Unpopular opinion: most people are using their measuring tapes completely wrong

I noticed everyone at my job site in Phoenix starts from the metal hook without accounting for the 1/16 inch slack it has. That adds up fast when you're framing walls all day. Has anyone else caught this messing up their cuts?

2 comments

2 Comments

tara_palmer1mo ago

Oh man, you're totally right about this! I caught it years ago when I was building some built-in bookshelves and my measurements kept coming up just a hair short. Drove me crazy until I figured out that little hook was moving. Now I always pull the tape hook tight against the edge I'm measuring from, or I start from the 1-inch mark if I'm being really picky. That 1/16 inch adds up in a hurry when you're doing a whole wall of studs.

willowc601mo ago

@tara_palmer yep same here, noticed it when my first cabinet build was all crooked.