If you can stop someone in the store to help explain the inconsistency, they'll start throwing around a few words like "nominal sizes" and "actual sizes" and "softwood lumber" and "hardwood lumber." Hopefully they will take the time to explain exactly what these words mean, which will go a long way towards making you feel more comfortable about buying wood.įor starters, you'll need to know that softwood (like pine, spruce, and fir) is measured and sold one way, and hardwood (like oak, maple, and cherry) is measured and sold in a totally different way. Back in the olden days of cutting trees into framing lumber, a 2×4 did actually measure more or less two inches by four inches. If boards will be kiln dried after milling, they start their lives sized 1.62 in. Then, the edges are surfaced (planed), reducing the actual size to 1-1/2 in. Measure the actual width and thickness of a pine board (like a 2x4) and then look at the sign above the rack. Because a nominal 2x4 board is really 1-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches. On your next trip to Home Depot or Lowes, take along a tape measure and head over to the dimensional lumber aisles. That means a 2x10 is actually 1 1/2 inch in thickness by 9 1/4 inches. 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. This is because everyone makes it in different dimensions and so no two sizes may. In reality, a 2×4 actual size measures 1-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 inches. During the finishing phase (includes drying and planing the. When shopping for lumber pieces, it can be confusing to find the right size. Sawn lumber is not the actual size that youve grown up hearing. However, when the cut is rough the measurements will be 4 inches wide and 2 inches thick. The larger 2x boards (2x8, 2x10, etc.) lose 3/4 inch in width. The dimensions of a smooth 2×4 stud are 1.5 inches thick, 3.5 inches wide, and 92 5/8 long. That means a 2 x 4 board is actually 1-1/2 inches by 3-1/2 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. 2x Board SizesĢx4 and 2圆 boards lose 1/2 inch in thickness and 1/2 inch in width before leaving the mill. Planing smoothed one or more sides of the lumber, made it easier to handle with less splinters, and also you guessed it even smaller. Similar to the construction of an 8’ wall, this stud allows room for a double top plate, single bottom plate, and some extra space along the bottom to compensate for variances in flooring (see below). That means a 1x10 is actually 3/4 inch in thickness by 9 1/4 inches. This 2x4 is made for building walls in rooms with 9’ ceilings. The larger 1x boards (1x8, 1x10, etc.) lose 3/4 inch in width. That means a 1 x 4 board is actually 3/4 inches by 3 1/2 inches. 1x4 and 1圆 boards lose 1/4 inch in thickness and 1/2 inch in width before leaving the mill.