Are there different types of tape measures?
Unlike rulers, tape measures are made of flexible cloth, metal or fiberglass ribbon. They come in varying lengths and feature measurement markings. There are four basic types of tape measures: case, long or open-reel tapes, diameter tape (D-tape) and sewing tapes.
Class 1 tapes are the most accurate tape measures on the market. Ideal for precision trades and sensitive industries, they also delivery great value for money.
Not all tape measures are identical. You may have three tools on the same job site that all read something different. If you want all your work to be precise, you need to match your measurement tools to the same standard through calibration.
A tape measure's metal hook is naturally loose by about 1/16th of an inch. They're designed this way to obtain accurate measurements regardless of whether it's hooked onto or butted up against the material being measured. Unfortunately, this also makes it susceptible to damage, which can make it less accurate.
You can find information about the accuracy class and manufacturer on the tape measure when choosing one. The accuracy class indicates the measurement error – the smaller the error, the better the tape measure.
They (both UK and US ones) tend to say measuring tape is another word for tape measure (Merriam-Webster [learner's dictionary], Oxford). Collins has measuring tape as an alternative for tape measure in its British English listings, but doesn't include it at all in American English.
- Size – Is Bigger Always Better? Put simply, no. ...
- Hook Type. You might think with pocket tapes that all end hooks are the same... ...
- Accuracy. Tape measures are generally split into four standards of accuracy. ...
- Graduations / Units of Measurement. ...
- Blade Material. ...
- Case Design. ...
- Locking Mechanism.
The tape measures themselves are manufactured with varying degrees of quality, but as per NIST Handbook 44 (PDF), a six-foot-long tape used for commerce must be accurate to within 1/32 of an inch. As anyone who's ever tried to build anything knows, our friend the humble tape measure is a useful tool.
How to Read a Tape Measure - REALLY EASY - YouTube
4 Tape Measure Tricks - YouTube
Why are there diamonds on a tape measure?
The black diamonds which appear every 19 3/16” on metal tape measures are for spacing I-beam “timbers.” Several wood-product manufacturers offer I-beam “timbers” as a substitute for solid lumber floor joists. The diamond marks on tape rule blades are for spacing these engineered floor joists in new construction.
For every 8-foot section of your wall, there should be six studs placed 16 inches apart. That's why there are red numbers highlighted every 16 inches. If you use the tape measure, you can note exactly where the studs are by using the red numbers and marking the studs using a pencil.
As a rule most of the professional tape measures you will see on the market are Class II. These are adequate for the majority of users and a Class II tape allows for a potential error of ±2.3mm over a 10m length. For those after a higher level of accuracy you may want to consider a Class I tape.
Rulers and Tape Measures
A precision steel ruler, however, may be accurate to 0.001 in., depending on the length of the rule (see Figure 1). Longer rulers have larger tolerances. Tape measures follow the same tolerance guideline, though margins of error are larger.
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- Linen Tape. Linen tape, also known as cloth tape is a varnished strip made of closely woven linen. ...
- Woven Metallic Tape. ...
- Steel Tape. ...
- Synthetic Tape. ...
- Invar Tape.
Tape measures that were intended for use in tailoring or dressmaking were made from flexible cloth or plastic. They are named "sewing tape". These types of tape measures were mainly used for the measuring of the subject's waist line.
BEST Tape Measure Overall. The BEST tape measure overall was the Stanley FATMAX. The FATMAX had the highest score in magnetic hold, debris testing, drop testing, hook durability and blade thickness.
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Milwaukee's New Measuring Tapes Standout Among the Rest.
The first inch of the tape is short by 1/16 of an inch. Yes, that's right. The first inch of your tape measure isn't actually an inch.
We can say that the measuring instrument is readable to ±0.05 cm. The ±0.05 cm means that your measurement may be off by as much as 0.05 cm above or below its true value. This value is called the uncertainty or the precision of the instrument.
What size tape measure is most commonly used by an electrician?
While laser distance-measuring tools are growing in popularity, the not-so-humble tape measure still is best for multiple measurement tasks. Most popular with integrated systems installers and electricians are 25- and 30-foot models.
If you look closely at a tape measure, you will see that each inch is separated with fifteen marks, making sixteen equal parts per inch. As you can see from the image above illustrating 2/5 inches on a tape measure, the top half of our tape measure shows inches and the bottom half shows centimeters.
The markings on it are applied with the main divisions with an interval of 1 inch and intermediate – ⅛ or 1/16 in. An inch is divided into 2, 4, 8, and 16 equal parts so the measurement in inches is something like “2 3/8” or “5 3/16”. And the decimal point doesn't make real sense for inches.
The red is for 16-inch-on-center spacing. The common framing spacing is for wall studs, floor joists and roof rafters. There will be red marks on the tape measure if you decide to space frame at 24 inch centers.
Mystery Tape Measure Markings - YouTube
Tape measures often use small, black diamond or triangle shapes called black truss marks. They indicate truss layouts of every 19 3/16 inches. This spacing is often used by some engineered joist manufacturers. There are 5 of these marks for every 8 feet.
Google's augmented reality app “Measure” turns ARCore-compatible Android smartphones into digital measuring tapes, as reported by Ars Technica. Using the app appears to be rather simple. Simply launch Measure, point the phone's camera to an object, then pick two points to measure the distance in between.
On many tapes (but by no means all) you will find a small red rectangle with the letter M printed inside followed by a number. The number simply denotes the year that the blade was stamped as conforming to the Measuring Instruments Directive. On the whole this will also be the year in which that tape was manufactured.
You will find 16 little lines in between the inch increments. The lines are different sizes – the smaller the line, the smaller the measurement. For instance, the inch marks are the largest lines and the sixteenths of an inch are the smallest. Inches are generally the easiest measurement to read on a tape measure.
| INCHES | DECIMAL OF AN INCH | MILLIMETERS |
|---|---|---|
| 13/64 | .203125 | 5.159375 |
| 7/32 | .21875 | 5.556250 |
| 15/64 | .234375 | 5.953125 |
| 1/4 | .25 | 6.350000 |
What is 15 16 on a tape measure?
| Fraction | Decimal | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 13⁄16” | 0.8125 | 20.6375 |
| 7⁄8” | 0.875 | 22.225 |
| 15⁄16” | 0.9375 | 23.8125 |
| 1″ | 1 | 25.4 |
Put simply 1 = 1", 2 = 2" and so on. Between those numbers are a series of shorter marks which represent fractions of an inch. The mark directly in the middle of the inch denotes a measurment of 1/2" whilst the markings either side of it represent measurements of 1/4" and 3/4" respectively.
The most common types of tape include masking tape, flooring tape, duct tape, electrical tape, packing tape, painter's tape and double sided or mounting tape. Other types of tape have specialized applications, such as surgical tape, hazard tape and gaffer's tape.
The most common tape measures are 12 feet, 25 feet, or 100 feet in length. A 12-foot tape measure is handiest for consumers. The 25-foot length is called a builder's tape and is marked in feet and at 16-inch increments to make measuring the standard distance between wall studs easier.
You can see there are four different types of measurement scales (nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio).
There are two basic types of tape measures with cases: spring return pocket tape measures and long tape measures.
The main difference between these options is the strength, adhesion level, and adhesive material. General masking tape is great for multiple applications, while heavy-duty tapes are ideal for specific jobs where professional high-strength adhesion is necessary.
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Scotch Tape.
| Several packs of Scotch tape, including Magic tape on the right | |
|---|---|
| Product type | Pressure-sensitive tape |
| Country | St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Introduced | 1930 |
Invarted tape is used for measuring short offset distance while former for more accuracy. Because Invar tape have low thermal expansion.
The diamond marks on tape rule blades are for spacing these engineered floor joists in new construction. Because these beams can support more weight than their dimensional lumber counterpart, they often have different spacing requirements.
What is the triangle on a tape measure for?
Tape measures often use small, black diamond or triangle shapes called black truss marks. They indicate truss layouts of every 19 3/16 inches. This spacing is often used by some engineered joist manufacturers. There are 5 of these marks for every 8 feet.
...
- Linen Tape. Linen tape, also known as cloth tape is a varnished strip made of closely woven linen. ...
- Woven Metallic Tape. ...
- Steel Tape. ...
- Synthetic Tape. ...
- Invar Tape.