Again, I'm not sure how or why here but here goes:
Hardwood lumber is generally sold in Board Feet.
A Board Foot is a measurement of volume. It is not a linear measurement.
A single board foot can be (accurately) mentally pictured as a board that is 1 foot long, 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick.
That's the definition of a board foot. I don't know why, it just is.
That equals 144 cubic inches.
Refresher:
Volume = Width x Depth x Height
(I'll use Depth and Thickness interchangeably.)
So, a board 2 feet long, a foot wide and an inch thick is 2 board feet.
5 feet long, 1 foot wide, 1 inch thick: 5 board feet (5 BdFt)
Now, a board 5 feet long 6 inches wide and 1 inch thick is: 2-1/2 board feet. (Half as much as the one above).
5 feet long, 1 foot wide, 2 inches thick? 10 BdFt.
Construction 2x4's are sold by how long they are (linear foot). That's because they are all the same Width and Thickness (though not really 2 inches by 4 inches but I digress).
When you go buy Hardwoods, you will see boards of the same thickness stored together but the width of those boards will all be different. The sawyer will cut up the tree to get the best planks he/she can from the tree. Not to get the most uniform sized planks.
That having been said, what is the most fair way to sell different boards of the same thickness and different widths? By volume.
It's easy to calculate board feet when all the boards are 1 foot wide and/or 1 inch thick. What happens when the board in question is 8 inches wide and 1-1/2 inch thick?
The easiest way to calculate Board Feet (for me) is to multiply the thickness times width times length, all in inches and then divide by 144. Tape measures and calculators are handy things. There are also lumber scaling rulers that do the math for you but unless you've used them for a while, they will make no sense to you whatsoever!
All measurements in inches INCLUDING Length:
BdFt = (Thickness x Width x Length) / 144
Hardwood lumber is generally sold in Board Feet.
A Board Foot is a measurement of volume. It is not a linear measurement.
A single board foot can be (accurately) mentally pictured as a board that is 1 foot long, 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick.
That's the definition of a board foot. I don't know why, it just is.
That equals 144 cubic inches.
Refresher:
Volume = Width x Depth x Height
(I'll use Depth and Thickness interchangeably.)
So, a board 2 feet long, a foot wide and an inch thick is 2 board feet.
5 feet long, 1 foot wide, 1 inch thick: 5 board feet (5 BdFt)
Now, a board 5 feet long 6 inches wide and 1 inch thick is: 2-1/2 board feet. (Half as much as the one above).
5 feet long, 1 foot wide, 2 inches thick? 10 BdFt.
Construction 2x4's are sold by how long they are (linear foot). That's because they are all the same Width and Thickness (though not really 2 inches by 4 inches but I digress).
When you go buy Hardwoods, you will see boards of the same thickness stored together but the width of those boards will all be different. The sawyer will cut up the tree to get the best planks he/she can from the tree. Not to get the most uniform sized planks.
That having been said, what is the most fair way to sell different boards of the same thickness and different widths? By volume.
It's easy to calculate board feet when all the boards are 1 foot wide and/or 1 inch thick. What happens when the board in question is 8 inches wide and 1-1/2 inch thick?
The easiest way to calculate Board Feet (for me) is to multiply the thickness times width times length, all in inches and then divide by 144. Tape measures and calculators are handy things. There are also lumber scaling rulers that do the math for you but unless you've used them for a while, they will make no sense to you whatsoever!
All measurements in inches INCLUDING Length:
BdFt = (Thickness x Width x Length) / 144
