This tool converts Square feet to linear equivalent.
Square feet measure an area, while linear feet measure length. To convert between these two units, additional information such as the width of the area in linear feet is necessary.
Enter
- Sq Ft
- Width (use the dropdown menu to select either inches or feet)
Formula
Linear Feet = Square Feet/Width
How to Convert Sq Ft to Linear Ft
- Determine the total area in square feet (sq ft)
- Measure the width in linear feet or inches
- Apply the formula
Example Calculation
- Area: 200 square feet
- Width: 10 feet
Linear Feet = 10 ft
Why Convert from Square Feet to Linear Feet?
Converting from square feet to linear feet is a common practice in various fields, particularly in construction, landscaping, flooring, and fabric industries. This conversion is essential for several practical reasons:
Practical Applications
Flooring Installation
- Material Requirements: When installing flooring, such as carpet or hardwood, knowing the total area (in square feet) is crucial. However, materials are often sold in rolls or planks, measured in linear feet. To determine how much material you need, you must convert the total area into linear feet based on the width of the material roll or plank.
- Example: If you have a room that is 200 square feet and the carpet roll is 12 feet wide, you would convert the square footage to linear feet to know how much of the roll to purchase.
Lumber and Building Materials
- Cutting and Planning: When working with lumber or other building materials, knowing how much material you need in linear feet helps in planning cuts and purchases. For example, if you’re building a fence or a deck, you might have a total area in square feet but need to buy boards in linear feet.
- Example: For a deck that is 300 square feet, if the boards are 6 inches wide (0.5 feet), converting to linear feet helps you determine the total length of boards needed.
Fabric and Textiles
- Custom Orders: Fabric is often sold by the linear yard or foot. If a designer or seamstress needs to cover a specific area, they need to convert the area from square feet to linear feet to purchase the correct amount of fabric.
- Example: To cover a sofa that requires 150 square feet of fabric, and the fabric bolt is 5 feet wide, you would convert the area to linear feet to determine how many feet of fabric to buy.
Landscaping
- Mulch, Sod, and Ground Cover: Landscapers often buy materials like mulch, sod, or ground cover in rolls or by the linear foot. Converting the total area to linear feet helps in accurately purchasing the required amount.
- Example: For a lawn that is 1000 square feet and sod rolls that are 2 feet wide, converting to linear feet tells you how many rolls to buy.
Practical Example of Calculator Usage
To illustrate, let’s consider a scenario where you need to cover a floor area of 500 square feet with hardwood planks that are 5 inches wide.
Using the calculator, 1200 linear feet of hardwood planks are required to cover a 500 square foot area.