Remember the old adage “measure twice cut once”? That adage is a great piece of advice. When you are ordering landscape materials from your favorite landscaping supply, having accurate measurements can really help.
Most landscape supply is sold in cubic yards. Knowing how many yards of landscape rock, landscape mulch or landscaping shell and other materials starts with knowing how to measure your yard space accurately. Following these simple steps will make it easy for accurate measurements.
Step 1
The first step to measuring your yard space or garden space is to get out the measuring tape. This will take some simple math, but of course, you can always pull out your phone and use your calculator. Measure the length of the area that you are going to be working in, then measure the width.
Multiply the length times the width. This will give you the square footage of the area that you plan on placing the mulch or other landscaping materials.
Step 2
Knowing the square footage that you are going to be working with is a great start, but it is not all you need to know to order your landscape supply Tampa homeowners have discovered. You need to know how deep or how thick you want your landscaping materials to be.
For example if you are using landscape rocks or landscape shells you would want about 2 inches of material to give the area adequate coverage. If you are using mulch that coverage can go as deep as 6 inches to prevent weed growth.
Step 3
Once you have determined the depth that you want the material to be you multiply that number by the square footage of the space. For example, if the square footage of the space that you are going to apply the materials to is 500 square feet and the depth is 3 inches you would need enough material to cover 1500 square feet.
Things to Consider
You also have to consider the terrain of the space. Is it sloped? Will material easily wash away from the space? You may have to order a bit more material to be on the safe side if you are dealing with challenging terrain. Your local landscaping supply can help you decide how to best approach challenging terrains.
It is always better to err on the side of ordering more material than you think you will need than ordering less. If you have any questions your landscaping supply experts are the best place to get answers.