What is a board foot?

What is a board foot?

• A. A unit of measure for lumber, equivalent to a volume of 1 foot long by 1 foot wide by 1 inch thick.
• B. A measure of log weight per foot.
• C. A unit of diameter measurement.
• D. A metric unit for volume in liters.

Answer: (A)

Board feet measure the volume of lumber. One board foot is the amount of wood that would occupy a volume of 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch. In other words, a piece that is 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 1 inch thick equals one board foot. This unit is used to price and quantify lumber by volume, not by weight or diameter. The standard way to calculate board feet is thickness (in inches) times width (in inches) times length (in feet) divided by 12. For example, a piece 2 inches thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 feet long contains 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 8 board feet.

Board feet measure the volume of lumber. One board foot is the amount of wood that would occupy a volume of 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 inch. In other words, a piece that is 12 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 1 inch thick equals one board foot. This unit is used to price and quantify lumber by volume, not by weight or diameter. The standard way to calculate board feet is thickness (in inches) times width (in inches) times length (in feet) divided by 12. For example, a piece 2 inches thick, 6 inches wide, and 8 feet long contains 2 × 6 × 8 ÷ 12 = 8 board feet.