The Stonewall Homes Newsletter

Your monthly update from Central Oklahoma’s top custom homebuilder.

In this email:

• Featured neighborhood: Frost Creek

• The annual Building Summit

• The wacky world of wood measurements

Featured Neighborhood: Frost Creek

We’ve had several inquires about this coveted community recently, and it looks like lots are going fast!

It’s no wonder why, as Frost Creek has a lot going for it— the neighborhood boasts spacious lots, greenbelts, and affordable pricing without sacrificing convenience.

Located off E. Robinson St. and 36th Ave, the neighborhood is 10 minutes from downtown Norman and I-35, making it a quick jaunt to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment without feeling too much “in town” for those who like their space.

Check out our website for the most up-to-date information about Frost Creek, or contact us for inquiries.

Building Summit 2024

Earlier this month, the Stonewall Homes team closed up shop to attend the OK Building Summit & Expo, a two-day event put on by the state’s Homebuilders Association.

However, no matter the topic, the theme of each class can be summed up in the Summit’s long-standing theme: Building Smarter, Building Better. It’s a noble, worthwhile pursuit, and we’re proud to be part of a community that actively works toward such goals.

The latest from Pete & Co. - Measuring Lumber: Are 2×4s Really 2”-by-4”?

Here’s a fun party fact (and a spoiler for the rest of this post): 2×4 pieces of wood are not actually 2×4s.

Well, technically they are, since that’s been the decided-upon term for that particular size of wood for over a hundred years. In actuality, however, any piece of wood you pick up at any lumber store will be a slightly different size than what’s on the label. Take your tape measure next time you go to Home Depot and see for yourself. (Ask a worker about it while you’re at it—they’re sure to love that.)

Whether you already knew about this well-known white lie or not, there’s a significant amount of history and motive behind our wacky wood measurements… but we’ll let you decide for yourself how justified it is.

Q: Why are there discrepancies in wood measurements?

A: While it sounds like we’re all getting gypped by big lumber, there’s actually a pretty good reason as to why you’re getting less product than you think when you purchase a 2×4, and it goes back to the surprisingly rich history of lumber in America.

Before the 1900s, there were no standards in wood production. Trees were felled, cut, and shipped to order by independent producers, but all exact sizing was left for the carpenters to do on the job site.

This method worked for a time, but eventually demand began to outgrow (quite literally) supply. As local forests began to clear out around major cities like New York and Boston, business became more competitive, and the lumber industry had to contrive ways to offset their now much higher shipping rates. Simultaneously, demand continued to rise.

The answer to this problem was two-fold: one, make the switch from made-to-order lumber to mass production; two, standardize sizing. And starting in 1919, the first American Lumber Congress began to do just that.

Of course, many other factors played large parts in the evolution of America’s lumber industry, such as the introduction of different woods types made readily available with the railroad and Panama Canal, exponential increase in demand during the World Wars, the forming of trade associations, and the modern methods of cutting wood.

However, in short, it was the need to standardize and regulate lumber production in a quickly expanding world that led to the dimensional discrepancies widely accepted in the building industry.

Q: Do any other cuts of wood have misleading colloquialisms?

A: Yes, most of the standard dimensional lumber sizes we’re used to are actually misnomers. While we tend to use the nominal sizes in speaking (nominal being the way in which something is typically referenced), the actual sizes are noticeably smaller.

Thank you for joining us in our journey of making every house a home, and we hope these emails will be a benefit to you. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us here. Until next time! 👋