Many people know how to read a tape measure, but did you know there are other built-in features besides the numbers and lines on the blade? I’ll help you unlock the secrets and understand how much more versatile a tape measure can be!
We’ll start with the most commonly known features and move on to the least. See if you’re one of the few who knows all of them!
Check out our Best Tape Measure recommendations to see which ones stand out in the crowd!
Jump to These Sections
- Why You Can Jiggle the Hook
- Number Coloring Oddity
- Those Not-so-Random Black Diamonds
- Why there’s a Hole in the Hook
- Your Tape Measure is also a Retrieval Tool
- Measuring When the Housing Gets in the Way
- The Marking Tool You Didn’t Know You Had
Why the Hook Moves
You may have noticed that the hook on the end of your tape measure moves back and forth a little. Although this may grate at your nerves, don’t go pounding the rivets flat so that the hook doesn’t move anymore. It moves for a reason.
That little shift in movement is all about accuracy. The hook’s range of movement is exactly the same as the width of the hook itself. When you take a measurement from the outside edge, the hook pulls out so that you’re not adding the thickness of the hook to your total. When you measure by pushing the hook into an edge, it shifts in to include the hook’s thickness and keep your measurement exact.
Why Some Numbers are Colored Differently
The numbers on your tape measure blade are consistent right up until you hit 16 inches, again at 32 inches, then 48 inches, and so on. That’s to make it easy to see where your framing studs line up on a standard 16-inch interval.
What the Black Diamonds are For
The mysterious black diamonds are a curiosity for many people who aren’t into roofing. They don’t line up with an exact tick mark, adding to the intrigue.
These diamonds help you space our roof trusses at a 19 13/16-inch interval, placing six trusses every eight feet.
What the Hole in the Hook is For
Have you seen the hole in the middle of your tape measure’s hook? It’s there to accommodate the head of a tenpenny nail or a screw. This often-overlooked feature helps when you’re measuring from the center of a stud. Pound a nail partway into the middle of a stud, catch the nail head with that slot, and measure every 16 inches to get your stud spacing.
This feature also helps with marking out radii. Need to mark out a 6-inch circle on a board? Find the center, hammer in your nail, and use the tape and a pencil to mark out a perfect circle.
Using a Tape Measure as a Retrieval Tool
If you have a magnetic tape measure, it doubles as an extendable retrieval tool. The magnet on the hook is useful for picking up nails, nuts, bolts, and other small objects you might drop. Some magnets are strong enough to pick up sockets or even small hand tools!
How to Measure When the Housing Gets in the Way
Your tape has a measurement value printed on the back or bottom of the housing. This number represents the exact length of your housing.
Just take your measurement with the back of the tape measure housing butted up to the inside corner. Next, add the measurement from the blade to the value printed on the back. Viola! You’ve got a precise measurement, and you didn’t have to bend your tape up trying to find it.
Using a Tape Measure as a Marking Tool
Most front hooks have hard corners to them, and some even include a bit of jimping. This becomes helpful when need to make a mark but don’t have anything to write with. Find the point you need to mark, then scratch a mark in the wood with the corner of your hook.
