Timber Sizes

[Construction Channel]

In the Uk at least 4x2 is not always 4 inches wide and 2 inches deep. Crazy I know,

that's where the terminology comes in, which I will hopefully provide links to later

starting at the largest here are just some of the different 4x2's

 

-4x2 rough sawn, this is more of a fencing material and is very rough to the touch, It is nearly "full dimension" e.g 4"x2" or 100mmx50mm

 

-4x2 regularised, this is usually sold in either treated or untreated (green or not) and has been planed on all sides with the corners rounded, will usually end up at about 90mmx45mm or 3 3/4"x1 3/4"

 

-4x2 CLS (Canadian lumber standard) looks very similar to regularised but is even smaller usually around 87mmx 38mm or 3 5/8 x 1 5/8

 

-4x2 PAR/PSE (planed all round/planed square edged) this is more of a joinery type material usually without treatment and square corners but very smooth. this usually comes at about 90mmx 45mm 

 

-then there is the option of strength classification C16, C24, T26 

 

-options on joinery grade material 4ths, 5ths,CVG

 

the list goes on and hopefully it will get filled one day

but for the moment just make sure you know what you are asking for

 

HTH

Ed

 

[Guest Alphonsox]

This has always annoyed the hell out of me - It would be impossible to come up with a more byzantine system if you tried. I have taken to asking for the type and measurement I want and then let them tell me what size they're going to sell me. Is this level of stupidity prevalent in other countries ?

[Crofter]

Thanks, Ed, that's really useful.

My timber-buying tip for the day:

When you order 30 full lengths of C24 timber, before the lorry driver heads off check the markings stamped on the end grain of every single stick in the pile, so that you can spot the two cheeky C16s that they have hidden in there. Don't assume the whole bundle is what you actually ordered and leave it until a fortnight later before you spot it. Grrr!

[ToughButterCup]

Life saver Ed........... thanks . Ian

 

I found a set of links to timber sizes and two listed their prices, so I add them below with no thought to their order. I do so because our local timber yards are too lazy to put their prices online. They just want you to turn up. Which is a polite way of  saying waste-your-time

http://www.woodyalan.co.uk/timberpriceseb.htm

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Shop/Timber/icat/timber

 

 

Edited May 21, 2016 by recoveringacademic
added timber merchants who list their prices online

[Oz07]

To clarify you usually allow max 6mm to achieve par or pse. They both mean the same thing. Can be difficult getting a pair of stiles to plane up for a door and sometimes you need to oversize your timber to compensate 

1"- 19mm

2"- 44mM

3" 69mm

Etc etc

 

[SteamyTea]

If you are using a lot of timber on site, and most houses seem to have more timber than anything else, why not buy a cheap, but adequate, planer thicknesser and save yourself a lot of time and hassle.

[Triassic]

I've never understood why regularised timber is used in construction, why bother planing it and rounding the edges. Why not just use rough sawn timber, the majority of it is hidden inside the walls, never to be seen again, anyway!

[Bitpipe]

And it gets more confusing when you start to order door linings or pocket door systems to match the timber stud sizes - most are standardised around 3" or 4" stud but if you're using CLS (as MBC do for their internal framing) then you need to get something more specific or have the 4" material ripped down. 

[jack]

On 5/20/2016 at 19:58, Construction Channel said:

4x2 CLS (Canadian lumber standard) looks very similar to regularised but is even smaller usually around 87mmx 38mm or 3 5/8 x 1 5/8

So THAT'S what CLS stands for!!!  I've long wondered...

Thanks!

[ProDave]

4 minutes ago, jack said:

So THAT'S what CLS stands for!!!  I've long wondered...

Thanks!

We need to copy across that abreviations thread.

[Triassic]

I suppose now we're leaving the EU we can just use British Standards and ignore the rest!

[Construction Channel]

8 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

If you are using a lot of timber on site, and most houses seem to have more timber than anything else, why not buy a cheap, but adequate, planer thicknesser and save yourself a lot of time and hassle.

Because you can only take off so much at a time, and although it would be all nice and regularised i couldn't afford the time to pass every length of wood we buy through a machine 3-4times before i even start to use it. what would be nice is if "regularised timber" all came at the same size (they're close but they're not all the same)

7 hours ago, Triassic said:

I've never understood why regularised timber is used in construction, why bother planing it and rounding the edges. Why not just use rough sawn timber, the majority of it is hidden inside the walls, never to be seen again, anyway!

because saw blades, especially bandsaws, can wander a lot more than a thicknesser, also it helps to stop flakes or splinters getting dislodged while boarding. 

I have plasterboarded over rough sawn timber before and the amount of times i had to remove a splinter that was causing a lump was getting beyond a joke, 

I like regularised timber but it would be nice if they made it a bit more "regular"

[SteamyTea]

19 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

Because you can only take off so much at a time

I come from a production engineering background, I don't see that as a problem.

[Construction Channel]

 let em do it with their big machines in the big mills i say, 

as long as we work from the same sheet to start with its OK, its when the subbies turn up with a bunch of CLS that the issues start.

[ProDave]

9 hours ago, Bitpipe said:

And it gets more confusing when you start to order door linings or pocket door systems to match the timber stud sizes - most are standardised around 3" or 4" stud but if you're using CLS (as MBC do for their internal framing) then you need to get something more specific or have the 4" material ripped down. 

THAT really annoyed me on my last build, and I am SURE I will have the same problem again.

I used standard regularised studs, covered with standard thickness plasterboard, but do you think I could find door liners that were just the right thickness?  no of course not. They were either a few mm too wide or too narrow. Thank goodness for the electric plane.

[Oz07]

When the chippy has thrown the stud up on a first fix and the wall is 4 mm out of plumb, you'll be loving that extra width tolerance the linings have. Besides it's the decorator who has to caulk it not the guy who fits the lining!

I usually plane a bit off mine to be fair, but I dare say the manufacturers know this but would rather make one product which fits all, rather than 2 separate products. After all 3 cuts with a plane and you're done

[Calvinmiddle]

Thanks Ed, this must explain why the 2x4 I got from the Ridgeons isn't the same as the stuff I got from Bennetts ages ago.  Mind you I think the "4" dimension is about the same, but there is a visible difference on the "2".

Will have to go and measure them exactly to do a comparison.

 

 

[Ferdinand]

19 hours ago, Triassic said:

I've never understood why regularised timber is used in construction, why bother planing it and rounding the edges. Why not just use rough sawn timber, the majority of it is hidden inside the walls, never to be seen again, anyway!

One problem with Rough Sawn is that I think it is not graded, either Visually (VSG) or by Machine (MSG).

Amongst other things, that means your building may not stand up, and may not be insurable or be able to be protected by guarantee, or you may use more or better timber than you actually need.

Obviously rough sawn would be fine for something cosmetic like a floor or wall finish (!) or non-structural.

Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

Incidentally, do we need the terms "Rip (down-grain)" and "Cross-cut (cross-grain)" in the Glossary.

Ferdinand

[daiking]

Fortunately, I've only got one 4" stud wall.

fortunate because it's s mix of cls and regular. The difference seems to be 4-5mm. I only noticed long after the flat side had been boarded