Actual Measurements Of Hardwood Lumber

If you are new to buying softwood and hardwood lumber for craft projects or home improvement work one of the first things you notice is that the dimensions by which the wood is sold called the nominal measurements are not the same as the actual measurements.

Actual measurements of hardwood lumber.

Mechanical tolerance variations of lumber. 2x4s are not actually 2 inches by 4 inches. Be it 1 1 8 thick x 7 1 4 wide by 8. The actual measurements are the final size.

In north america hardwood lumber is usually specified using the quarter system where a board is identified by its thickness in quarters of an inch. Hardwood lumber is sized based on how many sides are surfaced. Miscellaneous engineering related topics like beaufort wind scale ce marking drawing standards and more. Here s a stack of 4 4 lumber.

Something doesn t quite match up. This book contains all the rules. The national hardwood lumber association defines the uniform system of grading rules for the measurement and inspection of hardwood lumber. A piece of 1 x 4 pine for example actually measures 3 4 inch thick and 3 1 2 inch wide while a 2 x 4 framing stud is actually about.

When the board is first rough sawn from the log it is a true 2x4 but the drying process and planing of the board reduce it to the finished 1 5x3 5 size. Dimension lumber can be purchased as dry or. The nominal measurements are a board s size before it has been planed smooth surfaced on all 4 sides. Voluntary product standard ps 20 05 american softwood lumber standard.

Lumber sizes are usually given in nominal measurements. 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. Board feet chart and calculator board feet volume measurement of lumber. If i sell hardwood lumber to a customer i measure the piece and sell it to him based on the actual size of the piece.

There are no standard sizes other than in thickness. But out here in the real world the rough saw lumber world a 2x4 is 2 x4. If you or any customer comes to my mill yard and asks for 2x4s that s what they get. Here are the common sizes of lumber and their actual sizes.

All data is in imperial units inches. With hardwoods you get to pick boards that suit you and your needs. If your project calls for precise measurements be sure to check your lumber before purchasing. Shop our selection of hardwood lumber available in a variety of species and sizes for your next woodworking project.

Measure the actual width and thickness of a pine board like a 2x4 and then look at the sign above the rack. The following data is standard reference and size data for commercially available lumber within the usa. Commercial lumber sizes chart table. Glue laminated timber dimensions typical sizes of glue laminated timber.