how to measure for soils and bark mulch
To figure out how much material you will need, the first step is figuring out the area of your project in square feet. Use the math below to calculate your area / areas. You may have to break your lawn up into several smaller areas to get the correct measurement. Do the back, front and sides of your property all separately.
1. The area of a square or a rectangle:
Area=length x width
example - If your lawn measures 30 feet long and 40 feet wide the total area is:
30' x 40' = 1200ft2.
2. The area of a circle:
Area = 3.14 x radius squared
example - If a circular area in your yard has a total distance (diameter) of 30', divide by 2 to get the radius, 15'.
Area = 3.14 x (15 x 15)
Area = 706.5 ft2
3. The area of a triangle:
Area = (base x height) / 2
Example - If a triangle shape in your yard measures 20' at the base and is 30' tall the
total area is:
Area = (20 x 30) / 2
Area = 300ft2
Once you have your area in square feet, you can contact us to do your measurements for you, follow the directions below, or plug them into this free online calculator.
http://www.calculator.net/volume-calculator.html
Most lawns require 4"-6" of topsoil for a new lawn. Once you have your total area calculated, divide your total area by the following dividers to get your cubic yards:
For 3" of topsoil:
Cubic yards = (Total area in square feet divided by 27)/4
Example:
Cubic Yards = 1000ft2 / 27 = 9.25 y3
4
For 4" of topsoil:
Cubic Yards = (Total Area in square feet divided by 27) / 3
Example for area 1000 square feet at 4" thick:
Cubic Yards = 1000ft2 / 27 = 12.35y3
3
For 6" of topsoil:
Cubic yards = (Total area in square feet divided by 27 / 2)
Example for area 1000 square feet at 6" thick
Cubic Yards = 1000ft2 / 27 = 18.51 y3
2
ELMSDALE LANDSCAPING LTD.