1 linear How much is a linear meter? Let's look at it in detail. Which calculations are made in linear meters, and which in square meters?
Surely you have heard such an expression as “linear meter” from sellers. This concept confuses many, since you will not immediately understand how this measure differs from a regular meter, and what exactly is meant. Most often, this term is heard in response to a question like: “What will the cost of the kitchen be if I order it from your company?” And in response you hear something like: “$450 per linear meter.” This can be perplexing for someone who has never purchased custom-made furniture for their home before.
How much is a linear meter?
In a nutshell, 1 linear meter is the same as a regular meter, only we are talking about quantity. Yes, yes, it’s about quantity, not length. In general, there is simply no such concept in official terminology. Linear meter is a common expression.
In theory, the quantity of goods should be measured in generally accepted kilograms or pieces. But in practice, this is not very convenient. If you ask a seller to sell half a kilo, what will he think of you? It is also impossible to measure the tablecloth in pieces, and counting how many in square meters is also not suitable. That is why this measure has become so firmly established.
If the product has a more or less constant profile (i.e. thickness-width, cross section) or supplied in a roll, it is convenient to implement it by cutting pieces of a specific length. This length is precisely used to measure quantity.
The nuances of using a linear meter
A linear meter is one meter of goods, regardless of its height or width. If the cost of products is expressed in this unit, then you just need to choose the most suitable color, texture, type of product and suitable width. After that, all that remains is to measure the fabric or the required number of linear meters in length. Payment will be made only for length, without any conversion into pieces or square meters.
There is a special conversation about furniture. Sellers like to indicate the price in linear meters, and they specifically take the cheapest fittings and material for calculations, and sometimes they may not include the cost of fittings in the calculation at all. Therefore, you should not rush into suspiciously profitable offers, because... This technique is often used to simply attract customers.
How to determine the linear meter of a kitchen?
Suppose you decide to order a kitchen, and you are quoted a price of $450 per linear meter. What does this mean and how to figure it out total cost? It is necessary to measure the length of the wall in the room where the kitchen will be located, and add the length of the corners if its shape is not linear, but in the form of the letter “L” or “P”. The result is multiplied by the price to obtain the base cost. Be prepared that it can increase 1.5 times due to the tabletop, more expensive fittings, the height of the upper wall cabinets(perhaps you have a high ceiling in the room and you want the height of the cabinets to be maximum), using glass, installing an apron, etc.
Therefore, before placing an order, you need to find out what is included in the quoted price, what material is taken for the calculation, be sure to check whether the countertop is included, whether it will be matte or glossy, how many sections there will be, etc.
Often, wanting to purchase certain Construction Materials and when studying their prices, we are faced with the fact that different suppliers indicate prices in different unit systems. For example, the question is often asked, how many square meters in a linear meter?
Let's say you're buying lumber. In one square meter different lumber(edged board, floor board, lining, block house) it is likely that there will be a different number of linear meters. Why? Because the number of square meters also depends on the width of the material.
Here's an example:
The edged board has the following parameters: 40x120, that is, its thickness is 40 mm and its width is 120 mm. It is necessary to calculate as follows:
Divide 1 square meter of edged board by 120 mm (product width), we get the value - 8.33. This is the number of linear meters.
1 sq.m./0.120 m = 8.33 l.m.
We multiply the number of linear meters by the width of the product and get the number of square meters per linear meter.
For our example:
8.33 l.m. x 0.120 m = 0.9996 sq.m (1 sq.m.)
It turns out that for a given width of the product there are 8.33 linear meters in one square meter.
Another example:
The floor board has the following parameters: 28 x 130, then:
1 sq.m. /0.130 m = 7.69 l.m.
A linear meter indicates the length of the product, and square meters measure the area of the product. Therefore, to determine the area of a product, two parameters are needed - length and width.
Expert commentary
Igor Voropaev - leading lawyer at Prosper-Consulting
Consultant of the PropertyExperts portal
I worked for a finishing company for several years, and I can say that at first, measurements were our biggest headache. Several times in a row, customers not only did not know what design they were interested in, but also did not want to hear about the measurements, giving the standard answer “we will calculate everything ourselves and buy it.”
Since we couldn’t go into someone else’s apartment on our own and measure the amount of necessary products, the problem of constant errors in the volume of the room, the height of the walls and ceiling, the weight of the putty, the width of the linoleum roll, the size of the coating led to sad results - we had already gotten used to it. Out of the first ten times the results are equal to within cubic centimeter those that exist were received by the customer only twice.
There were also those who bought five meters more pipes, than was necessary, also of a different diameter (they said that they measured it conditionally), as well as those who brought a piece of fabric half as large as what the designer asked (the furniture seller advised this, in fact they decided to save money). The climax came when customers managed to purchase more reinforcement for a plot of a hectare than was needed. After this, the concept of “independent measurement” immediately ceased to exist for us. We decided to accept orders only according to our own understandable measures and we advise everyone to do so!
The correct answer is No, because a square meter and a linear meter are units of measurement of different categories. Square meters measure the surface area, and linear meters measure only the length of the product.
Below we will analyze the concepts of square and linear meters
Square meter (sq.m; m2) in the International System of Units (SI) is the area of a square whose side is 1 meter. Square meters measure the surface area of walls, floors, real estate objects, where the area, for example, of an office or apartment is equal to the floor area. Or if you need to calculate the quantity ceramic tiles on a wall or linoleum on a floor, you need to multiply the length by the height and get the surface area in square meters. Although linoleum itself is sold in linear meters, more on that below.
Designations in square meters (m2) are used in...
- Measuring buildings, houses, apartments, premises;
- Measurement of facing and flooring materials;
- Measuring the covering surfaces of roofs and floors;
- Measuring the area occupied by equipment and furniture
The concept of a linear meter
Convert square meters to linear meters and simply in meters - IMPOSSIBLE!
Linear meter (roll material, product, fence, furniture)– this is the length independent of the width. Since the price of the material is included in the cost of 1 linear meter of carpet, linoleum or lining. A linear meter of linoleum 3 meters wide will naturally be more expensive than linoleum 2.5 meters wide.
Sometimes, in the manufacture of kitchen furniture, linear meters are also used for ease of calculation. For example, the manufacturer considered that Kitchen Cabinet 3 meters long and 60 centimeters wide with required quantity shelves, drawers, doors will cost $1,200 at the National Bank exchange rate. And as you know, the kitchens in our apartments are different, mostly small, so the manufacturer sets the price for 1 linear meter at $400. The customer can only fit 2.5 meters. The standard equipment, placement of shelves, drawers are discussed and a price of $1000 is indicated.
$400 x 2.5m = $1000
Designations in linear meters are used to measure:
- Flooring roll materials(roll of fabric, carpets, linoleum...);
- Boards, linings, block houses, plinths, sometimes pipes, fittings;
- Cost is the price of furniture (kitchen) with standard equipment and fittings.
How to calculate linear meters into square meters and vice versa
Example 1
To convert square meters into linear meters, you need to know the length and width of the product (material) that is sold in linear meters.
We need to lay 12 m2 of linoleum in the kitchen, but in the store they sell it by linear meters, but with a width of 2.5 m, 3 m or 4 meters. It would be better to buy 4 linear meters of linoleum 3 meters wide or 3 linear meters 4 meters wide:
4m (length) x 3m (roll width) = 12 square meters
3m (length) x 4m (roll width) = 12 square meters
In this particular case, 12 square meters is equal to 3 or 4 linear meters, but this cannot be considered because the width must always be taken into account.
Example 2
Let's take the same example with kitchen furniture 2.5 linear meters. We need to know the floor area that our kitchen furniture covers. To do this, we multiply the length of 2.5 m by the width of the kitchen wall 0.6 meters, and we get 1.5 square meters - this is the area occupied by our furniture in the kitchen.
Example 3
To finish the bath we need to buy 65 m2 of lining. It is sold in 3-meter lengths at a price per linear meter. We need to calculate how many linear meters are needed for 65 m2. 
Our board (lining) has dimensions of 300 x 10 x 0.5 cm or 3m x 0.1m x 0.005m. We multiply the length by the width in meters and get the area of one board (0.3 m2):
3m x 0.1m = 0.3 m2
Now we will find out how many boards are needed for 65 m2. To do this, divide 65 m2 by the area of 1 board:
65: 0.3 = 216.67 or 217 boards (lining)
Our lining (board) is 3 meters long, which means we need to buy 651 linear meters.
217 x 3 = 651 m/p
Anyone who does not deal with sewing or furniture production, often asks the question: “How much is 1 linear meter?” In fact, this is the same unit of measurement that everyone is used to dealing with every day. Most often, this measure is used for orientation in the length of materials, most often fabric.
Method of measuring by linear meter
How much is a linear meter? In order to answer this question, you should know that such a measure has the same 100 cm. The only thing is that if it is used to count fabric, then only the length is taken into account, while the width is not taken into account.
By the way, the same applies to the purchase of pipes or electric cable. The direct length of the product is taken into account, without taking into account the diameter or cross-section. The same system can be used for building materials, such as linoleum or baseboards. That is, the linear meter is used when other indicators are not important, for example for rolls.
But here you can often find on price tags that the same sealant or insulation has a cost per 1 square meter, not a linear meter. How much does this cost then? Let's look at the difference between them.
A few words about the square measure
A square meter is an area, for example land plot, premises, building and other materials measuring 100 x 100 cm. If the area has different digital values sides, then the length and width indicators are multiplied by each other and a measurement is obtained, which is denoted by square meters.
This measurement system is most often used specifically for living space, since rooms rarely have equal sides. Purchase facing material for the floor or ceiling, and for the walls too, is calculated based on square meters.
What is the difference between linear and square meter?
Square and linear meter are how many in centimeters? In fact general moment in such measurements - only the length, which is 100 cm, and then there are differences. The fact is that the square value is intended to calculate the area, while the linear value affects only the length, without taking into account the other sides of the material.
You can convert one unit to another only if there is a width value. Then, for example, if the fabric has a length of 1 linear meter (how much is this in centimeters? - 100), and a width of 2 meters, then these two numbers must be multiplied together. The result is the area of such a piece of matter.
Measuring for kitchen areas
As for the kitchen, this also applies this system. How much is a linear meter of a kitchen? And what can you measure there? In this case, the measure applies not to the area of the room itself, but to the furniture set.
In this case, all elements that are located along the walls are taken into account, for example a table or shelf, a cutting surface or cabinet, and other modules. The price is indicated for the entire set, with how much space it will take up in linear meters. But there may be a cost for an individual unit, then in this case the figure is multiplied by the number of elements in the set, and the final cost is obtained.
It’s worth mentioning right away that not all sellers indicate the full price. Therefore, you should immediately clarify whether furniture fittings at the indicated price, otherwise you may not calculate your finances.
Measure for tubular materials
How much is a linear meter of pipe? In this option, the weight of the products is often used, which is why the price tag has corresponding symbols. In fact, few people are interested in why this particular measurement system is used.
Depending on its purpose, each pipe may have its own cross-section and wall thickness, and the material itself may be different. But if you take two identical pipes with the same circumference, one meter long, but with different wall thicknesses, it turns out that they will weigh differently. Usually the weight category is assigned according to GOST. But it is rare that the seller has such documents.
It is logical that the question arises: “For pipes, a linear meter is how much? Will this information help calculate weight? There is a formula for this:
The thickness of its walls is subtracted from the diameter of the product, then this value is again multiplied by the thickness of the walls, and then by 0.025 kg, as a result the mass of 1 linear meter will become known.
For calculations, linear measurements are made in millimeters.
Rebar measuring system
The fittings serve to create more reliable design, especially regarding country houses. It is also calculated using the linear system.
To do this, all the necessary rods are measured by length (if they are different) and the resulting amount is multiplied by the mass of 1 linear meter. To determine this value, there is a special table that will allow you to calculate the percentage in which the building will be reinforced. For independent calculations, use the formula: 1 m x (0.785 x diameter x diameter) = volume of reinforcement. The numbers indicate the geometric area of the circle. The diameter is taken in meters. The resulting value then needs to be multiplied by the specific gravity of the reinforcement, which is equal to 7850 kg/m3.
Choosing new furniture is always a difficult process. And if it comes to unclear formulations, then this develops into a huge problem. Most often, buyers get confused. Basically, such products are sold in linear meters, but they don’t bother to explain what it is on the label, hence the difficulties for consumers.
Why measure in linear meters?
Many buyers cannot understand why they need to invent some kind of linear meters. For example, with wardrobe, armchair, sofa, table everything is much simpler, and the price is interpreted unambiguously. The need to introduce such a measure specifically for kitchens is explained by the fact that individual elements of the set may have different prices, if their cost were displayed separately, then buyers would be even more confused.
On a note! The linear meter is not always such a good guide, since it shows the minimum value of the cost. For each additional shelf, opening and storage system you will have to pay extra.
Linear meter
- A linear meter is a conventional unit of measurement for any kitchen, corresponding to a section of material and expressing the length of the object, regardless of its width. Included minimum set elements, no finishing. The filling of the cabinets is also standard.
For most manufacturers this is:
- with opening doors.
- One shelf.
- One .
- Bar for hanging shelves.
- Less commonly, such an economical set includes: handles, baseboards, and plinth.
- That is, 1 linear meter is the average price of one meter in length. This value is used not only when selling, but also to calculate the cost of ordering a product.
The price never includes:
- panel;
- backlight;
- cornices;
- ;
- washing;
- wall plinth.
Features of calculation and configuration
In order to understand how much your kitchen will ultimately cost, you should determine its optimal set of capacity and functionality.
Important! In most salons, they are ready to provide the headset style you like in different variations.
Averaged standard option can be called like this:
- Lower (floor) cabinets. Their number should be five: under, drawers, hob, two with doors for storing necessary kitchen items.
- Corner elements in the amount of 2 pieces.
- Facades made of laminated surfaces, MDF table top.
- Wall shelves. Their number is the same as that of floor cabinets in most cases.
- Cabinet with compartment under .
Advice! Before going to the salon, you need to measure the dimensions of the room for which the furniture is being selected. Only 2 measures are required: the length of the baseboard and the height of the ceilings.
The less non-standard solutions will be in yours new kitchen, the cheaper it will cost. But often the amount indicated per linear meter can only serve as a starting point, since it shows the lowest cost that will have to be paid. At a minimum, you will need to purchase another sink.
Factors influencing the price of a headset
Of course, it is important to consider that the price per linear meter is influenced by many factors. Let's look at the main ones.
- Materials. The cheapest is chipboard, then MDF, the last and most expensive is . Much less often, kitchens are made from of stainless steel, mainly for professional equipment of restaurants. You can also find headsets made from high quality. Of course, you are unlikely to find the last two options in the average store; they are mostly made to order.
- Finishing. The most accessible are laminated facades, fiberboard covered with veneer, or varnished surfaces. Steel and lacquered glass are somewhat more expensive. The most expensive facade is high varnish. This is the name given to a surface coated with several layers of varnish.
- Special mechanisms, storage systems. Devices for lifting doors, wall cabinets, rotating baskets, automatic closers etc. These elements simplify work in the kitchen, but at the same time add to its price. IN in some cases the cost doubles.
- Non-standard elements. Almost every manufacturer has atypical sizes of cabinets and shelves in their price list. However, remember that
