What is the common size of sawn timber
Joseph Russell
Updated on March 28, 2026
Sawn timbers range in size from 140 to 394 mm (5-1/2 to 15-1/2 in). The most common sizes range from 140 x 140 mm (5-1/2 x 5-1/2 in) to 292 x 495 mm (11-1/2 x 19-1/2 in) in lengths of 5 to 9 m (16 to 30 ft).
What is the most common wood size?
The most commonly used lumber, structural lumber, are the 2-foot x 4-foot and 4-foot x 4-foot boards used in everyday DIY and construction projects. Framing and structural lumber follows standard building dimensions (thickness and width). Standard dimensions allow for faster building as less cutting is needed on site.
What are standard timber sizes UK?
Timber is sold in various lengths that are multiples of 30cm (apx a foot). Most common are 1.8m, 2.4m & 3m (apx 6′, 8′ & 10′). Several longer sizes are also sold. (Note that the metric equivalent lengths are very slightly shorter than the imperial.)
What is standard width of timber?
Nominal Size vs. All dimensional lumber has both nominal and actual dimensions. The most familiar type of dimensional lumber is the 2×4. Due to the thickness of the saw blade and additional milling processes, the resultant 2×4 product is not 2 inches by 4 inches. Instead, it is 1 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches.What are standard wood sizes?
Nominal SizeActual Size2×121-1/2″ × 11-1/4″4×43-1/2″ × 3-1/2″4×63-1/2″ × 5-1/2″6×65-1/2″ × 5-1/2″
How do you measure sawn timber?
Board Foot: Rough sawn lumber is usually sold by the “board foot” (bd. ft.). A board foot is equal to a piece of wood 12 inches long x 12 inches wide and 1 inch thick, or 144 cubic inches. To figure the board foot measurement of a piece of wood, multiply the length x width x thickness in inches, then divide by 144.
What is 2x2 timber in MM?
Softwood Dimensional Lumber SizesNominalActual2 × 21½″ × 1½″ (38×38 mm)2 × 31½″ × 2½″ (38×64 mm)2 × 41½″ × 3½″ (38×89 mm)
What is sawn timber?
Sawn timber is timber that is cut from logs into different shapes and sizes. … Common sawn timber products include solid timber beams and more rectangular timber sections.What size is 4x2 timber?
4×2 Rough Sawn Timber – 44mm x 95mm.
What are the sizes of timber available?In Canada and the United States, the standard lengths of lumber are 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 feet (1.8, 2.4, 3.0, 3.7, 4.3, 4.9, 5.5, 6.1, 6.7 and 7.3 m).
Article first time published onWhat is 4x2 timber used for?
4×2 treated timber (47 x 100mm) undergoes a preservative process of drying, treating and drying again, which makes it water resistant and can be used in building sheds, decking frames and other indoor or outdoor projects. Available in various lengths, individual or in packs of 121.
What size is c16 timber?
Nominal sizes (mm)Finished sizes (mm)Lengths (m)47 x 22545 x 2202.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.875 x 10072 x 952.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.875 x 12572 x 1202.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.875 x 15072 x 1452.4, 3.0, 3.6, 4.2, 4.8
What is 2x4 UK?
I know from reading around that size wise this would roughly equate to the UK’s 44 x 96 and 25 x 44. One weird thing about dimensional lumber is that the size (ex. 2×4) is nominal, meaning that it’s only the approximate size. For example, a 2×4 is actually 1.5″ x 3.5″ (38mm x 89mm) in cross-section.
What size wood do I need?
You can measure board feet by multiplying length x width x thickness in inches, and then dividing by 144. If ordering a large amount by board feet, just multiply the total board feet needed by the price per board foot for the total cost.
Which wood is strongest?
Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.
Why are wood sizes not the actual size?
The “nominal” cross-section dimensions of a piece of lumber, such as 2 X 4 or 1 X 6, are always somewhat larger than the actual, or dressed, dimensions. The reason is that dressed lumber has been surfaced or planed smooth on four sides (called S4S). The nominal measurement is made before the lumber is surfaced.
What size is 4x3 timber?
100mm x 75mm (4″ x 3″) is one of the most widely used timber sizes due to it’s almost limitless versatility.
What size is 3x3 timber?
3×3 Rough Sawn Green-Treated Timber ( 72mm x 75mm )
What is 4x4 timber in MM?
2” x 6” (50 x 150 mm) 2” x 8” (50 x 200 mm) 3” x 3” (75 x 75 mm) 3” x 3” (75 x 100 mm) 4” x 4” (100 x 100 mm)
How long should logs be cut?
Care should be taken to cut the felled tree into lengths of highest possible value. Standard sawlog lengths usually run from 8 to 16 feet, with intermediate cuts at two-foot intervals.
How do you calculate timber from cubic meters?
To calculate cubic Metres of timber accurately, use the nominal values for width and thickness of the timber, not the actual size. Nominal = size of a piece of timber before the timber is dressed. Lineal Metres x nominal width x nominal thickness = cubic Metres.
What is timber volume?
In the United States, the most common measure of lumber volume is the board foot, defined as a piece of wood containing 144 cubic inches. It can most easily be visualized as a board 12 inches square and one inch thick (12″ x 12″ x 1″ = 144 cubic inches).
What size is 5x2 timber?
5×2 Rough Sawn Timber (44x122mm)
What size is 2x4 timber in MM?
Nominal SizeActual Size2 x 41 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches (38 x 89 mm)2 x 61 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches (38 x 140 mm)2 x 81 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches (38 x 184 mm)2 x 101 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches (38 x 235 mm)
What size is 4x2 in MM?
A 4×2 would be (approx) 100mm x 50mm but, as I understand it, that is the milled rather than final measurement.
What is 6x4 wood?
Hardwood lumber comes in thicknesses measured in quarters of an inch. 1″ lumber is called 4/4 (four quarters). 2″ lumber is called 8/4 (eight quarters).
What size is 4x2 timber UK?
4×2 Timber lengths 4.8 metres x 100mm x 47mm.
What are the 3 main types of sawn timber?
When lumber is cut from logs, it is typically cut in one of three ways: quarter sawn, rift sawn or plain sawn.
What is the difference between lumber and timber?
In the US and Canada, timber is typically used to collectively refer to trees—or the wood of such trees—that have yet to be cut or processed, while lumber typically refers to wood that has been processed as a building material (boards and planks).
What type of wood is a 2x4 stud?
Fir, Hemlock and Pine Options One of the most commonly used two-by-fours for framing is made from softwood known as Douglas fir, with hemlock a close competitor. The two species share similar qualities of strength, appearance and durability and are often marketed together and sold as Hem-fir.
Which wood is most commonly used for house construction?
Standard SPF (spruce-pine-fir) lumber – Softwood wood choices: Light structural lumber is mainly used in the residential construction of single family homes. This timber is milled from softwood trees (spruce, fir and pine) that are sawn and machine-planed to standard dimensions (2×4″, 2×6″, 2×8″, etc.).