How do i convert square feet to linear feet

Table of Contents Show

A Real-World Example: Fence Building
How many square feet is in a linear foot?
How many linear feet is in a foot?
How do you convert to linear feet?
How do I convert square feet to linear feet for fencing?

The lumber industry has a lot of terms that are often very tough to navigate especially if it’s the first time anyone considered buying wood. Most wood products are sold per piece or per square foot. Often a lot of people won’t know how to convert from square feet to linear feet and if they order amounts per the square foot then there will be a very big shortage of material. Luckily we do provide a handy dandy square feet to linear feet calculator that’ll do the hard work and a page that explains what lumber sizing is! But, have you wondered how exactly the calculation happens?

This infograph will show you! It’s simple but you’ll know exactly what’s needed.

Caveat: Remember that the width needed is the real measurement of the face of the board.

This infographic shows how to convert square feet to linear feet the mathematical way.

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Although square feet and linear feet are measurements of different quantities, it makes sense to compare them in certain situations. Perhaps the most common is in building projects in which you have to cover a certain area, such as a floor, wall or fence panel, with lumber of a particular dimension. If the lumber is sold by the linear foot, which is often the case, converting the area you have to cover to the number of linear feet of lumber you need provides the information you need to estimate the cost of the project.

A Real-World Example: Fence Building

When estimating materials for a fence, you usually start by calculating its total area "A." To do this, you measure the total length "L" of the fence and multiply that by its projected height "H." The area is then given by the formula:

A = LH

Now suppose you plan to use fence boards with a certain width given by "W." To find the total number of linear feet "LF" of these fence boards you need, perform this division:

\text{LF} = \frac{A}{W}

For this calculation to work, you must first convert W from whatever units you've used to measure it (usually inches) into feet. In practice, you would also include the gap between the boards as part of W.

Plugging in Some Numbers: Suppose you're planning a 6-foot fence that will be 100 feet long, and you intend to use 6-inch redwood fencing boards, which are in reality 5 1/2 inches wide. You plan to space the boards with a 1-inch gap between them.

The area of the fence is

6 × 100 = 600 \text{ square feet}

The width of the fence boards, including the 1-inch gap between them, is 6 1/2 inches. A foot has 12 inches, so the width can be expressed as

\frac{6.5}{12} = 0.54 \text{ feet}

The number of linear feet of fencing boards you need is then

\frac{600}{0.54} = 1,111 \text{ feet}

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References

Inch Calculator: How to Calculate Linear Feet

About the Author

Chris Deziel holds a Bachelor's degree in physics and a Master's degree in Humanities, He has taught science, math and English at the university level, both in his native Canada and in Japan. He began writing online in 2010, offering information in scientific, cultural and practical topics. His writing covers science, math and home improvement and design, as well as religion and the oriental healing arts.

How many square feet is in a linear foot?

Linear feet to square feet conversion chart.

How many linear feet is in a foot?

Technically, a linear foot is a measurement that is 12 inches long (so, one foot) and that is measured in a straight line, which is why it's called linear.

How do you convert to linear feet?

To measure linear footage, start by measuring the length in inches. Then divide the total inches by 12. The length is the linear footage, so no fancy linear foot calculator is required. To convert linear feet to feet, there's no math.