About Common Units of Measure

Last Updated October 21st, 2020

Lumber and many engineered wood products are typically measured for volume using the Imperial units board foot (bf) or cubic foot (cf or ft3). Metric units (cubic metres -- m3 ) may be used for measuring volume of logs (roundwood) and some engineered wood products (glulaminated timbers, for e.g.). 

One board foot (bf) is equivalent to 144 cubic inches or 2,360 cubic centimetres, 1⁄12th of 1 cubic foot or 0.028 cubic metres). One cubic metre is equivalent in volume to 423.78 board feet.

Panel products like plywood, OSB and MDF are typically measured in ‘msf – thousand square feet’ with a base reference thickness of either ½”.  Panels are usually 48” x 96” (1219 mm x 2438 mm), which is 32 square feet.  
Some specialized plywood, like Baltic Birch plywood, which is European in origin, is sold in 60” x 60” square panels.

In some instances, products may be sold or measured based on lineal foot (lf), typically mill work products like moulding, siding, or railing for e.g.); or surface area (square foot – sf) like panels, flooring or roofing.

 

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