
Of course, you could add a little wane or a beaver tail to the end of the first piece and get even less than 132 cubic inches of wood per BF! The second one is 1254 cubic inches or 209 cubic inches per board foot. The first one is 793 cubic inches, or 132 cubic inches per BF. Now look at a piece that is 1.24 inches thick x 6.49 inches wide and 12.99 feet long. Take a piece of lumber that is 1.00 inch thick x 5.51 inches wide x 12.00 feet long. With unplaned hardwoods it can be quite a bit different. No, a board foot is not 144 cubic inches. Isn't a board foot 144 cubic inches? 12"x12"x1" I think if you search the archives, you will find a short paper that I wrote and we put here for people that are confused. Also, because hardwoods only use BF to the closest foot, 1 BF is the size of a piece of hardwood lumber ranging from 6" to 18" wide and 12" (1 foot) long by 1.00 to 1.24 inches thick. Actually, 4/4 goes from 1.00 to 1.24 inches thick. The definition of board foot is quite tricky, as with hardwoods, the thickness is 1-1/8 inch (often) and not 1-inch (or 4/4). These are called log scales-3 different types.Ĭontinuing with the above-if a piece of lumber is 1-1/2 inches thick, that is six 1/4 inches thick of 6/4. Somewhere in the archives you can get board feet measurements of logs. A board foot is 12 inches square by 1 inch thick or any other way you get 144 square inches. mean? How do you figure board footage?Ĥ/4 and the others are thickness measured in quarter inch. However, the actual thickness and width of a 2-by-4 is 1.5-by-3.5 inches.I don't understand the dimensions of lumber. The actual length of an 8 foot 2-by-4 is 8 feet. What is the actual length of an 8 foot 2×4? These sizes do not include the length of the board. Lumber sizes like 2-by-4, 4-by-6 or 6-by-8 represent the thickness in inches by the width in inches of the timber. Calculate linear feet by simply measuring the length of the board. You can find the board foot measurement by multiplying length x width x thickness in inches, and then dividing by 144. Timber is measured in board feet and linear feet. Can be refinished if scratched or damaged. Does well with varying humidity and weather. Brazilian Walnut: Much more expensive than oak.Maple: Slightly harder than oak and lighter in color.Graining often helps hide scratches and dents. Oak: Less expensive than some options.There are several different kinds of wood available for various home projects. A 2-by-8 is actually 1 1/2 inches thick by 7 1/4 inches wide.

As an example, a 2-by-4 is actually 1 1/2 inches thick by 3 1/2 inches wide. If you are not experienced in buying lumber, remember that all lumber is identified by its nominal size, which is different than the actual size.


When the lumberyard gives you the price, multiply it by the linear feet you want, and you’ll find your decking price. Then, call a lumberyard and ask the price per foot on that size and species of lumber, such as 2-by-6 construction heart redwood. For many homeowner projects, linear feet are the easiest way to calculate your needs.įor instance, if building a deck out of 2-by-6 lumber, you would use your plans to first measure the total length of decking boards you need. If ordering a large amount by board feet, just multiply the total board feet needed by the price per board foot for the total cost.Ī linear foot describes a 12-inch long piece of lumber. You can measure board feet by multiplying length x width x thickness in inches, and then dividing by 144.
2X6 ACTUAL SIZE HOW TO
How to Use Board Feet:Ī single board foot is one square foot of wood that is one inch thick. Here’s a breakdown of each type of lumber measurement. Lumberyards normally deal in board feet, particularly on large orders, but they work in linear feet equally well.
