have this number, multiply it by 2.54 to get the total in centimeters and then divide it by 10.8 to get the total in feet. To get the total number of square feet, divide this number by 10.8 again to get it squared and then multiply by 12 to take the square root of it to come up with your answer.
What do linear feet have to do with building materials?
Linear foot measurements are typically used to measure lumber or any other building materials 1 inch wide. However, linear feet can also be used to measure any material with an even width when the length of this material is measured in inches. Suppose you are measuring a piece of material with a non-standard width. In that case, you will need to determine how many linear feet there are in this piece by dividing the total length of the material by 30 centimeters and multiplying it by 12 to get the linear feet. You can then divide this number by 10.8 to get the square foot measurement of the piece of material.
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Alex Sherr is the founder of My Long Distance Movers, a blog that provides moving information and resources for people who are relocating. He has more than two decades of experience in the moving and relocation industry, and he is passionate about helping people relocate smoothly and efficiently. When he's not writing or blogging, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.
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