One mark common to all tape measures is the length. What other tape measure marks should I look out for? If measuring the outside of a surface, the tape will pull out an extra sixteenth of an inch to give a precise measurement.
#Diamond on measuring tape windows#
If measuring the inside of a surface – maybe you have just finished painting windows and are measuring for blinds – the hook is pushed up against the tape to fill the sixteenth of an inch gap. This means you get accurate readings when measuring the inside or outside of a surface. The tape measure is short by a sixteenth of an inch, which is the width of the hook.
This is not a manufacturing error, it's meant to be like that. You have probably noticed that the hook on the end of your tape is a little loose. 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. Some Imperial/Metric tape measures have diamonds for common joist width and red markings for common US stud wall gaps.
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