Expert: Bobby Soltani - 9/15/2004

Question
I need to figure out the square footage of a corner work surface. Here are the dimensions...

25" - left side
45" - back left
45" - back right
25" - right side
28.5" - front

Thanks, Rich

Answer
Hi Rich,

I'm sorry but I can't tell what shape you are trying to describe.  Here are some tips to help you.  If you are trying to find the area of a rectangle, multiply the length times the width.  If you are trying to find the area of a triangle, multiply the base times the height times 1/2.  That is:
rectangle
A = l * w

triangle
A = (1/2)*b*h

If you can divide the table into rectangles and triangles, you can add up all the areas to get the total area.  To convert from square inches to square feet, divide by 144.  Here's an example:

rectangle is 12 inches by 24 inches.
A = 12*24=288 square inches
A = 288/144 = 2 square feet

I hope this helps you out.  Good luck.

Bobby