Why do they call the piece of wood a two-by-four if it's only 1 3/4" x 3 1/2"?

Answer 1

Many years ago, before the current way of producing 2x4s ,with the smooth finish, all boards were rough cut and meassured as they were cut. So a 2x4 was truly a 2x4. Now with the process of planning and sanding and producing a smooth finished board the 2x4 becomes something less..

Answer 2

That's the rough cut before it goes through the trim mill. Some older homes, post WW2 are or have the old two by four and are a bear to remodel due to everything now days uses trim 2X4, nothing fits. Everything has to be custom made or a big job ensues.

Answer 3

as someone else said, originally a 2 X 4 was exactly that. Now the lumber companies cut the board smaller to get more money for less wood. It is intentionally done that way, which is a rip off.

Answer 4

2"x4" is the size the board starts out, before it is planed to make it all smooth and pretty. That process usually trims off about 1/4", but for the sake of convenience (and because "1 and 3/4 by 3 and 3/4" is so dang wordy), they refer to the board by the pre-planed size.

Answer 5

I believe they were originally cut to the actual dimensions of 2x4....recent tightening of the wallets of lumber companies made them realise they could squeeze 1 more board from a tree if they reduced the size a little and presto....smaller wood.....

Answer 6

Years ago they were actually 2x4 but over the years the industry standard has shrunk

Answer 7

Thats the deminsional size for the 2x4 , so they use that terminology-

Answer 8

Well... try saying:
"hand me another one-and-three-quarter-by-three-and-one-half" all day...

"two-by-four" is much easier, don't ya think?