Loading…
7
Warning: I just read that a standard 2x4 hasn't actually been 2 inches by 4 inches since the 1960s.
Found it in a lumber grading handbook at the library. Has anyone else had to explain this to a confused homeowner on a job?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
stellablack6mo ago
Oh man, is this the first thing that makes a new DIYer feel crazy? I had to show my neighbor a tape measure on a fresh 2x4. It reads one and a half by three and a half. They thought they got ripped off. I explained it's the rough sawn size before planing, and the name just stuck. It's one of those weird industry things you just have to learn.
7
davidmurphy6mo ago
It's the ultimate rite of passage for new builders. You watch their whole reality shift when they measure that first stud. The nominal size versus actual size thing trips up everyone at the start.
2