Board foot

Board foot is a unit of volume commonly used in the United States and Canada to quantify lumber. It is equivalent to 144 cubic inches, or approximately 2,360 cubic centimeters. The board foot is used to measure the volume of rough lumber (before it is surfaced, or planed smooth), as well as lumber that is surfaced on one or two sides (S1S or S2S).

Definition

A board foot is defined as a piece of lumber that is 1 foot (12 inches, or 30.48 centimeters) long, 1 foot wide, and 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) thick. This is equivalent to a volume of 144 cubic inches, or approximately 2,360 cubic centimeters. The board foot is a unit of volume, not surface area, and it is used to measure the amount of wood in a board, not its size or shape.

Usage

The board foot is commonly used in the lumber industry to price and sell lumber. It is also used by carpenters, builders, and other professionals who work with wood. The board foot is a more accurate measure of the amount of wood in a board than linear measurements such as feet or meters, because it takes into account the thickness of the board as well as its length and width.

Calculation

To calculate the number of board feet in a piece of lumber, multiply the width in inches by the length in feet and the thickness in inches, and then divide by 12. For example, a board that is 2 inches thick, 12 feet long, and 6 inches wide contains 12 board feet of wood (2 x 12 x 6 / 12 = 12).

See also

• Cubic foot
• Cubic meter
• Lumber
• Woodworking