How to Measure your Trailer or Flat Deck to Install Durable Apitong Wood

So you’ve decided it’s finally time to replace that beaten up trailer flooring with something that’s going to work as hard as you do, or better yet, you’re looking for something that’s going to look great and last for your brand new trailer...

Congratulations. You, like many of our valued customers, have come to the conclusion (or are getting there) that the very best choice for the material of a trailer or flat deck is Apitong Wood. The important step is done. Now, in order to help with the finer details, we here at Trailer Decking have a guide to help you figure out exactly how much wood to order so you budget and plan for your installation of durable Apitong Wood so it looks like this.

Like anyone who enjoys working with their hands, I decided to tackle this guide by simply just going out and doing it myself while writing down what I did. There are several ways to figure out how much wood you’re going to need but here are the two methods that I have found to work the best for me.

Method 1: Measure and Calculate.

This method works for all trailers and beds, big and small. It will ensure you order an accurate amount of wood and all it takes is some simple math. We will start by dividing each section of the bed you want to install decking on into squares and measure each one. Make sure to get measurements for the length of each section of the bed as well as the width of each section.

In my particular case, I divided my trailer into three rectangles. My wheel wells are covered by steel and cut into where I would otherwise install wood as you can see down below:

Highlighted are the three areas which I took measurements for length and width. With these measurements in place, calculating square footage was easy by simply multiplying length times width. Once I had each area’s square footage calculated, I added them all up and had the amount of wood in square feet I needed to purchase.

Lastly I need to convert this to linear footage of the board that I have picked. In this case I like a 5” wide face Shiplap Trailer Decking (item 3995). I convert the width of the board to feet (5”/12”) and then multiply it by the number of square feet, to get the linear feet. I added about 5% to the total in order to accommodate for any cutting or errors in measurement, and entered this value directly on the product page.

Done deal.

This method is great because it works for any situation, no matter how unique. Other methods, like the next on I’m going to share, sometimes do not account for certain variables, such as the distance between stringers, spacing between boards, or the various lengths of different trailer sections. This method may take longer than others but it ensures the most accurate measurement.

Method 2: Using What You Have

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This method takes the measurement of the boards you already have installed in your trailer in order to get the new wood boards you will need. This method is very simple and works great if you have an existing design to work off of. When I did the calculation using this method, I started by simply measuring the width of one board and measured the height of a board from each section of my trailer. What I ended up with was four 107” boards, another four 33” boards and nine 201” boards, all 7” wide.

I have them highlighted here in red:

Now all that’s left in the process is order the boards. I have to convert these into lengths that are sold, so the closest to 107” is 9’(4/9’), the four 33” boards can be cut out of one 12’ board (1/12’) and the closest to the 201” boards are 18’ (9/18’). So my final board tally is going to be: 4/9, 1/12, 9/18. This can be entered on the product page, which in my case is 7” shiplap (product ID 3806)

Simple yet effective. The only drawback is that it requires you to have a design that you are satisfied with already.

I would go with the Measure and Calculate method, personally, unless I am replacing specific boards with the same type. To finish up my order, I calculated the number of screws and nuts I needed and how much Apitong Oil was required to keep my deck in tip top shape. I then placed the order online at TrailerDecking.com, and it was shipped direct to my door.

Do not forget the drill, counter sink and driver bits!