5x5 Wood Fence Post Caps fit deck and fence posts measuring 4 1/2 to 4 5/8 inches, and FULL 5x5 caps fit posts measuring up to 5 inches. We have (5) 5x5 Wooden products available. Click one below to choose the 5x5 size.
What is the actual size of a 6x6 post?
This diagram shows you how a Nominally measured 6x6 wooden post actually measures 5-1/2" x 5-1/2". Vinyl posts are used with post caps more frequently when compared to plain wooden posts because not only do they look much better, they typically will last much longer and pair perfectly with your post cap.
Are my posts nominal or actual (true) size?
Are my posts Nominal or Actual (True) size? If your posts are less than their named dimension (I.E. less than 4x4, 4x6, or 6x6) you have a Nominal post. If they are equal to or greater than their named dimensions, you have an Actual or True post.
How do I know what size post cap to use?
In order to find the post cap that will pair perfectly with your post, you must first understand the measuring process. The caps that we offer are labeled for use with the named post size, therefore technically each cap will measure slightly different than its actual dimensions.
What are the best wood posts to use with post caps?
Vinyl posts are used with post caps more frequently when compared to plain wooden posts because not only do they look much better, they typically will last much longer and pair perfectly with your post cap. When using vinyl posts though, measuring can be somewhat tricky depending on what type of post cap you desire to use.
What is actual size of 2x6?
Common Dimensional Lumber SizesDimensional Lumber: Nominal Size vs. Actual SizeTwo-by-six or 2 x 61 1/2 inches x 5 1/2 inchesTwo-by-eight or 2 x 81 1/2 inches x 7 1/4 inchesTwo-by-ten or 2 x 101 1/2 inches x 9 1/4 inchesOne-by-two or 1 x 23/4-inch x 1 1/2 inches4 more rows•Apr 5, 2022
What are the actual dimensions of a 5 4x6?
Dimensional lumber is what is produced by planing the rough cut lumber smooth. A nominal or rough cut 2×6 planes down to 1-1/2”x5-1/2” while a 5/4×6 dimensionally is actually 1”x5-1/2”.
Why is lumber not 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.
How wide is a 4x4 post actually?
Actual Size In North America, the lumber industry defines standard wood post sizes as 4x4 or 6x6. The outside dimensions of the standard 4x4 measure 3-1/2" x 3-1/2", and the outside dimensions of the standard 6x6 measure 5-1/2" x 5-1/2".
What is the actual size of a 6x6 post?
What are the dimensions of a standard 4x4 or 6x6 wood post? The lumber industry defines standard wood post sizes as 4x4 or 6x6. The outside dimensions of the standard 4x4 measure 3-1/2" x 3-1/2", and the outside dimensions of the standard 6x6 measure 5-1/2" x 5-1/2".
Can you buy actual size lumber?
All of our lumber is cut to true dimensions. Meaning if you order a 2"x 4" x 10' the piece of lumber you receive will be 2 inches thick, 4 inches wide and 10 feet long.
When did they stop using true 2x4?
Size standards, maximum moisture content, and nomenclature were agreed upon only as recently as 1964. The nominal 2x4 thus became the actual 1½ x 3½, imperceptibly, a fraction of an inch at a time. It was a 34 percent reduction in actual volume; as those in the trade would say, it's “selling air.”
Why isn't a 2x4 actually 2x4?
Now, most timber is milled and planed to give it a little more of a finished look, and a little more of a consistent size and profile. Because of this extra milling, a 2x4 no longer measures a full 2 inches by four inches. Instead, a 2x4 is really only 1 1/2" by 3 1/2".
What do they call a 2x4 in Europe?
If you go to a lumberyard, you buy 48x98 as everything is measured in metric, but in the daily speach most people still use the term 2x4, 2x8 aso. The Inch measurement is in use as long as we speak about size on TV(40") and cartyres (15"). When I fix my japanese car and the 16mm spanner is to big I grab the 15mm.
Are 4x4 really 4 inches?
While it is true that the actual size of a 4 x 4 board is 3 ½ x 3 ½, that is not a deceptive practice in my opinion. It is well known that lumber is sold based on nominal sizes, and the actual size of the boards is smaller than the nominal size.
What size is a 4x6 post?
Not all 4x6 posts are the same! Be sure to check the size. The most common post size is 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 which would need the Nominal 4x4 (inside dimension is 3 5/8 x 5 5/8 inch). If your post is a true 4 inch x 6 inch, select the Full 4x6 (inside dimension is 4 1/8 x 6 1/8 inch).
What are the dimensions of a 4x6 post?
North American Standard 4-by LumberNOMINAL SIZE (INCHES)ACTUAL SIZE (INCHES)ACTUAL SIZE (MM)4 x 63 1/2 x 5 1/289 x 1404 x 83 1/2 x 7 1/489 x 1844 x 103 1/2 x 9 1/489 x 2354 x 123 1/2 x 11 1/489 x 2861 more row•Oct 31, 2021
Softwood Lumber Dimensions
Softwood lumber is generally used for framing walls and floors. In the United States, softwood lumber is governed by the National Institute of Standards American Softwood Lumber Standard (PS 20).
Softwood Lumber Lengths
Softwood lumber comes in a number of standard lengths as listed in the table below.
Hardwood Lumber Dimensions
Hardwood lumber is sized based on how many sides are surfaced. Surfaced refers to a finishing process that smooths the lumber to remove all saw marks.
Glue Laminated Lumber Dimensions
The following table comes from the American Institute of Timber Construction's Standard Specification for Structural Glued Laminated Timber of Hardwood Species publication.
Terminology, Grades, and Tolerances
Before we dive into the data, a quick word about lumber size terminology, grades, and tolerances.
Access Lumber Sizes More Conveniently With a Special Calculator
We’ll present all the lumber size data in tabular form below, but before we do that, we wanted you to know about our G-Wizard CNC Calculator. This inexpensive software has built-in lumber size information that’s extremely easy to use:
How to measure post cap size?
To measure your internal post cap size, you will essentially do the same thing that was discussed in measuring an external post cap, however with these, you must measure from the outside of one of the bottom ridges directly across to the opposite side's outer ridge.
What is a post on a deck?
Posts support the deck beams and transfer the weight of the deck to the concrete footings . Posts extending above the level of the deck can also serve as railing supports.#N#Post Cap: Vinyl cap placed on the tops of posts to provide a finished look and prevent water from penetrating the post. Available in a wide variety of styles and sizes.#N#Actual Dimensions: The exact measurements of a piece of lumber.#N#Nominal Dimensions: The identifying dimensions of a piece of lumber; nominal dimensions are larger than the actual dimensions.#N#Treated Lumber: Lumber that has been pressure-treated with an approved preservative under appropriate standards of the American Wood Preservers' Associations (AWPA) or American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).#N#Outer Diameter (OD): This is the measurement of the outside dimensions of your post, picket or post cap, including the wall thickness.#N#Inner Diameter (ID): This is the measurement of the inner dimensions of your post, picket or post cap, excluding the wall thickness.#N#Wall Thickness: This is the width of the walls in vinyl posts. These will vary depending upon which type of vinyl post you are using.
Why do post caps look bigger?
This is because the caps will typically taper down into a smaller size on the bottom (see diagram on right), which is actually the post size that it is intended to be used with. Measuring external post caps is a fairly simple process.
What is nominal dimensions?
Nominal dimensions are the terms that the lumber industry uses. These would be the 4x4 and 6x6 measurements. Actual dimensions, on the other hand, are the true measurements of the posts. So technically a 4x4 will only measure 3-1/2" x 3-1/2" and a 6x6 would only measure 5-1/2" x 5-1/2".
Why do post caps have to be on top of posts?
This is because external post caps are designed to sit directly on top of your post and fit just tightly enough that it prevents corrosion by stopping water from penetrating the surface of the post as well as allowing the cap to grip and hold itself onto the post without the use of any screws or adhesive.
Where to measure an external cap?
When measuring an external cap, you would measure it from the inner wall to the opposite side's inner wall. And when measuring an internal cap, you would measure from the outer edge of the ridge on the bottom side to the outer edge of the parallel ridge.
Do vinyl posts last longer than wooden posts?
Vinyl posts are used with post caps more frequently when compared to plain wooden posts because not only do they look much better, they typically will last much longer and pair perfectly with your post cap. When using vinyl posts though, measuring can be somewhat tricky depending on what type of post cap you desire to use.