
These levels are called Classes I, II, and III, respectively. In order to ensure the accuracy of tape measures, the European Commission (EC) has standardized a non-compulsory classification system that provides three levels of accuracy for certified tape measures. Depending on the sliding mechanism on the hook and the thickness of the hook, the accuracy of the retractable tape measure at the end is determined by these factors. The accuracy of a tape measure is largely determined by the markings that are printed on the tape measure’s ends and the markings on the tape itself.

You can use the 100-foot tape, which is often constructed of reinforced cotton, to establish property lines and take other outside measurements in order to determine your property boundaries.Īccuracy and Standardizations of Measuring Tapes.With this tape, you are able to measure the typical distance between wall studs more easily. A builder’s tape is a 25-foot-long piece of tape that is marked on every 16 inches of its length in feet.When it comes to convenience, a 12-foot tape measure is the best option for customers. As far as the length of tape measures is concerned, the most common lengths are 12 feet, 25 feet, and 100 feet.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.
#FULL TAPE MEASURE MARKS HOW TO#
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!
#FULL TAPE MEASURE MARKS FREE#
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.
