BOARD FOOT (BF):
Lumber is sold by the board foot - 'BF' - which is a measure of volume.
One BF (Board Foot) = 1" X 12" x 12" = 144 cubic inches
1 BF is 1" thick, 12" wide and 1' (12 inches) long - or 144 cubic inches regardless of the lumber's actual
dimensions.
"MBF" = 1000 BF
To calculate the board footage you need (remember that there will be waste when rough wood is planed - so include an allowance in your plans), figure the thickness and width of the board(s) you want in inches, e.g. 2" x 4", then multiply these two dimensions by the board or beam length in feet and divide by 12 to know how many BF are in each piece. Then simply multiply this per piece total by the number of pieces of that size that you want in order to calculate the total for that size.
EXAMPLE
- you need 5 boards that are going to be 3/4 in. after they are planed
and sanded, so start with lumber 1 in. thick (4/4). You want it
8 in. wide and in 8 foot lengths.
Multiply 8 (in) x 1 (in) x 8 (feet)
, (8x1x8 = 64) and divide the total by 12, to give you 5.33 BF per piece. You want 5 pieces, so multiply 5.33 x 5 = 26.67 BF that you wish to purchase.
Note that you will pay for the next larger standard size, and it will be milled to your dimensions.
THICKNESS:
Rough lumber is measured on the 1/4" system. 4/4=1" - 5/4=1-1/4" - 8/4=2". Most 4/4 will plane to 3/4" or 13/16.
Much of the lumber we sell
is rough cut. If desired by the customer, it can be air dried or kiln dried. We can mill to any specification including T&G (tongue and groove, used in flooring), v-groove (T&G with V edging, used for paneling), bead board (T&G with a bead edging, also used for paneling), crown mouldings, corbels, veneers,
etc. WIDTHS AND LENGTHS: Some of our lumber comes in random widths and lengths, when desired. We will find lumber that meets your specifications. GRADES: Select yields 83%
or better - used where large clear cuttings are desired.
Sap Wood and Pecky
Cypress is usually sold for paneling and decorative effects. Air dried = dried up to 3
months (not kiln dried)
If using cypress, you
may use green lumber, because shrinkage is far less than with other species. Cypress is rot resistant. It is used for outdoor decks and furniture, as well as siding (we have a variety of lap siding profiles available, or will get custom knives made tomatch your sample). It is also used for interior decorative and structural beams. Copyright Boite Carre,
Inc. 2002-2008 All rights reserved.
Log Run means a random
sample of grades just as it comes from the log.
#1 (clear, only small tight knots if any)common yields a
minimum of 66% - excellent for most small to medium projects.
#2 common (some knots) yields 50%
- 70% - or better on small projects.
Reclaimed lumber is not
graded. It is always sold "as is", even when milled. Yield depends on each source. Often the timbers have nails, bolt
holes, etc. which many find desirable for decorative effect.
rough sawn = rough cut =
saw cut is the finish.