Dimension lumber can be purchased as dry or.
Actual measurements of hardwood lumber.
Shop our selection of hardwood lumber available in a variety of species and sizes for your next woodworking project.
Here are the common sizes of lumber and their actual sizes.
Mechanical tolerance variations of lumber.
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.
Surfaced refers to a finishing process that smooths the lumber to remove all saw marks.
There are no standard sizes other than in thickness.
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.
Measure the actual width and thickness of a pine board like a 2x4 and then look at the sign above the rack.
Something doesn t quite match up.
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.
Lumber sizes are usually given in nominal measurements.
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.
If you or any customer comes to my mill yard and asks for 2x4s that s what they get.
2x4s are not actually 2 inches by 4 inches.
The nominal measurements are a board s size before it has been planed smooth surfaced on all 4 sides.
Here s a stack of 4 4 lumber.
Hardwood lumber is sized based on how many sides are surfaced.
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.
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.
But out here in the real world the rough saw lumber world a 2x4 is 2 x4.
Be it 1 1 8 thick x 7 1 4 wide by 8.
Board feet chart and calculator board feet volume measurement of lumber.
Miscellaneous engineering related topics like beaufort wind scale ce marking drawing standards and more.
Density of various wood species density of various wood species apple ash cedar elm and more.
Glue laminated timber dimensions typical sizes of glue laminated timber.
With hardwoods you get to pick boards that suit you and your needs.
All data is in imperial units inches.
The actual measurements are the final size.
Commercial lumber sizes chart table.
Voluntary product standard ps 20 05 american softwood lumber standard.
If your project calls for precise measurements be sure to check your lumber before purchasing.
