Have you ever caught yourself thinking how wonderful it would be if you could do all the complicated math equations and unit conversions? Yeah, we neither. But on a serious note, knowing about a few conversions, common units of measurements, and ways to calculate them could really come in handy in a number of instances. We can all agree that relocating to a new home, as well as the planning that goes into it, is no joke. The achievement of this goal necessitates some significant planning and implementation.
Moving day could become a lot easier if you’re aware of the basic measurement techniques. The ability to save time by measuring everything is one of the most significant aspects of the process. Among others, linear foot measurement is probably the easiest and requires almost no mental application to perform. If you’re confused about how to calculate a linear foot, keep reading to get some clarity!
What Is A Linear Foot?
Any movement or shape in a straight line is referred to as “linear.” So, as the name implies, it is a straight-line measurement that does not take into account height, thickness, or width. In a straight line, a linear foot means 12 inches, which is also the length of a regular-sized ruler. No matter what the item, if you’re measuring it in a straight line, its unit of measurement is going to be linear feet.
It’s also often referred to as “lineal foot”. A running foot, which is also a unit of measurement that is used in woodworking, means the same as a lineal or linear foot. Many construction materials like steel, flooring, fencing, and lumber are sold by the linear foot.
Why Is It Important To Know About Linear Footage While Moving?
Many moving companies charge as per linear footage measurements. If you’re employing a moving company to assist you with your relocation, it’s preferable if you’re familiar with linear foot measurement methodologies. This will give you a fair indication of how much freight you’ll need to pack in the limited area, as well as the financial impact. If you make efficient use of the area, you may be able to save quite a few bucks! Read our article on What Is A Linear Foot And Why Is it Important While Moving? to know more on this.
Tools Used To Measure Linear Foot
You only require a handful of things to measure anything in linear feet.
Ruler: A regular-sized ruler made of wood, metal, or plastic is generally used to measure an item in linear foot. These rulers are 12 inches or one linear foot long.
Tape Measures: If you’re looking at large items like freight and cargo pieces, you’ll require a bigger device than a regular ruler. The reach of these tape measures can vary depending upon your needs. Tape measures used for construction purposes are also called long tapes. These have a reach of even 500 linear feet at times. This type of tape measures is used by builders and engineers.
Pen Or Pencil: You should always have a pen or pencil on hand, in case you need to mark a specific length on the material you’re measuring for future reference.
How To Calculate A Linear Foot?
● You can easily measure anything in linear feet with just a ruler or tape measures. One linear foot is 12 inches. Tape measures come with markings of inches as well as feet to make things easier for you, saving you the tedious task of converting it to the other unit.
● If you have readings in multiples of 12 inches, you may quickly convert them to linear feet. The ladder in your backyard, for example, is 72 inches long. That indicates it’s 6 linear feet long.
● If your readings are not in the multiples of 12, you can note down the leftover inches right next to it. For example, your friend’s height is 65 inches, then her height is 5 feet 3 inches (in linear feet).
● By measuring the length of each wall and adding the sums of the length measurements, you may compute the linear footage of a room.
● You can apply the same logic to find out the linear footage of any project. You’ll need to measure the lengths of each individual piece and then add all of them to get the total linear footage.
Instances Where You’ll Require Linear Footage
Moving is a tedious job, but you can always stay one step ahead if you have all the measurements done to ensure the smooth passage of your items from your old house to your new one. Below are some instances where measuring in linear footage makes the job easy:
Stairways
Be it in your old house or to the apartment in the building you’re moving to, if your moving path has a staircase in it, you must make sure to measure the linear length of the stairways. This will help you figure out that heavy items like sofas, refrigerators, etc. are having enough space to pass through without getting damaged.
Windows
Sometimes, it gets a little easier to move items through the windows if the main door is relatively far and the boxes are a bit on the heavier side to carry all the way through. So, make sure to measure the height and width of the window to ensure hassle-free movement.
Doorways
These are possibly the most important part of the house that you should measure without fail. The majority of the items you’re moving will be passing through doorways. These include the elevator doors, entry doors, and the main opening doors. Determining the height and width of the doors is crucial or else, you’ll have a hard time moving stuff that exceeds the available area for passing through.
Linear Foot Rule
If you ship items frequently from one place to another, you’ve most likely heard of this rule. The transportation industry has set a shipping standard that states that any shipment that occupies a storage space of 10 linear feet or more shall be charged for 1,000 lbs per linear foot. While it depends on the shippers on how they load the items on the trailer, there are ways you can minimize the possibility of your items occupying excess space. You can look for stack-packing methods to use less space.
You must make sure that you don’t surpass this linear foot rule as it may invite heavy penalties which could burn a hole in your wallet.
How Does Linear Foot Differ From Square Foot And Cubic Foot?
Simply put, a linear foot is solely used to measure the length of a material. It does not take into account any other factors.
Square Footage
A very common unit of measurement, which you’ve probably heard of multiple times even if you have no clue about how and when to calculate it. A square foot is the standard unit of measurement for determining the area of any given surface. It’s a two-dimensional measurement as compared to a linear foot which is a one-dimensional measurement.
A square foot is a combination of two linear measurements. Let us assume that you want to renovate your bedroom and want to find out the area of the room. You’ll have to measure the length along with the width of the room, then multiply them both to get the total area of the room. So, if your room is 14 feet long in height and 20 feet broad in width, the total area of your bedroom will be 280 square feet.
Similarly, if you wish to calculate the square footage of a wall, you’ll have to take the length and height of the said wall into consideration. Its total area can then be calculated by multiplying both values.
Cubic Footage
A cubic foot is the standard unit of measurement for determining the volume of any given room, container, or storage unit. It’s a three-dimensional measurement as compared to a square foot, which is a two-dimensional measurement, and a linear measurement, which is a one-dimensional measurement.
A cubic foot is a combination of three linear measurements. Imagine you’re a product business owner and you just landed your first big order. You’ll need to store all the raw materials required to make the product and make good of the order. For that, you’ll need to figure out how much raw material can your storage room hold at a time. That is when you measure the volume of a given space. To do so, you must measure the length, width, and height of the storage room. Once you have all three values, multiply them to get the volume of the entire room. So, if your storage room is 20 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 25 feet in height, the total volume of the room is 15,000 cubic feet. Once you have figured out the cubic footage of the room, it’ll be easier for you to store the right amount of materials at any given time.
Conclusion
Understanding how to measure and calculate a linear foot is child’s play but is important. Calculating other units of measurements like square feet and cubic feet require some basic understanding of linear foot as well. It’s always good to be aware of such techniques that can save you time and money, at times.
FAQs On How To Calculate A Linear Foot
How Many Feet Are 10 Linear Feet?
A linear foot is similar to a conventional foot in size. As a result, 10 linear feet equals 10 standard feet.
What Is The Length Of A Linear Foot?
In a straight line, a linear foot means 12 inches. It doesn’t include two or three-dimensional measurements.
How Do I Calculate Linear Feet?
You can use a ruler or taping measure to determine the length of the object at hand. Once you know the value of the said object in inches, you can divide it by 12 to get the value in linear feet. For example, if a table is 24 inches long, it will be 2 linear feet long (24/2 = 12).
How Many Feet Are In A Yard?
There are three linear feet in a linear yard, which means a yard is 36 inches long.
See Also: How to Estimate the Storage Unit Size You Need? | What Size Moving Trailer Do You Need For Your Move?
