Realized my tape measure was the problem

I was fitting a shower door yesterday. Every piece of glass seemed a bit short. Checked my tape against a new one. It was stretched out from use. Now I test it before any big cut.

3 comments

3 Comments

gracecarr14d ago

Is it crazy how that happens without any warning? Claire_hall is totally right about measuring twice, but you gotta measure with a tape that's actually right first. I had one go bad on a fence job and only caught it because the posts looked funny.

claire_hall14d ago

Measuring twice. My 25-foot Stanley tape did the same thing after five years of siding jobs. The first six inches were fine, then it stretched maybe an eighth of an inch per foot. I check it against a steel rule now, or even the factory edge of a sheet of plywood. It's a quiet kind of tool failure that ruins a whole day's work.

margaret3778d ago

Yeah, there was an article in Fine Homebuilding about this exact thing. They said the steel tape itself can actually wear and stretch from the constant bending and retracting, especially if you let it snap back hard a lot. It's not just the hook getting loose. Basically the whole tool gets tired, lol. A guy there said he replaces his main tape every couple years on big jobs just to be safe, which seems smart. He also mentioned those fiberglass tapes are worse for stretching over time compared to steel. Makes you want to go check all your rulers now.