Can you guys give me some tips on how to get accurate measurements when you are by yourself and can’t hold both ends of the tape measure? I’m always running into this problem since I’m a DIY’er and typically working alone.
Thanks.
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Replies
This is how I handle situations like that: when installing trim(crown, base, chair-rail) I will drive a finish nail 1 foot from the corner, hook the end of the tape over the nail and pull my measurement. And make sure I remember to add the 1 foot.
Mitch
I drive my nail at multiples of 10" - it's easier to add. - lol
19.2"!
Hard work is damn near as overrated as monogamy.
- Huey Long
Are you talking short dimensions or long ones?
I often have to measure foundations by myself. I hook the tape on the edge of the foundation, then set something on the end of the tape to help keep the tape hooked in place.
Most tape measure seem to have a slot in the hook that will help hold it on a nail head. You can drive a nail on a mark, then hook the tape on the nail to pull a dimension.
Two sticks. Slide them till you bump each point you are measuring to, then lay them down and measure them.
>>Two sticks. Slide them till you bump each point you are measuring to, then lay them down and measure them.Or use them directly to transfer the "measurement" to the stock being cut - aka "story poles."
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman
Another vote for the Fat Max. I get the 25 footers when they're on sale for $20 or less. I go through a couple of 'em a year. Once you go Fat, you don't go back.
Yeah, I thought I'd only use it occasionally, it was too big, blahblahblah.Now a one-incher seems so pathetically wimpy!I remember back in about '78 when my boss gave me my first 1" tape. A bunch of us were passing it around, trying to get used to holding it. I remember this one big guy, with big hands, said it was way too big to hold.Cracks me up to think about it now! Anyone remember using 3/4" tapes?And as you say, you do go through 'em. I'm not sure I want to spend $400 a year to keep me in lasers.And that'd be ON TOP of what I spend on tapes -- it's not like you wouldn't still have to carry a tape.AitchKay
>>Two sticks. Slide them till you bump each point you are measuring to, then lay them down and measure them.
Or use them directly to transfer the "measurement" to the stock being cut - aka "story poles."
Typically, I lay them down directly on the stock and never pull out the tape. In some instances, that isn't possible. I'm a big fan of story poles...AKA "idiot sticks".
Over in the TOOLS section, there's a thread (last posted to on 3/11) titled, "Stair tread tool."In that thread, there's a picture of my two-sticks clamping setup that FHB published. It's on a stair-tread cutoff jig in the pic, but, as I said in that post, I use it on long sticks, too.A clamp is usually not necessary, but it's great if I need to climb down off an extension ladder, for instance, to transfer the measurement.My clamp keeps the sticks in a straight line, too, which is handy, especially if I'm maxed out, with only a couple of inches of overlap. I've used T & G sticks before, too, to get more friction and keep the sticks straight.AitchKay
I find a good spring clamp (like the one below) a must for working alone. I keep a half dozen on hand at all times.
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J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Measure from one end to a mid-point and mark it. Then measure from the other end to your mark, add the two.
Grab a piece of scrap smaller than your overall measurement. Hold it up, and measure the space remaining. Then measure the scrap, and add the two.
Get a FatMax tape measure.
BTW, here is a great book for ya'.
"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
If going wall to wall I'll measure from both ends to the middle and add the two figures. Works proportional to the stiffness of your tape if it's an inside measurement.
Longer lengths I'll tap in a finish nail a measured distance from the beginning, hook the tape and pull it out to whatever length. Add the initial measured point. Do the same from the other end if the distance is longer than the tape. Don't forget to take into account the thickness of your nail if you desire pinpoint accuracy.
This what you mean?
Take two measurements from each end. Say you want to measure for crown in a room 10 feet +/- . Pick an arbitrary number, say 10 inches, measure the 10 inches one way, mark,then measure to that mark the other way and add 10 inches. Much more easier than bending the tape into the corner and guessing.
"Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
Spend $200 and get an electronic tape. I use a Hilti 99% of the time I am installing crown jobs molding.
I've been really tempted by those! Especially after reading the reviews.But every time I think I'm going to go for it, I drop my tape on the job. A week ago last Friday I dropped my $40 Fat Max on a slab, and busted the lock lever. Not that much damage, but just enough to retire the tape until I bust a different part on another tape.So how tough are they, how many times have you dropped yours, and from how high. And do they come with a good one-hand-access holster?$40 per accident is rough; I'd hate to be spending $200 per!AitchKay
Hey i have the hilti pd 30 and dropped it about 10 times now!! I don't even cringe any more! They are really tough.
What Nate sez but I use a Bosch DLR165 for almost all measures now, it's sweet!
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Edited 3/23/2009 6:55 pm by jagwah
Take a look at John Carrol's book, "Working Alone." He's got a couple of tricks that didn't interest me, but I adopted this one:
Cut a stick -- mine is a 1x1 -- that's exactly 100" long. Butt one end of it into a corner, and trace the other end onto the wall. Now measure back from the other corner to your mark, and add 100" to that.
Also, if you start by butting your stick into the righthand corner, you'll end up reading your left-to-right tape measure right side up when you butt it into the left corner.
This method will get you up over 16' easily, which is the max length of most moldings.
But sometimes you'll run into 18' and 20' lengths. For these, mark 100" from each end, and measure between the marks. My 1x1 is light enough that I can butt it into the left corner with my left hand while I measure out another 4' or so with the tape in my right hand, so I skip making the second mark.
You don't need to be able to measure more than that -- you'll be putting up a 14 or a 16, then measuring back to the molding itself in larger rooms.
And you'll measure for your material list on the floor, of course.
AitchKay
In the few minutes since I read your OP, a bunch of others have chimed in.
Yes, you can do the math, but I believe in "No Thought Insurance." You'll be happier if you avoid math whenever possible.
If you do decide to go with math, don't measure in feet, pick a multiple of 10. With a Fat Max, it's not too hard to go out 80-90".
But it's a pretty easy to cut that 100" stick!
AitchKay
I've used variations of that 100" stick for decades too AitchKay.
Laser.
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"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
Great tips.
My biggest challenge is typically trying to measure overhead (like across a ceiling) with a tape measure. Sometimes I'll just duplicate the distance across the floor directly below, but that's not useful when I need accuracy.New knowledge is priceless.
Used knowledge is even more valuable.
Try this
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=56766cat=1,43513
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
and just what are we looking for?
That should have brought up a page with a Lee Valley tape hook to make measuring easier.Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR ConstructionVancouver, Canada
Lasers
Use a laser plumb bob to transfer overhead points to the floor and use your tape measure down there where it is easier.
A laser line generator can quickly line up overhead points and provide a reference line to measure or work from.
Something like a PLS1 is accurate enough to use as a tape measure. Good for something like +/- 1/8" in 600 feet... try that with a 30 footer :)
Story poles, like a length of EMT conduit, make it easy to remove 120" long chunks of a measurement. Of course, these can be cut to a length easiest to work with.
Pins/nails stuck in walls to hold tape measure hooks also work.
Next on my list is a PLS 90
Instead of a finish nail. sometimes I'll stick my utility knife in the drywall.
usually measure over 10, 20, 30, 4o or what round number of inches ... stich in the knife ... and hook and pull the tape.
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Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Edited 3/23/2009 4:49 pm ET by JeffBuck
Good one Jeff. I'll remember that.- Kit
I use it alot when laying out or checking the "on site" vs the "as drawn" when installing a kitchen I didn't measure and order. Working as a can install sub that trick's saved me alot fo headaches over the years.
very first step is measuring off the boxes one by one to see if it all fits and if the uppers will really line up with the lowers. About as accurate and way easier than slinging boses around.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
That's a good one... but I think you're off by 1/16"!"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
"That's a good one... but I think you're off by 1/16"!"
I can't cut any closer than a fat 8th ... so that's more accuracy than I'll ever need!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I can't cut any closer than a fat 8th
Liar - I've seen your work!"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn
bakersfieldremodel.com
Ok ... ok ...
a fat quarter!
Now stop picking on me ...
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Good tip Jeff.
That beats my saw kerf in the drywall idea LOL!
edit: I do remember pounding the corner of the tape measure into the drywall though if it's hidden.
Edited 3/25/2009 4:55 pm ET by jimAKAblue
yeah ... a light tap with the hammer will keep it put.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I bought a tape at a junk store (fat max knockoff) that has a magnet on the tab. At the time I thought it was a useless thing but it really has helped a lot when working alone. It helps that we have Simpson clips all over the place because that magnet really grabs one of those things.
I also rescued my car keys from a storm drain with it.
Use 2 tapes. One 25' and the other 100'. First one's basically interior and heights, the second is exterior and site work.
Keep something heavy (like a brick) for the 100' tape. Comes in handy to hold the dumb end when you're going too far to pull the tape taut, or if you have to go around something like a downspout.
One tip: always do overalls in addition to the smaller dimensions. They act as a good check in case something got missed or an assumption turned out wrong.
Great question. i'll second the suggestion to buy John Carroll's book. If you usually work alone often, you will benefit by using some of his tools, tips and techniques.
I measure solo all the time - comments are geared toward field-measuring existing conditions.
Use a 35' Fat Max wide blade first of all - you can extend it about 11' straight out. I use a sort of tripod/easel that I bought like this one: http://www.madisonartshop.com/sttrea.html - I set it up to hold an 11 x 17 pad horizontally in which case, at approximately waist level, it can be used to support the tape at mid-position. This will give you a lot of reach.
Don't ever let the tape end slam up against the tape on rewind - they break off a lot sooner.
Try to take running measurements wherever you can - just keep running across windows and doors. Where I get to a point that I can no longer continue, I make a double hash mark on the drawing, indicating the restart of a dimension string. I also always take overall dimensions of rooms and mark them 'oa' on the plan.
I record all sill, head and ceiling heights, along with all mechanical, electrical and plumbing items. I write these down outside of each window along with the type of window (6/12 DH, 1/1 DH, CASMT etc.) and also note the daylight sizes of glass lites to aid in elevations. This way, I can always add these items to a drawing. In most cases I'll drop a tape out the window in several areas to measure down to grade from interior window sills (as an aid in drawing elevations).
Buy a pitch gauge (Ace Hardware sells a pretty decent one) and measure the pitch of roof rafters.
I measure in feet and inches and record accordingly - 5^3 (the 3 is raised) without marks indicates 5'-3". I record all cabinetry in inches because millwork drawings are almost always in inches - I reacord 53" using the inch mark and circle it so it can't be mistaken for the number 11. If I have a long measurement I'll often record as, say, 5'-3 1/2" + 3'-2 1/4" etc. and do the addition later.
Measure all ceiling heights. Measure all floor-to-floor heights. Measure all treads and risers (nose-to-nose and top/tread to top/tread. Measure the distance from walls to head of stairs.
Note swings of doors.
Measure to centerline of plumbing fixtures from adjacent walls - this will tell you where the plumbing is as a reminder if you are removing fixtures.
If wood siding, I measure clapbd exposure, but only as a general guide (since it varies so much) and measure vertically from (for example) watertable to bottom of 1stflr sill, sill to head trim (oa) head trim to underside of 2ndflr sill etc.
Good set of photos for reference.
Jeff
Edited 3/23/2009 11:37 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
"Measure all ceiling heights. "That's a big one in my world & where the Lieca laser comes in very handy. It stores up to 20 entries and I just go around the room setting it on the floor pushing a button. It immediately shows me the variations of the walls & ceilings. It reads out to 1/32".
http://www.wegotbetterdeals.com/leica-disto-a5-laser-distance-measuring-device-740690-p-1567.html
Got one about 6 months ago. I had to get a better one than Shep had just because...
They're pretty amazing.
I measure & mark a lot too for long measurements breaking things up into two or three sections.. I make sure I use a #5 leaded mechanical pencil when I do that. It works fine.