#ACTUAL DIMENSIONS OF A 2X4 FULL#

The length of the boards is generally exactly what you order, though we usually only stock pieces of even lengths. In this case, the planing is necessary for a smoother surface, so that the board could be used for interior applications. Size standards, maximum moisture content, and. A 1圆, for example, actually measures 3/4' x 5 1/2'. This pressured further compromise because thinner 2x4s were a way to compete in price with wood alternatives. Lumber dimensions in widths and thickness are 1/2-inch less than the size. Instead, a 2x4 is really only 1 1/2' by 3 1/2'. Knowing lumber sizes in advance helps reduce waste.

#ACTUAL DIMENSIONS OF A 2X4 FULL#

Because of this extra milling, a 2x4 no longer measures a full 2 inches by four inches.

Now, most timber is milled and planed to give it a little more of a finished look, and a little more of a consistent size and profile. In the past, when a timber was called a 2x4, it actually measured 2 inches by 4 inches. However, standards maintained the already messed up thing that had become the norm a 2x4 that is not actually 2x4, imagine that. By 1961 enough was enough, and standards were put in place. An important thing to know is that with most any dimensional lumber, there is a difference between what the board is called, and what it truly measures. Planing smoothed one or more sides of the lumber, made it easier to handle with less splinters, and also you guessed it even smaller. Ususally, there is 1/2 inch difference in measurements over 2 inches and 1/4 inch in measurements. What we stock is a framing grade of spruce in an assortment of sizes and lengths. A 2x4 board is actually only 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. I built several homes like that in the 1980s. Here in rural Vermont, builders are still sometimes building new homes with rough-cut full-dimension 2x4s (or, more commonly, 2圆s) cut on a bandsaw mill. The nominal 2x4 thus became the actual 1 x 3. During the late 1940s or early 1950s, builders in many areas of North America switched to planed 2x4s that measure 1.5' x 3.5'. Actual lumber is sawn, planed, and smoothed, and it’s generally made ready for many applications. Actual lumber sizes are pieces of lumber that are cut to standard sizes and refers to depth and width, but not length. 'Dimensional' lumber is the general name for framing lumber. Size standards, maximum moisture content, and nomenclature were agreed upon only as recently as 1964. In reality, a 2×4 actual size measures 1-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches.

Actual dimensions of a 2x4