Lumber Sizes

2024-02-22

Wood is often talked about in dimension terms like 2x4 but are those the real sizes? Of course not, that would be too easy .... The Nominal Sizes are the size when it's cut, but after drying and processing the sizes vary. Approximately the sizes below

Nominal Size	Actual Size (Imperial)	Actual Size (Metric)
1x4	0.75″ x 3.50″	19mm x 90mm
1x5	0.75″ x 4.72″	19mm x 120mm
1x6	0.75″ x 5.50″	19mm x 140mm
1x4 +Plus®	0.83″ x 3.50″	21mm x 90mm
1x5 +Plus®	0.83″ x 4.72″	21mm x 120mm
1x6 +Plus®	0.83″ x 5.50″	21mm x 140mm
1x6 +Plus® XW™	0.83″ x 5.70″	21mm x 145mm
5/4x4	1.00″ x 3.50″	25mm x 90mm
5/4x5	1.00″ x 4.72″	25mm x 120mm
5/4x6	1.00″ x 5.50″	25mm x 140mm
5/4x8	1.00″ x 7.25″	25mm x 184mm
5/4x10	1.00″ x 9.25″	25mm x 235mm
5/4x12	1.00″ x 11.25″	25mm x 286mm
2x2	1.50″ x 1.50″	38mm x 38mm
2x4	1.50″ x 3.50″	38mm x 90mm
2x6	1.50″ x 5.50″	38mm x 140mm
2x8	1.50″ x 7.25″	38mm x 184mm
2x10	1.50″ x 9.25″	38mm x 235mm
2x12	1.50″ x 11.25″	38mm x 286mm
3x4	2.50″ x 3.50″	64mm x 90mm
3x6	2.50″ x 5.50″	64mm x 140mm
3x8	2.50″ x 7.25″	64mm x 184mm
3x10	2.50″ x 9.25″	64mm x 235mm
3x12	2.50″ x 11.25″	64mm x 286mm
4x4	3.50″ x 3.50″	90mm x 90mm
6x6	5.50″ x 5.50″	140mm x 140mm