In foam spraying, the board foot is the industry’s standard measurement. Like in lumber, a board foot is a ft 2 of spray foam insulation that’s one-inch thick. This means that you can also use the board feet converter for this measurement. Manufacturers of the product use the same measurement in computing the amount of coverage of spray foam to install. This is a process where insulating foam gets mechanically sprayed on a surface to build up a layer of insulating material. You can also apply board foot computations to other products like spray foam installations. How do you figure board feet in spray foam? 8/4 has a thickness of 2.00 inches and so on….In general, we express the thickness of lumber in increments of a quarter-inch. The thickness of the lumber is important in board foot calculations.

Another way of expressing this is that it’s 1/12 of a cubic foot. One board is a measurement of volume which is equal to one square foot with a thickness of one inch. As we have previously discussed, this involves a calculation of wood volume. Hardwoods, on the other hand, sell by board foot. All these boards of similar sizes come in stacks in the lumberyard and have the same selling price. Softwoods are a dimensional type of lumber, meaning they come in uniform sizes. Usually, both these lumber products may have a somewhat similar in shape and size, but they differ in the calculation of cost. When you visit a lumberyard shop, you may encounter the terms hardwood and softwood. If the thickness and width differ, but they have the same length, then whatever the length of the board is, they will have the same number of board feet for the two sizes. Just remember that one board foot is equal to a volume of one square foot that’s an inch thick. Total BF = 12 (2 x 4 x8) / 12 = 64 board feet for 12 pieces Let’s calculate the board feet per piece and in total:īF/Piece = 2 x 4 x 8 / 12 = 5.33 board feet per piece For instance, you need 12 pieces of boards which measure 2″ x 4″ x 8′. They will compute your order by board feet. But buying in bulk from wholesalers and hardwood dealers will entail computations by board foot. When purchasing your lumber needs from a building supply store, you usually purchase these items per piece. How many board feet are in a 2 by 4 by 8 foot long? Let’s say the price of each board foot is $4.15. Finally, multiply the total number of board feet by the price of each board foot to get the total cost.Now multiply the result by the number of pieces to get the total number of board feet.Apply these numbers in the formula to determine the number of board feet for each piece.Assume the pieces have a length of 8 feet, a width of 10 inches, and a thickness of 1.25-inches.

For this example, let’s say you need 5 lumber pieces.

After computing, you can use the board foot calculator to check for correctness. Here are some steps to follow for board foot and cost computations. This is because the length is usually expressed in feet, the thickness, and width, in inches. When computing for board feet, pay attention to the units. You can convert this value to inches using the following formula:ġ board foot = 1 (12) x 1(12) x 12 = 144 inches 3 Simply defined, a board foot is a 1 ft piece of lumber that’s 1-inch thick. Most merchants use the board foot measurement, especially when you buy several pieces of lumber in different sizes. While both are measurements, the former is for volume, and the latter is for area. If you know the price of each board feet, enter the monetary value so the calculator can give you the Total Cost.ĭon’t confuse a board foot with a square foot.After entering the measurements, the calculator will automatically generate the Board Feet value.Then enter the values for the Thickness, Width, and Length, and choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.Here are the steps for using this board feet calculator: It even has an added function to help you estimate the cost of the materials for your project. This online board foot calculator can help you determine the number of board feet you need.

Board feet to square feet