What is Dimensional Lumber?
Even if you have never done a woodworking project before, you have probably heard of a 2×4 right? If not, no worries; a 2×4 is just one of many standard sizes of what is called “dimensional” lumber. Dimensional lumber is made according to a defined set of standard sizes and can be purchased at Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc. The sizes refer to the depth and width. Available lengths in any given size are typically 4′-0″, 6′-0″, 8′-0″, or 12′-0″ (other lengths can be found, but these are the typical ones). Dimensional lumber usually requires little if any prep to be used in your house-hold projects as it has already been planed smooth. I do recommend sanding all projects prior to finishing, however. (Need to know more on how to sand? Stay tuned – I will be writing a post on this soon!)
Nominal Vs. Actual
What you hear a standard board called….such as a 2×4, is actually not its true dimension. This is its nominal or “name” dimension. The actual measurements of a piece of dimensional lumber is found by subtracting 1/2″ from its nominal dimension. So using our 2×4 example, the actual dimensions of a 2×4 are 1 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. This is important to keep in mind when designing or planning your household projects!
For those of you like me who are more visual, I have provided a sketch below showing a few common size examples of this:
So how many of you already knew this? Let me know and drop a comment below!
Xoxo,
Amanda
