this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2026
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You don't buy much lumber I guess.
2x4 is just a name/label now. They haven't been those inch dimensions in a very long time.
That's not a shrinkflation thing, that's a nominal vs. finished size. A 2x4 has been 1.5x3.5 since planed lumber has been a thing, well over a century. You can still buy roughcut 2x6 that are really 2"x6".
Did you see the picture. Original 2x4 was 2inch x 4inch. Then there was the planing in the middle, then the even smaller planing.
Yes. And I'm explaining for anyone thinking this picture represents some sort of reality of the enshittification of finished lumber that nominal is not finished and graded size and hasn't been since 1919.
The 2x4 (rough) has had a finished size of 1.5x3.5 for well over a century, there was a very brief time it was standardized at 1-5/8x 3-5/8 but that was a pain in the ass for carpenters and mills. You can still buy unplaned lumber that is the full 2x4 or 2x6 dimensions, but it's ungraded and not suitable for anything but fences. It will not pass a building inspection.
This picture isn't saying anything useful.
It may not be 2" by 4" but go try to buy a 38mm by 89mm
That's what I mean, it has become a label, rather than a size. Like how a #10 drill bit is 0.19"