Measuring tape marks1/11/2024 If it doesn’t have teeth you can use the edge of the hook to make a mark.Ī tape measure hook often has a hole known as a nail grab where users can slot in the head of a nail or screw (Image credit: Steven Jenkins) Why is the hook on the end of a tape measure loose? Some also have small teeth to scribe a mark if you don't have a pencil. This is ideal when you need to measure from the centre of a joist or stud. Some tape measures have what is known as a nail grab as well, which is a little indent or hole to grab a nail or screw when needed. The obvious use is to hook it over the end of a surface and then pull out the tape measure to measure and mark. The metal end on a tape measure – that is visible when the tape is fully retracted – is known as a hook. What does the metal end of a tape measure do? So if you are building a stud wall in the UK, these are best ignored. This is very close to 16 inches - 406mm - but obviously not the same. In the UK the standard measurement for a stud wall gap is 400mm. This is the common measurement between studs in a stud wall in the US. In some cases there will only be a red box (with number) marking 16 inch gaps. Some tape measures have a diamond every 16 inches, which is typically accompanied by a red box. (Image credit: Steven Jenkins) What are the red boxes at 16, 32 inches etc, used for? Some newer UK tape measures don't have the diamond. Oh and one more tidbit of information in case you didn’t know, when you see measurements written with a ” symbol, that stands for inches and a ‘ symbol stands for feet.Some Imperial/Metric tape measures have diamonds for common joist width and red markings for common US stud wall gaps. Well, that’s my quick and easy method for how to read a tape measure! I hope this simple how to post and printable have been helpful! The sixteenths of an inch: 1/16, 3/16, 5/16, 7/16, 9/16, 11/16,13/16, 15/16Īnyways, to keep it simple, just use the printable guide and you’ll have the tape measure markings memorized in no time! And you can of course buy an easy read tape measure to make it even easier!.The whole number measurements, like 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, etc.So, what’s the quickest and easiest way to read a tape measure with all those lines? I think the easiest way is by understanding and learning what the 16 markings of an inch stand for by using a visual infographic with each marking labeled.Īnd I’ve created an easy to read tape measure printable infographic (in both color and black & white) that you can print out and keep handy for quick reference until you have the tape measure markings memorized or in case you forget! *If you have already subscribed, you can find this printable in the Free Printable Library.Īs you can see in the above tape measure infographic, the line markings from longest to shortest represent: And many also show line markings for down to 1/32 of an inch. Overall, standard measuring tapes show 16 line markings for down to a sixteenth of an inch. How to Read a Tape Measure The Easiest Way Well, that can be a bit more confusing and take longer for measuring until you can quickly read and understand what those lines mean. This type of tape measure has the whole inch numbers labeled, as well as the eighths and quarters of an inch labeled, like 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, etc, which makes reading a tape measure much easier.īut, sometimes your measurement ends up falling on one of those little lines with no number markings.Īnd then there’s even the more basic tape measures like the one below, which just has whole numbers and a lot of varying line sizes. Let’s start with a look at one type of tape measure, which is my favorite, the easy read tape measure: Note, this post contains some affiliate links. So, really knowing how to read a tape measure in its entirety is important and that’s why I decided to create this simple tutorial along with a handy, free tape measure printable! They are usually like 13 7/8 inches or 13 11/16 inches. But, as I shared in my woodworking for beginners post, often times specific measurements aren’t pretty even numbers like 13 inches or 13 1/2 inches. This post may seem really simple and you may already know how to read a tape measure. And I’m going to share the method that I think is the easiest way to learn how to read a measuring tape in inches. Knowing how to read a tape measure in its entirety is really important if you are doing any kind of woodworking or home project.
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