----- Original Message ----- From: "Pat Naughtin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2003-10-25 22:40 Subject: [USMA:27290] Re: Lumber in the U K
Dear John, In Australia, all timber is sawn, dressed, and sold in millimetres. For example, you might buy a 2400 mm piece of 90 mm by 45 mm to use as a wall stud. Notice that the length (2400 mm in this case) is part of a system of dimensional coordination based on a 600 mm module. Other lengths that are available are 1200 mm, 1800 mm, 3000 mm, 3600 mm and so on. Pat, I think you mean the 100 mm module. There is no such thing as a 600 mm module. Na�ve people with little experience in building still try to refer to a 90 mm by 45 mm timber as a 4 by 2 � they are quite unaware that the 4 by 2 never actually existed in that size as that always was just a nominal size. All houses her are designed and built using millimetres. The area of the house is then calculated using square metres, and then many sales staff dumb this down to 'squares' of 100 square feet � but square feet are never mentioned. The nett result is that the public is profoundly confused. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS Geelong, Australia Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online newsletter, 'Metrication matters'. You can subscribe by sending an email containing the words subscribe Metrication matters to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- on 26/10/03 1:16 PM, john mercer at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I can't remember if I've asked this question before if I have please forgive > me. When you buy lumber in the U K is the length and width metric or > imperial? Are most house plans still in square feet? In Canada as far as I > know all house plans are in square feet. When the tunnel under the English > Channel was designed was it done half imperial and half metric since there > were 2 countrys working on the design? Thanks for all your help again. > metric >
