How To Read A Tape Measure
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When tackling any building project, one of the most important tools you will need is a tape measure. While determining precise distances by sight is hard, tape measures make taking precise measurements a breeze. Here’s how to read a tape measure:
Understand imperial and metric measurements: Tape measures typically feature two different types of measurement systems, imperial and metric. Imperial measurements are typically divided into eightths of an inch, with each number written in both fractions and decimals. Metric measurements are divided into millimeters, but the measurements corresponding to each number will be the same regardless of whether you’re using imperial or metric measurements.
Check the end of the tape measure: When you begin measuring, look at the end of the tape measure. You should see a black triangle on the end of the tape measure. This triangle is the “zero” marking and is the basis of most measurements. When you measure something on the tape, you should start at the zero marking. This way, you can always get the right measurement.
Locate half inch and quarter inch marks: As you look at the tape measure, you may notice black lines that are positioned in between each inch mark. These are half inch (1/2 inch) and quarter inch (1/4 inch) marks. Whenever you see one of these, you know that you can measure down to that mark or subtract from that mark.
Read fractions and decimals: Tape measures are marked with numbers written in both fractions and decimals. So, for example, you may see a 3/4 inch mark that also has the decimal 0.75 written below it. This decimal number is the exact equivalent of the fraction, so you can easily convert fractions to decimals and vice versa.
Convert imperial measurements to metric: If you’re more comfortable with metric measurements, you can use a tape measure to take imperial measurements, then convert them to metric. One inch is equal to 25.4 millimeters, so you can multiply the imperial measurement (in inches) by 25.4 to get the metric measurement.
By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to read and correctly measure with a tape measure like a pro. Good luck with your project!