A woman working on a 19th century home compares her newly purchased 2x4s from Home Depot to ones that came from the house. She says the difference is why homes aren’t built like they used to be.
TikTok creator @45bevelcutbtch posted a video from her job site on March 12. It has since amassed 1.4 million views.
“You wanna know why new builds always seem kind of [expletive]?” she says. “Like, it literally just feels like toothpicks with paper wrapped around it? I’ll show you why.”
She grabs a 2×4 and shows it to the camera. “This piece of wood is 125 years old,” she says. “Let’s find another one.”
What’s Going on With Today’s 2x4s?
After doing a bit of digging in debris piles, the TikToker produces another 2×4. “This one is about, I’d say, maybe 50–70 years old,” she says. “Now, I’m going to show you 2x4s that were recently purchased. … Kind of hard to tell, but the rings are so [expletive] tight. It’s ridiculous. They do not let pine mature past a certain amount of time because they’re trying to get it out fast.”
She explains, “Pine is actually one of the hardest hardwoods in the world, but it takes hundreds of years for it to become that way. That’s why old 2x4s are so strong. They don’t let the trees grow long enough for them to be strong.”
And the difference, she says, can be seen in the results of each new build. “This is an original house built in the late 1900s,” she says. “All of the door frames were built on-site by the craftsmen. They are so sturdy. It’s so frustrating that there’s no actual true craftsmanship anywhere.”
Viewers React to Woman’s Rant About Modern 2x4s
In the comments section of the video, viewers weighed in on the 2×4 question and the state of craftsmanship in the 21st century.
“Every single issue in the world is connected, but nobody wants to listen,” said one viewer.
A second agreed, writing, “Capitalism.”
“No lies,” a third person said. “It’s a problem. Our starter home was built in 1957 and we’re still here. When we got our roof done, they only had to replace half a slab, that’s it. It’s solid.”
Someone else said, Honestly, it’s not just wood. Soil, clay, stone, water. We are simply using too many damn resources too quickly for the earth to be able to replenish its stores.”
What Explains the Change in 2x4s?
According to Harvard Design Magazine, the 2×4 has indeed shrunk over time due to demand and competition from other materials. In other words, the modern 2×4 is designed to facilitate fast construction, not to be as dense and long-lasting as possible.
We can also attribute the change to the type of wood used to make those 2x4s. In the old days, lumber was made of older trees, but obviously, there isn’t an infinite number of trees of that age. As time went by, the industry had to adapt.
It currently takes a tree about 25–30 years to mature enough to be harvested for timber. After that, the farmers plant more trees in the same spots and restart the process. That results in 2x4s with fewer rings.
AllHipHop contacted @45bevelcutbtch via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We will update this story if she responds.