why call it a 2x4?

mt232

Telling your wife you have to go get some more "one and a halfs by three and a halfs" I assumed it was 2x4 for simplicity

On a sad note.......the morons I hired to do an add a level on my house didn't know they should have purchased 92" rather than 8 footers.......I had to explain thier error in great detail after the fact.......more spackling for me on the bottom 4 inches....

but, the boys may get elevated trains on those high walls....

TheFor

The companies shave the excess to drive up their profits. $$$ Where do you think they get the press wood junk to sell you $$$

rick32

Round here we have the option to go to an amish lumber mill and get true 2x4s. Rough cut though.

spebby

How many board feet in a 2 x 4 x 8 ft.?

so-elitecrete

nominally, its 5.333sq ft - a board ft = 12"x12"x1",,, the term ' 2 x 4 ' refers to the rough cut dimensions of the piece,,, after curing, the piece is run thru a planer resulting in the dimensions of what we buy,,, no one's cheating anyone - its the ignorant or stupid who believe that or so it seems to me,,, & there's a cure for ignorance

skymaster

so-elite; my calculations say 3.5 bd ft must be this ole Yankee calculator LOL.
Spebby; Just Google "board foot calculator" bookmark the page.

so-elitecrete

nominally a 2 x 4 x 8 measures that so 2" x 4" x 96" - 2*4=8*96=768 - 768/12=64 / 12=5.333 sq ft OR board ft,,, figuring a 2x4's 3 1/2" x 1 3/4" does change it a bit - 3.5 x 1.75 x 96 = 588 - 588/12 = 49 / 12 = 4.083 sf OR bd ft,,, are you figuring a smaller 2 x 4 ?

skymaster

http://www.buckwoodcraft.com/board_foot_calculator.htm this is the site I used and it still says 3.5 :}:}:}:}

I like mine better it is cheaper LOL LOL LOL
Jack

joasis

Ok....here it is. Rough sawn lumber is always at the stated size, 8/4 means 2 inches thick, and so on....a 2 X 4 is actually 2 inches by 4 inches before drying and planing, or surfacing, the correct term. Lumber is always milled green, and kiln dried, which causes some shrinkage....the surfacing is done to a standard size.

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RemodelMan

In the good ole days, the lumber was rough milled literally to 2" X 4" then air dried, later it was delivered thinner to 1 5/8" X 3 5/8" air or kiln dried.
There was no need for exacting measurements because the walls were typically lathed and plastered, except for the wealthy who could afford the finished wood paneling, T&G, mouldings etc.

Most of the really strong and dense lumber then and today is Douglas Fir.
The percent of Doug Fir available is considerably less because it has about 30% more strength than spruce or the pines, so it usually is designated for larger dimensional boards and priced accordingly. That old lumber is a bear to nail throgh because it's so dry and often brittle.

johnrem

you pay for 2x4..you get 1.5 x3.5..for your convenience...or to serve you better.LOL.

andrewcocke

It's easier to say two by four than one and a half by three and a half.

The only problem I have is if you live in an older house framed with rough cut lumber and you are framing something new, with modern lumber, then it can throw your measurements off.

In my old house I removed a shower and installed a full size bathtub. I had to extend the wall out so far so it would fit. Where the new wall met the old wall I had a slight angle, or crease where the two styles of lumber came together.

Maintenance 6

Which is why I always rip full 4" studs out of a 2x10 which is actually 1-1/2x9-1/4. You get 2 studs out of a board plus about a 1 inch off-fall that your wife can use to beat you for ever starting a project like this.

CowboyAndy

Wouldn't it be 1-1/2 x 9-1/2? Isn't 1/4" planed from each side?

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skymaster

depends on the run from the mill at that given day :}:} 9 1/2 to 9 1/4 is not uncommon. Also check ur 1 1/2 sometimes closer to 1 3/8