How To Calculate Linear Feet For Molding

Molding adds luxury and beauty to your home's walls and baseboards. Whether your decorating style is modern or old-fashioned, country or city, molding is an easy way to enhance your home's appeal. Molding is made from material such as wood, plastic, or stone, and is designed to go around the top and bottom of walls. To determine the amount of molding needed, calculate the lengths of your walls in linear feet. A linear foot is 12 inches in a straight line.

Step 1

Stretch a tape measure from one end of your wall to the other. Accurate measurements are key for a successful project. The tape measure should be placed tightly across the wall. Make sure it is in a straight line.

Step 2

Write down the length in inches of the wall. If you are installing molding on the bottom and top of the wall, multiply this number by 2.

Step 3

Divide the total number of inches by 12 to convert from inches to linear feet. For example, if your wall measured 40 inches in length, and you are installing molding on the top and bottom, 40 x 2 = 80 inches. Divide 80 by 12 to get 6.66 linear feet.