![]() ![]() The Egyptian dynasty existed before the coming of the Romans and certainly before the general adoption of Roman and Greek as well as the Byzantines units of measurements.Īs such, it is correct to assume that ancient Egyptians must have had some form of measuring units. By this definition, the ancient Romans were on the right track towards the invention of the tape measure and its markings.Įgypt and the Egyptians are well documented in history for their construction exploits in building the ancient Egyptian dynasty. What is a tape measure? It is a flexible measuring ruler that is used to measure distance. For instance, the folding ruler was often made from wood making it impossible to measure circumference and corners. To do so they would unfold the ruler to measure, and then fold it back for storage.īut, this method had its limitations and challenges. In need of a tape measure check out the Defiance Tools Tape Measure and other nifty gadgets Defiance Tools has to offer! What did ancient civilization use for measuring lengths?įor the longest time, architects and construction workers would use a tool called the folding ruler, which would help them measure long lengths. This system of measuring heavily borrowed from the Egyptian civilization - this is where the story of the measuring tape begins. These strips of leather would function the same way a ruler does. But most brand names will have them, and even tapes without them are still good enough for general DIY jobs such as tiling a wall.The practice of using measuring tapes dates as far back to the days of the Roman Empire.Īlthough during that era the tape measures as we know them were not invented yet, the Romans would use marked strips of leather to take (semi-)accurate measurements. If your tape measure doesn’t have one it means it hasn’t been tested to conform to a certain level of accuracy. Roman numerals indicate accuracy with level 1 being the best. A CE mark tells you that the tape conforms to EU regulations. This will be placed at the front end of the tape so you can see it immediately and it is typically in metres and feet.Ī few other marks you can find on a tape measure generally denote quality. 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. 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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