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27 October 2008

Here is a very simple math problem that is beyond my skills. →[More:]

We need to wrap a queen-sized mattress in plastic sheeting. I need to know what size roll of poly sheeting to buy.

The dimensions of a queen-sized bed are 60" x 80". Let's assume it's, what, 8" tall?

So, in feet, what how much plastic do I need?

(Seriously, I came up with a measurement that roughly equals the square footage of my house, so I'm coming to y'all for help.)

post by: mudpuppie at: 14:41 | 14 comments

60+60+16=136 with no extra, wrapping around side to side

80+80+16=176 with no extra, wrapping around top to bottom

If the rolls are 60 inches wide (five feet), you need at least 136 inch (12 feet) long roll

If the rolls are 80 inches wide (seven feet), you need at least 176 inch (15 feet) long roll

If the rolls are narrower than five feet, I dunno.

I think I have that right in my own convoluted way.

posted by deborah 27 October | 14:54

hm, I just came up with 26.25 square feet, but I'd add an extra 6" or so inches for overlap.

posted by lonefrontranger 27 October | 14:57

42.

posted by dg 27 October | 15:00

and I think the issue (which I vaguely recall from having an architect as a mother) is that to calculate square feet, you need to work in linear feet (and fractions thereof), not linear inches.

this from someone who failed 4th grade arithmetic, not to mention Algebra 1 twice, so take my advise with a grain of salt.

posted by lonefrontranger 27 October | 15:00

80 sq feet (it's a little more than you need but gives you wiggle wrong).

posted by stynxno 27 October | 15:07

The top and bottom are 33.3 square feet, so 66.6. The long sides are 4.4 each, so 8.8. The short sides are 3.3, so 6.6.

My vote is for stynxno's answer.

posted by jrossi4r 27 October | 15:11

I should have prefaced that with, "According to my calculations, which are those of an English major."

posted by jrossi4r 27 October | 15:12

Thanks, y'all.

posted by mudpuppie 27 October | 15:12

Oh, and I already had 'wiggle wrong.' I always have wiggle wrong. It is part of my character.

posted by mudpuppie 27 October | 15:13

wiggle wrong is the name of my next album.

posted by stynxno 27 October | 15:16

Just buy a mattress bag. Most moving places and storage places stock them. Try a U-Haul center (the real ones, not the gas stations with a truck or two in the back).

posted by Eideteker 27 October | 16:11

Actually, we'd already decided to forgo the poly sheeting for the mattress bag, I just didn't have the heart to tell all the people who'd done the math.

Thanks for ruining it, Eideteker.

posted by mudpuppie 27 October | 16:15

wiggle wrong is what I have branded my lovemaking technique.

posted by middleclasstool 27 October | 16:28

*reviews* GOD DAMMIT this is why I suck at math... fucking volume geometry. Of course you said you gotta wrap it not merely cover it so you multiply the area by two and a bit to account for the sides.

sheeit i iz dum.

posted by lonefrontranger 27 October | 17:52

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