![]() Dimensional lumber is the most common type of lumber used for building because its consistent sizing allows builders to use it interchangeably throughout the home.Ī piece of surfaced (sanded smooth) 2×4 lumber actually measures 1½ inches thick and 3½ inches wide. Dimensional lumber sizes refer to depth and width, not length. What is considered dimensional lumber?ĭimensional lumber is wood lumber that is cut to pre-defined, standard sizes. ![]() The term is most often used by lumber producers who need to determine how many board feet they can obtain from each tree they harvest. Believe it or not, it’s a calculation of volume. The true definition of “board feet” is not a calculation of length. When the board is first rough sawn from the log, it is a true 2×4, but the drying process and planning of the board reduce it to the finished 1.5×3. The true measurement of a 2×4 is actually about 1.5×3. Then, the edges are surfaced (planed), reducing the actual size to 1-1/2 in. 2 What is considered dimensional lumber?Ī nominal 2×4 board starts out 1.56 in."You should have some quality control in place. "Anybody who's making a purchase, if you're a retailer or a consumer, should make sure you get what you paid for," he said. In any case, Perez urges customers to be cautious. Lowe's also can protect itself by changing its ads, bin tags, and other promotions to add the words "actual dimensions" and those real sizes, right below the nominal sizes, when it lists a product. Getting documentation from the manufacturer appears to be one form of defense, as the final judgment says that Lowe's won't be considered in violation of state law if its ads and bin tags rely on the manufacturer's description of the product's dimensions. That information helps explain why the final judgment touches on the question of when Lowe's would know it's breaking the rules. In some cases it sold products that did not meet that standard." But if they're going to advertise a softwood lumber product as a 2x4, it must meet the nominal standard. The complaint alleges: "At all times relevant to this Complaint, Defendant was aware in some instances that their advertisements contained product dimensions that were either not the actual product dimensions or did not meet the minimum nominal product dimensions." And in the interview, Perez said that the case "is not necessarily a question that Lowe's was doing anything intentionally wrong. But neither that allegation nor the claim of advertising dimensional lumber that was smaller than NIST minimums "held more sway in bringing the case," he said.ĭuring the interview, Perez also touched several times on what appears to be another factor in the case: What Lowe's knew, and when it knew it. 24, Marin County deputy district attorney Andres Perez agreed that one factor in the case was that Lowe's advertised non-wood products with dimensional descriptions reserved for products identified in the NIST guidelines. In an interview with REMODELING late on Sept. This is a long-standing complaint that was just recently resolved.” ![]() It is not solely a matter of product labeling that was incorrect. “t would appear that the complaint against Lowe’s involved certain products that are not generally regarded as ‘wood’ being labeled as such,” WCLBMA executive director Ken Dunham wrote, “and it also appears that certain other lumber products sold may not have been correctly labeled. But what Lowe's actually did that led to a $1.6 million penalty against it still remains less than crystal clear.įor instance, in its report to members about the case, the West Coast Lumber & Building Material Association (WCLBMA) stressed another part of the case. This supposed violation never figured into the case because it's legal to use nominal sizes when describing certain building products. ![]() These comments add clarity to what initially was misreported by REMODELING and other media as a case of Lowe's being penalized for selling dimensional lumber whose name descriptions didn't match their real sizes for example, that what's known as a 2x4 is really more like 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches. In addition, the stipulation for entry of final judgment includes in its “whereas” clauses this statement: “It is the position of the People that manufacturers of building and construction products have reduced the sizes of certain building materials and construction products resulting in products that are smaller than the prior commonly recognized dimensions and in some instances the actual size of the products vary between manufacturer and product brand such that two products advertised by the same traditional dimensions may have significantly different actual measurements.” Minimum sizes are set and are maintained by several federal agencies, including the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) and the quasi-governmental American Lumber Standard Committee. ![]()
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