Lowe’s Home Centers Fined $1.6 Million Over 2-by-4s
A Marin Superior Court judge once ordered Lowe’s to pay a $1.6 million fine for misleading advertising. What shady practice did the building supply giant engage in? Lowe’s had a statewide sale of 2-by-4s in California and advertised that fact. The problem: 2-by-4s, the same 2-by-4s you would be directed to at any lumber yard in the United States, actually measure 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
2-by-4 is a common building term that has had a standard 1.5 by 3.5 measurement for about 50 years. Before that, the actual measurement of a 2-by-4 was inconsistent, just never 2 by 4. Years ago Northern White Pine 2-by-4s were one measurement while the stronger Southern Yellow Pine was slightly smaller. Today they are uniform.
While this trivia may be new to some readers, it is as basic as it gets to anyone in Dallas who has ever swung a hammer. The California judge concluded the old building term was misleading. Lowe’s now describes its lumber as “Common 2-by-4-by-8: Actual 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches by 96 inches.” Home Depot has a similar description.
There is a long list of other lumberyard products with the same nominal-versus-actual gap. Most of them, in fact. Common 1/2-inch plywood can be either 7/16ths or 15/32nds depending on whether the manufacturer is Weyerhaeuser or Louisiana Pacific.
30 lb Felt Is Not 30 Pounds
Legacy naming is not limited to lumber. One of the most common cases in roofing is underlayment called 30 lb or 15 lb felt. Ages ago, 30 lb felt did weigh 30 pounds per 100 square feet. The price of asphalt and oil-derived products eventually forced changes in the formulas. Today the 30 lb has nothing to do with the actual weight of the product. Many products no longer label it as 30 lb felt but rather #30 felt.
Rewording Contracts in Construction
Going forward, being more precise with work orders in construction makes sense. Every house in America is built with some 2-by-4s. If California challenges Lowe’s ad, it is only a matter of time before many other aspects of construction get challenged too.
Generally, Bert Roofing uses high-end synthetic underlayments such as GAF Tiger Paw or CertainTeed RoofRunner. Because there is 30 lb felt and #30 felt, if your roof replacement contract uses those terms it is important to specify the exact product. A reputable contractor will write the brand and product number on every line.