2x4 actual size

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

The most well-known piece of lumber is the 2x4, pronounced two-by-four. Many of you know this, but why is this a thing? But there is a reason. Put simply, the discrepancy in sizing comes from the need for the lumber industry to stay competitive with other market alternatives during times of scarcity. Before mass production of lumber and wood started around , trees were cut and made to order for carpenters. Sizes always varied, which left final sizing measurements up to the builders on site. Trees were grown and used locally and many people in the industry viewed lumber and forests as an unlimited resource in the U.

2x4 actual size

Chris Baylor is a woodworking expert and writer with over a decade of hands-on commercial carpentry experience. He has studied under master carpenters and also designs wooden tools and furniture, sharing tutorials on websites including Woodworkers Workshop and Homemade Tools. Many beginning woodworkers and DIYers are understandably confused by the way lumber products are sized. It can lead to considerable confusion if you are expecting a 2 x 4 stud to actually measure 2 inches by 4 inches, or if you expect your 1 x 6 board to actually have those measurements. You've just run into the reality of actual lumber sizes as compared to the nominal sizes—the sizes by which they are identified in the store. The measurements by which lumber is sold is virtually never the same as the actual dimensions of the boards when you measure them. So what exactly is going on here? Believe it or not, there actually is some rhyme and reason for why the actual measurements of dimensional lumber don't match their names. Lumber manufacturers typically cut a tree into the various standard types of dimensional lumber very shortly after the tree is felled. At this point, the 2 x 4 is actually 2 inches x 4 inches, a 2 x 10 is actually 2 inches x 10 inches, etc. But then the newly-sawn but soaking wet lumber is then kiln-dried until it reaches the desired moisture level. During this process, it shrinks as the moisture in the wood is removed and the wood cells shrink. Once the drying is complete, the boards are then planed to a standard size. These numbers can vary slightly, but modern lumber manufacturers are pretty adept at delivering consistently-sized supplies of dimensional lumber. This is a very different type of measuring wood when compared to the board foot method used in measuring hardwoods.

The first two numbers 2 inches and 4 inches are nominal widths and depths for the lumber. The modern home would not be possible without dimensional lumber.

Dimensional lumber is cut to a specific length, width, and depth. However, there is a difference between the nominal size what the lumber is referred to and the actual size. The tables below provide both the nominal and actual lumber dimensions for many common North American lumber sizes. Softwood lumber is generally used for framing walls and floors. Softwood lumber comes in a number of standard lengths as listed in the table below. According to NIST Publication P20 , actual lengths must be at least equal to the nominal length, but can be up to 3" longer than the nominal length.

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years. Dimensional lumber has two size categories for width and thickness: nominal size and actual size. Dimensional lumber is wood lumber that is cut to pre-defined, standard sizes. A two-by-four or, 2x4 is an example of dimensional lumber. Dimensional lumber has differing nominal and actual width dimensions—for the same-sized board. Because of the thickness of the saw blade and other milling processes, the resulting two-by-four does not measure 2 inches by 4 inches.

2x4 actual size

I love to use 2x4s to build simple projects around the house and garage -- projects that call for a little bulk and strength like workbenches and shelves , but not too much woodworking finesse. Best part about 2x4s is that they're cheap and easy to find. However, shopping for 2x4s can be a little confusing.

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Actual dimensional sizes have shifted over the years. Subscribe to the Archtoolbox Newsletter Receive a curated email with industry news focusing on practice, leadership, technology, and career growth. List of Partners vendors. Matched Dimensions. Other types of lumber, such as plywood and other sheet goods, are offered in prescribed standard sizes but are not referred to as dimensional lumber. A wide range of depths are available, far too many to list here, so please contact your local manufacturer for more information on their offerings - in general depths start at 6" and go up to 30" and beyond. Common Sizes. In relation to the term dimensional lumber, dimensions only refer to the width and depth. Many of you know this, but why is this a thing? As early as the s, lumberyards began to use the now-familiar 2x4 or 2x6 designations for dimensional lumber. The demand for pallets and crates for the war caused a shortage in wood for the lumber industry. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Most significant, though, was the rapid change from the post-and-beam style of house framing to the more efficient balloon framing style. Hinge-left or hinge-right? She is a writer and fact checker for TripSavvy, as well as a fact-checker for The Spruce.

Chris Baylor is a woodworking expert and writer with over a decade of hands-on commercial carpentry experience. He has studied under master carpenters and also designs wooden tools and furniture, sharing tutorials on websites including Woodworkers Workshop and Homemade Tools. Many beginning woodworkers and DIYers are understandably confused by the way lumber products are sized.

Standardization also means that builders or do-it-yourselfers throughout the entire country are using lumber that is sized the same way. Chris Baylor is a woodworking expert and writer with over a decade of hands-on commercial carpentry experience. Once you understand precisely how all these materials are sized, you can design your projects appropriately. Nominal and actual dimensions differ. Best Architecture Books Our list of the top reference books for architects. Many older homes have nominal dimension 2x4s that are actually 2 inches by 4 inches. Fact checked by Jillian Dara. Measure advertising performance. These choices will be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data. Again, keep in mind that hardwoods and plywoods use entirely different sizing conventions.