Home Depot and Menards Not Bringing the Wood

[Tobra]

I find it hard to believe there is anyone who can work a hammer that failed to be aware of this.

[GG Allin]

Originally Posted by speeder

I spent many years working on really old houses and you have to go back about 100 years for true 2x4s, IIRC.

My house, built in the 20's has 'em.

[NY65912]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

i have done many construction projects over the years, and never have counted on a pine 2x4 as being anything other than 1.5"x3.5". Back in the days of native hardwood milled at the sawmill, you actually got an oak/ash board measuring 2"x4", or whatever dimension you wanted......and damned near impossible to pound a nail into.

+1

[masraum]

I thought that the original 2x4 measurement was real, but what you got was rough-cut 2x4 and if you wanted something with a slightly better finish, you had to do it yourself and you ended up with smaller than 2x4. Now they finish it for you so you don't end up with 2x4 because they've already given it a nice smooth (relatively) surface.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I find it hard to believe there is anyone who can work a hammer that failed to be aware of this.

No, no, no! This world is full of 2 things, extreme idiots and jackasses that use lawyers to make money via frivolous or fake lawsuits.

[Hugh R]

Shakedown lawsuit. They hope to get a few $ to go away.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by look 171

Those lawyers are so stupid. Its been likt that for ages, nominal size. Sue all the lumber yards, and lumber industry. What BS?

Are they stupid, or just dishonest?

[rusnak]

You have got to be kidding me. There is no damaged class for a class action lawsuit, and even if there was, now everyone will have to adjust to the new lumber size. Idiotic.

[Aerkuld]

I think Home Depot and Menards should reimburse the plaintiffs with several tons of sawdust to compensate for the amount of wood by which they were "short changed". Just drop it off with a large dump truck in front of their houses early on a Monday morning.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Gooch1971

My kids on the other hand have no interest in fixing anything. They think you just go buy another one or call somebody to fix it.

Wouldn't it be great if the law said every kid from 13-19 had to use an outhouse only to drop a deuce across that age range.

Mind you, I never had to except for a few times. But I was subjected to Ivory soap in the tub. Made me the man I am today.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by GG Allin

My house, built in the 20's has 'em.

Yeah, that is when the lumber were rough and dimensionally correct.

[BeyGon]

They used to be 1 3/4 x 3 5/8 for framing and 2x4 rough cut, I have remodeled old homes that had what they called 2x3s for framing

[Don Ro]

My house was built in the early '60's...a few yrs. ago I put a set French door between two bedrooms and there were 2x3's throughout.
.

[BeyGon]

Probably because it wasn't a load bearing wall

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

I have done many construction projects over the years, and NEVER have counted on a pine 2x4 as being anything other than 1.5"x3.5

I seem to recall the days when they were 1 5/8 x 3 5/8. Forty years ago or so. I expect eventually a 2x4 -8 will be 7 1/2 feet long.

[ckelly78z]

The really sad thing here is, the lawyers, and probably the judge as well, probably have no clue that this is standard practice, because they always "call the guy" to fix, build things for them.

[billybek]

My 61 year old bungalow has the same dimensions as the "2x4s" today.
Most of it is Douglas Fir and is like trying to drive a nail into bone.

Another interesting thing about the house is that it has standard 1/2 inch drywall. It was kind of experimental as most of the homes around me have plastered blue board instead of drywall.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It seems amazing any lawyer would take the case. I am far from a carpenter but I believe a 2x4 has never ever been 2x4 inches.

Lowe’s ordered to pay 2x4 settlement | HBS Dealer

It all started in California I guess.

Actually if you go into most old homes they are indeed 2x4. But I'd venture to say you can't walk into any home built over the last 50 years and find a true 2x4 in the home. My house is somewhere around 100 years old. My walls are oak 2x4 and yes I have measured them.

[shadowjack1]

I discovered the 2X4 thing when I was a kid. I mean around 12 years old. The first time I built a table the, "light went on". These things are not 2X4's. My dad explained to me that the 2X4 was the rough cut and the finish cut was smaller.

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I seem to recall the days when they were 1 5/8 x 3 5/8. Forty years ago or so. I expect eventually a 2x4 -8 will be 7 1/2 feet long.

No, that will not happen. But you can buy precut 2x4x8 finished at 92-5/8" so when you add a top and bottom plate and finishing materials you have a finished ceiling height of 8'.

From a website called HBS Dealer (HBS-Hardware and building supply) The site is an industry site. Note the article is from 2014.


Lowe’s ordered to pay 2x4 settlement

September 2, 2014

A Marin County California judge ordered Mooresville, North Carolina-based Lowe’s to pay a $1.6 million settlement over a lawsuit alleging the inaccurate description of structural dimensional building products.

One upshot of the settlement is the intention of Lowe’s to include the actual product dimensions of 2x4 lumber (1.5 inches by 3.5 inches) along with the description of the product as a “2x4.”

The suit arose from a civil enforcement action filed by district attorneys of several California counties.

"Consumers should expect when making product purchases that retailers are providing accurate information especially when misinformation could adversely affect building projects that more often than not rely on precise measurements," said District Attorney Ed Berberian.

Lowe’s spokeswoman Karen Cobb told HCN by e-mail that there are about 100 stores affected by the settlement. "Enhanced product signage and labeling is now on Lowes.com and in Lowe's advertising," she said. "And work is underway to update signage in California stores."

In a statement, Cobb added: "Periodically, representatives of local Weights and Measures departments visit retailers, and they expressed concerns about common product measurements, such as a 2x4 piece of lumber.

"These visits were initiated as a result of standards set by California's Division of Measurement Standards, which relies upon guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology concerning the sale of certain commodity products.

"Historically, Lowe's provided information about product dimensions received from vendors. Moving forward, customers will now be able to locate product by actual and common dimensions as provided by vendors for certain building products. For example, for a piece of lumber commonly known as a 2X4, customers will see both the common name (2x4) and the actual product dimensions (1.5 x 3.5 inches).

"Both Lowe's and the California DAs agreed that a settlement is in the best interest of all parties. It allows us to continue moving forward with our program to provide both actual and common product dimensions and meet our shared goals."

The settlement was ordered by Marin Superior Court Judge Paul Haakenson.