On 11/19/2013 12:24 PM, Harry K wrote:
On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 8:08:18 AM UTC-8, Ralph Mowery wrote:
wrote in message ...
The 2x4s are not that and seem to be srinking over the years. The 8 foot
long ones are often a few inches less in length to make up for the ones
that
are layed flat on the top and bottom of the walls.

"Precuts" for studs are sold as that and not as 8-footers. It's much more
economical that way for both producer and user rather than buying a full 8
and having to cut every one down.

As the 2x4s seem to be a little less than they were a number of years back,
are the studs slightly longer to make up the differance ? Or are the walls
about 1/4 of an inch shorter ?

Years ago I bought some nominal 2x4s for a project and some nails that all
but penetrated 2 of them when nailing them together. A few years ago I
bought some more 2x4s and the nails out of the same box penetrated them by
about 1/8 of an inch. I measured the old 2x4s I had and they were slightly
thicker than the newer ones.

I was wondering the same. The walls can't be shorter than 96" or all
kinds of sheet goods, ply, drywall would not fit without cutting.
Studlength must have changed also.

Precuts are 92-5/8 dead-on and haven't changed...with the sole plate and
two top plates at 1-1/2 each, the total wall height is 97-1/8 which
leaves a nominal 7/8" gap assuming half-inch drywall on the ceiling.
This gives wiggle room and a little extra to account for the inevitable
irregularity in ceiling and floor joists. Hanging drywall, one lifts it
to the ceiling and levels leaving the gap at the bottom.

If you add 1x3 strapping to the ceiling as is often done on the right
coast, the resultant 1/8-in nominal gap is probably too fine a
tolerance; add a scrap 1/2" ply or OSB between the two top plates.

AFAIK they aren't yet supplying precuts to fit the newer single top
plate material-saving designs...but then again, I've not looked.

The real pita is the metric or 32nd-short ply that doesn't match up w/
tubaX thickness cleanly -- I suspect that's as much a reason for
thinning them down as the saving of material.

The original shift from finished four-sides 2x being 1-5/8 came about
owing to the same reason when ply became so popular -- it wasn't such a
big deal before w/ solid sheathing.

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