LITIGATION NATION: Lowe’s pays $1.6M settlement over 2×4 labeling Read more at http:/

[rsbennett00]

My question is where's the consistency? I know a 2x4 is really 1/2 shorter on 2 sides but why is plywood exactly x by x (3x3,4x4,4x8) and not 1/2 an inch short? And some other large pieces are, like melamine. You really just have to measure everything in the store yourself. I hate inconsistencies.

 

[smackababy]

My question is where's the consistency? I know a 2x4 is really 1/2 shorter on 2 sides but why is plywood exactly x by x (3x3,4x4,4x8) and not 1/2 an inch short? And some other large pieces are, like melamine. You really just have to measure everything in the store yourself. I hate inconsistencies.

Plywood is manufactured in large sheets. The reason is always x by x is because the make a 100 x 100 (making the numbers up, but you get it) sheet and cut it. It is composite, glued and pressed into a sheet.

 

[alkemyst]

My question is where's the consistency? I know a 2x4 is really 1/2 shorter on 2 sides but why is plywood exactly x by x (3x3,4x4,4x8) and not 1/2 an inch short? And some other large pieces are, like melamine. You really just have to measure everything in the store yourself. I hate inconsistencies.

There really isn't inconsistencies. It's the same as cutting wood yourself and not understanding kerfs.

 

[Exterous]

Sounds like some DA was pissed at Lowes and not HD.

Or every other lumber supplier in the state.

I am hoping that there is more to this story because it seems ridiculous to hold Lowes and only Lowes accountable for what is a nation wide labeling standard.

I am also a bit surprised at how many people here didn't know a 2x4 doesn't = 2"x4"

 

[jlee]

Or every other lumber supplier in the state.

I am hoping that there is more to this story because it seems ridiculous to hold Lowes and only Lowes accountable for what is a nation wide labeling standard.

I am also a bit surprised at how many people here didn't know a 2x4 doesn't = 2"x4"

I'm not. I doubt most here have built anything with them before.

 

[ElFenix]

Or every other lumber supplier in the state.

I am hoping that there is more to this story because it seems ridiculous to hold Lowes and only Lowes accountable for what is a nation wide labeling standard.

I am also a bit surprised at how many people here didn't know a 2x4 doesn't = 2"x4"

Go on a wood working site and I'll bet most people have no idea what a pcie is.

 

[BoberFett]

Go on a wood working site and I'll bet most people have no idea what a pcie is.

I like cherry pcie.

 

[Ruptga]

I probably knew 2x4 != 2"x4" when I was twelve, but I still think labeling them as 2x4s is stupid.

 

[NoTine42]

My question is where's the consistency? I know a 2x4 is really 1/2 shorter on 2 sides but why is plywood exactly x by x (3x3,4x4,4x8) and not 1/2 an inch short? And some other large pieces are, like melamine. You really just have to measure everything in the store yourself. I hate inconsistencies.

Length and width of plywood is exact (4'x8') but try getting a sheet of plywood that is 3/4" thick 😉

Then you'll see:

Common 23/32" Actual 0.703-in

 

[slag]

What about variance in the lumber?

Are e also gonna have to separate out the 1.75x3.75's?

That can EASILY be done after its dried before it is sent to the stores, so yes. There's a big variance between 3.75 inches and 4 inches. I could take up to 1/16 of an inch difference but 1/4 inch is crazy talk. There will always be boards that don't measure up. Go to your local box store and see the lumber that is there. It's picked through to find the best pieces already.

 

[Golgatha]

When it comes to wood, the size is always exaggerated.

 

[iGas]

The states that have enough trees to support small lumber mills and DIY lumber milling often have provisions to allow for self grading or some other inexpensive method of grading. The International Building Code allows unstamped lumber if it is instead "certified" by a qualified person. Also an engineer can pretty much override all prescribed building code.

There is an interesting, to me anyway, method of house framing using fresh cut green lumber where the structure is framed and weathered in and then left unfinished for a while to lose its moisture content as a complete assembly rather than as individual boards. Some additional bridging and bracing keeps everything relatively straight as it seasons. I have a lot of respect for people who source there own raw materials to build themselves a home.

What you said is true, however the cost for a mill to mill your lumber and certify it often cost the same amount or more than what you pay for prestamped kiln dried lumber for a small project (enough lumber for a few average size houses). It is also correct that any an engineer can certify the milled lumber and the money have to be significant enough to worth their time, which often it is the same or greater than the price of prestamped lumber for a small project.

My I helped built my mom 2600 sqf rancher on the family 30 acre trees lot in BC. Canada (the states may have slightly different rules, but IMHO the costs would be similar), and we purchased prestamped lumber, because the cost would be greater than getting our logs milled and certified. The logs was from clearing 1.5 acre area and access road for the house.

 

[zephyrprime]

Lol. When I was young, I made the same mistake with one of my first projects. This lawsuit is ridiculous should have been thrown. However, it's stupid that they don't refer to items by their real dimensions. It's not Lowe's fault at all though. This was just a traditional thing that should have been changed long ago. I look forward to lumber with real dimensions specified.

 

[iGas]

If your odometer says you've driven a mile, do you get out with a tape measure and check to make sure its an actual full mile down to the inch?

Some things should be able to be accepted as fact. If you aren't familiar with wood but want to make a small project and find something called a 2x4, there is a reasonable expectation that it will match the dimensions of its label. For the rest of us, we accept the fact that its not 2x4, but really, it should be labelled correctly so there is no obfuscation.

Here ya go!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominal

nom·i·nal adjective \ˈnä-mə-nəl, ˈnäm-nəl\
: existing as something in name only : not actual or real

: very small in amount

a : existing or being something in name or form only <nominal head of his party>

b : of, being, or relating to a designated or theoretical size that may vary from the actual : approximate <the pipe's nominal size>

 

[iGas]

Go on a wood working site and I'll bet most people have no idea what a pcie is.

You are right but you wouldn't see a complaint about how retarded ISA was, or Windows, etc...

 

[iGas]

I like cherry pcie.

And, raspberry pi is quite good.

 

[Tommy2000GT]

good. finally something is being done. why were lumber companies allowed to mislead people for so long? if nothing was done, a 2x4 would eventually become a 1/2x1 in the future.

 

[jlee]

You are right but you wouldn't a complaint about how retarded ISA was, or Windows, etc...

I can't see outside through my computer screen. brb, suing Microsoft.

 

[Exterous]

I'm not. I doubt most here have built anything with them before.

Perhaps I expected too much of ATOT

Go on a wood working site and I'll bet most people have no idea what a pcie is.

Thats because they prefer the far superior cake to pie

I can't see outside through my computer screen. brb, suing Microsoft.

How did all the other manufactures get away with this? Ceramic tiles can vary in size. Dri-core 2'x2' pieces are actually 23.5"x23.5" and I don't know what fertilizer companies use to determine coverage because I have never gotten that amount using their recommended spreader settings. I am sure there are a bunch of other examples

Shit - I bought dri-core subfloor tiles. Brb off to sue someone and make lots of money...

 

[master_shake_]

When it comes to wood, the size is always exaggerated.

What you did there, I saw it.

:biggrin:

 

[HeXen]

It's not a matter of knowing or not knowing. Some things are just more logical or make life easier.
Like why not include the sales tax on sticker prices?..I mean why not? Will it make life harder for anyone or something? Shops have no problem with adjusting their prices regularly so it's not like the inclusion of sales tax would even really matter.
Will adding the exact size to a label or stamp on a 2x4 make life more difficult for anyone?

If not then wtf is debating against it or calling people stupid do exactly? It's not like they have to stop calling it as a 2x4, they just should perhaps add the exact dimension to the label. 2x4 can just be a name for a particular size board without being the size itself.
Every company lists stupid safety warnings on things that everyone should already know. Like "coffee maybe hot"....everyone should know it but yet they still do it cause despite the retards, it is in fact logical to just do so.

 

[TheSlamma]

The only thing I learned from this thread is that Baby boomers and my fellow GenX parents didn't raise Millennials for crap. They should have taken away the video games and got you guys outside working on things like our parents did. This should have been common knowledge by the time you were 16 AT THE LATEST.

It's great you guys can get all the achievements in Candy Crush and all but are you guys just going to hire contractors to do every bit of work for you for the rest of your lives after your parents die and you take over the rest of the house? Here is my issue with that, I work with contractors on a regular basis for my job and I would easily say that 4/5 of them are guys that get by doing a half ass job at best I constantly have to supervise (babysit) just about every job they do, the only way to get most things done right is to do them yourself.

 

[TheSlamma]

It's not a matter of knowing or not knowing. Some things are just more logical or make life easier.
Like why not include the sales tax on sticker prices?..I mean why not? Will it make life harder for anyone or something? Shops have no problem with adjusting their prices regularly so it's not like the inclusion of sales tax would even really matter.
Will adding the exact size to a label or stamp on a 2x4 make life more difficult for anyone?

If not then wtf is debating against it or calling people stupid do exactly? It's not like they have to stop calling it as a 2x4, they just should perhaps add the exact dimension to the label. 2x4 can just be a name for a particular size board without being the size itself.
Every company lists stupid safety warnings on things that everyone should already know. Like "coffee maybe hot"....everyone should know it but yet they still do it cause despite the retards, it is in fact logical to just do so.

Problem is wood doesn't always shrink down to the exact dimension. one will be 1.5 X 3.5 and the next will be 1.52 X 3.52 then we got another lawsuit on our hands.

 

[lupi]

Lol. When I was young, I made the same mistake with one of my first projects. This lawsuit is ridiculous should have been thrown. However, it's stupid that they don't refer to items by their real dimensions. It's not Lowe's fault at all though. This was just a traditional thing that should have been changed long ago. I look forward to lumber with real dimensions specified.

yep. if the as sold size is pretty much a standard, why not use that size instead of labeling it as something it's not.

 

[SSSnail]

The problem is raw woods dimensions are never precise, and this leaves a bad precedence for other frivolous suits, such as &#8221;it's not exactly 4 inches but 3.96&#8221;... They should never let women out of the kitchen and into Lowes or Home Depot, this suit would never have happened.

They should just call them &#8221;pre-curing dimensions&#8221; and be done with it, also insert a lumber educational segment into Oprah and other cooking shows so women would be more educated about woods.