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The lumber yard taught me a $14 lesson about 2x4s
I went to pick up wood for a shed frame in Portland and the guy at the counter measured my 2x4s with a caliper. Turns out a modern 2x4 is actually 1.5 by 3.5 inches, which I knew, but he showed me that the exact moisture content can change the width by almost an eighth of an inch. My whole plan for a 96 inch span was off by a quarter inch because I didn't account for the dry weight. Has anyone else had a project shift because the wood shrank after a hot afternoon in the truck bed?
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jade_grant951mo ago
Damn, that moisture thing never even crossed my mind before. Always figured the 1.5x3.5 thing was just the final size, period. But now I'm remembering my last deck build where the boards seemed looser after sitting in the sun all day. Makes me wonder how many projects I've done where the gaps were actually the wood moving, not me measuring wrong. Might have to grab a moisture meter before my next framing job, that's wild that a hot truck bed can do that much.
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