Using a Materials Calculator Can Save You Time and Money

Many homeowners in the Northeast are looking forward to the spring, when temperatures will rise and they can finally head out to tackle their new home improvement project.  If the project will require ordering topsoil, crushed stone, gravel or sand, it will be beneficial to try to get a good estimate of just how much material your project will require by using a materials calculator.  Not ordering enough material can very well result in time and money lost.  Having a hired crew wait around to get the job done due to a material shortage can throw your project off schedule and cost you for unproductive labor, all because of a simple miscalculation.  Over-ordering materials is a waste of money and can be a hassle to figure out what to do with the unused product.

There is no way to pinpoint the exact amount of materials you are going to need, but you can come pretty close by using an online materials calculator.  Local suppliers of building, construction and landscaping materials such as ATAK Trucking offer online calculators to help estimate how many cubic yards you will need based on your coverage area and depth of coverage.  It may seem as simple as multiplying the length of the area you want to cover by the width, but depending on the project that you are looking to complete, the depth of the material can be of utmost importance.

For example, when laying a new gravel driveway or parking lot, the amount of materials you need may become rather complicated.  For a sturdy and well drained area, professionals sometimes recommend using two separate layers of different sized stones instead of a single layer.  If this is the case, it can be difficult to determine how much you need when trying to figure out with pen and paper just how much of each size stone is necessary to successfully complete the job.

Ordering materials such as soil for a circular garden-scape can also get a little tricky since you will no longer be dealing with square footage.  The materials calculator will allow you to enter the diameter of the rounded design layout, alleviating some of the guesswork.  For other irregularly shaped areas, it may be best to speak with a professional.  Keep in mind that the calculations provided will be only an estimate of the cubic yards needed.   A local supplier, such as ATAK Trucking, can add an extra level of expertise to the calculations by factoring in different characteristics of the product or products used, and can advise you accordingly.

Commercial projects will most likely require much more material to be ordered than residential applications and may necessitate bulk delivery from the yard.  ATAK Trucking offers bulk delivery of their materials throughout most of NJ, as well as all of Staten Island. Options are also available for some types of material in New Jersey.  Whether you are doing the work yourself or hiring skilled labor, it is always wise to measure twice using an online materials calculator so you’ll only have to order once.

For more information about the materials calculators offered by ATAK Trucking, or for additional help in determining the amount of materials needed for your project, call 917-912-2900.