What is the Difference Between 4/4 and 8/4 Lumber?
At first glance, words like 4/4 lumber and 8/4 lumber can be confusing if you're new to woodworking or purchasing wood for a project. Although they both reflect wood thicknesses, it's crucial to understand the differences in order to select the appropriate size for your project. To put it easily, these measurements are an important part of the North American system of dimensional lumber sizes, particularly for hardwood lumber. Hardwoods are usually measured in quarters of an inch, in comparison with construction lumbers (such as 2x4s). Here’s what that means: 4/4 lumber (read “four-quarter”) = Before finishing, it was around 1 inch thick. 8/4 lumber (read “eight-quarter”) = Before finishing, it was around 2 inches thick. Although the actual thickness will be somewhat less after planing and finishing, the quarter method provides woodworkers with a standard language for understanding lumber sizes. Understanding 4/4 Lumber The most popular hardwood thickness is 4/4 lumber. In ...