The measurement is technically taken at the center of the mark; however, if you need measurements to that precision, I would recommend using something a bit more accurate, such as calipers. When it comes to construction and craftsmanship, taking accurate measurements can be the difference between a great finished product and a subpar one. white 1/8 inch tape measures. When you reach the other corner push the butt of the tape case into the corner (the butt or back of the case has been flattened for this purpose). FREE Shipping. Today’s tape measures include a variety of features to help make your next measuring task simpler. Thanks. You will see a foot designation marked every 12 inches (sometimes in a box as in the picture, or sometimes the number will be shown in red). 60 inches and 7/16ths of an inch would be written as 60-7/16.". Reading it used to be a problem for me. By using our site, you agree to our. This virtual ruler that can be adjusted to true size, that can actually measure the actual length, the upper half is metric ruler (millimetre and centimetre), lower half is inches ruler, before you use this ruler, please set the pixels per inch to your own device. Replacement Tape Tape Measure. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. $4.99 $ 4. Perfect Measuring Tape - Fraction Tape Measure, All-Purpose 60 Inch Tape Measure - Double Sided Fractional Inches and Millimeter/Centimeter Tape Measure TR-16-frac (60 inch White) 4.6 out of 5 stars 94. These are smaller, sometimes thinner markings, evenly spaced between the half-inch and inch marks on a tape measure. Tape can help. Most standard tape measures in the U.S. have markings that measure down to 1/16 of an inch. Most tapes feature imperial units (inches) on the top row and metric units (centimeters) on the bottom. If you’ve ever measured a table or other hard surface, you’ve likely used the hook at the end of the tape. Phone: 800-472-8273 | Fax: 800-582-8273 Skip the struggle of making out the tiny quarter-inch lines on the measuring tape. Take your measurement from the tape and then add the 3" for the complete width. Its standard width is 3.37 inches (3 3⁄8 inches), or 85.6 mm (8 centimeters, 56 millimeters) for the metric measurement. I know many of you are familiar with how to read the larger parts of the tape measure, as in 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch. Square meters is a unit of measure for area - that is bi-dimensional spaces - whereas feet are used to measure distance, so there's no possible equivalence. Item #2180277. In the case of our example, you would start at 3 feet and then count 9 inches. Best Seller in Sewing Tape Measures. This is an easy way to estimate yards and meters of cord, fabric, or ribbon. That would make the total measured space 17 and 1/4 inches. Required fields are marked *. This article has been viewed 2,932,435 times. Why is there an arrow marking on 16, 32, 48, etc. That’s an old saying, but a true one, and something that applies to tape measures as well. Exactly where is the measurement taken? Website Design & Website Hosting by IQnection. If your measuring tape doesn't have 0.5 centimetre markings, the fifth millimetre after each centimetre marks the 0.5 centimetre. I'm really glad that there are websites like this to help people all around the world. On some tapes, quarter inch marks are the same size as eighth-inch marks. You can also Filter by model, length, manufacturer and Brands or pick one of our replacement tape tape measure … 1. It is a common measuring tool. In this case, you need to use the markings on either side to guide you. If the tape measure stretches exactly halfway between the 27 and 28 inch markings, this means that your arm is 27.5 inches long. Some tape measures make it easier to decipher the markings by calling out the fractional equivalents right on the face of the blade. Looking for a quality, accurate tape measure? The Tape Measure … wikiHow is a âwiki,â similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. After the number 17, count four lines, noticing that you stop on the third longest line. Quickly seeing which of two objects is bigger, Seeing whether something will fit through a certain space, Keeping the tape available for multiple quick measurements, Keeping a certain distance "handy" to avoid having to re-measure. Count to the second eighth-inch marking after the inch marking â this is the quarter-inch (and the line in the same spot on the other side of the half-inch mark is the three-quarter inch.). % of people told us that this article helped them. ", "We can use it for training purposes. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. lufkin fiberglass tape measures. A 16ft tape measure, for example, will have sixteen one-foot marks along its length and 192 one-inch marks (12 inches per foot). Also provides explanation of basic fraction reduction. It's important to know how to read a tape measure. It is also a common divisor for materials such as plywood (4' x 8'), ceiling heights, and common lumber lengths. But when it comes to the smaller, more precise measurements. This makes it convenient to mark off wall studs or joists, which typically are 16 inches apart. Note that lines marking a quarter of an inch sometimes aren't any different in size from eighth-inch marks. HEIKIO Tape Measure 33 Feet(10M), Double-sided Metric and Inch Scale with Fractions, Double St… Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. The large, numbered markings are centimeters, There is a smaller marking exactly halfway between the centimeters for ease of reading, The smallest markings are millimeters, or one tenth of a centimeter. In this blog post, we’re going to look at how to accurately read a tape measure. Tape measures often use small, black diamond or triangle shapes called black truss marks that indicate truss layouts, beginning just after the 19-inch mark. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. We know ads can be annoying, but theyâre what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. References or tape measure increments, you might find yourself resorting to the old, “2-1/2 inches and 3 little black marks” method. Explains how to read a ruler with 16th increments. How do I write in feet, inches, and fractions of an inch? For example, the second eighth-inch marking after the inch marking is a quarter inch. Has 100ths of an inch and 32nds of an inch in first six inches, then goes to 10ths and 16ths. FREE Shipping. and I believe that this is the best outline on how to read a tape measure. On a metric tape you will basically see markings for meters, centimeters, and millimeters. Copyright © 2021 Let’s begin by reviewing the essential parts of an âImperialâ or âEnglishâ tape measure: On a tape measure that uses imperial units â as opposed to the metric system â the most prominent markings are typically the inch marks, designated by long, thin lines and larger numbers. Most will show fractions down to eighths of an inch. These are smaller, sometimes thinner markings, evenly spaced between the half-inch and inch marks on a tape measure. Remember that two sixteenths of an inch equals one eighth, two eighths of an inch equals one quarter, and 2 quarters equals one half. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. 99. To create this article, 60 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. To find our measurement, we need to add: Since there are two eighth-inches in a quarter-inch, we can rewrite this as: Adding fractions like 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, and so on can be tricky. How to Measure with a Tape Measure When measuring with a retractable tape measure, lay the tape along the length you’re measuring, and mark the spot where the tape lines up with the edge. For example, the half-inch mark between inches three and four stands for 3 1/2 inches, even though it's not labeled. 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters; therefore, "n" centimeters = n x 2.54. ", after reading this article, I realized how easy it is to use a tape.". Hook. In other words, the half-inch mark between inches 13 and 14 is read as 13 ½ inches, and sits exactly midway between the markings for those numbers. yellow 1/10 inch tape measures. With contractor measuring tapes, used for measuring large areas, you often cannot get a measurement using just the tape, as the body or case of the measuring tape gets in the way. Is the blade or hook at the end of a measuring tape included in the measurement? Pennsburg, PA 18073, US How To Read Tape Measure In Feet and Inches. Thank you! The retractable Tape Measure is an extra-heavy glazed cloth tape that measures 60" (150cm). For example, if you want to find the distance around your wrist, place the zero end of the tape measure on top of your wrist, wrap the slack around and underneath, then line it up with the zero end on top. It depends on the tape measure itself, they come in different lengths. A tape measure can be calibrated either in inches, feet and yards or in metric units, or both. 6 ft ruler. Real Size Online Ruler. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b6\/Read-a-Measuring-Tape-Step-1-Version-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Read-a-Measuring-Tape-Step-1-Version-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b6\/Read-a-Measuring-Tape-Step-1-Version-6.jpg\/aid4365-v4-728px-Read-a-Measuring-Tape-Step-1-Version-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"
License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> Fixed the official spelling of the SI unit.\n<\/p> License: Creative Commons<\/a> Fixed the name of the official SI unit.\n<\/p> License: Creative Commons<\/a> Updated version of Step 9 with the proper SI spelling of units and the proper formatting of unit symbols as per SI rules.\n<\/p> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a> License: Creative Commons<\/a>
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