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Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [measuring]

84 questions
133
votes
21 answers

Is there an easy way to measure the height of a tree?

I'm looking to get an antenna installed for Internet service that will need to clear some trees on my neighbor's property because it requires a clear line of sight to work. I really don't trust my estimating skills enough to plunk down money on a…
JohnFx
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7 answers

What are framing dimensions like in the metric world?

I was always curious about this. In the states we have: Lumber - Comes most commonly in 2 inch (2x4,6,8,10,12,16) and 4 inch (4x4,4x6) varieties. Plywood - Almost always 4x8 feet Drywall/Plasterboard - Various 4 foot varieties (4x8,10,12) and…
Eric Petroelje
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2 answers

Where do measurements start on a ruler/tape measure

I feel really dumb asking this question, but I need help reading the lines on my tape measure. I need to make precise measurements, but given the thickness of the inch lines, I'm not sure how. I've added lines in the following picture. I assume 1…
Ben A.
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17
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5 answers

Is there an ideal height for a workbench?

Is there a universal standard height that people try to go for when building workbenches? Should DIY tabletops be tailor made to the height of the user and how does the ideal height of the tabletop correlate to the person?
Ambo100
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14
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8 answers

How do I measure the thickness of something with a lip or frame?

I'm looking for a device like vernier calipers (ie 0.1mm resolution or thereabouts is fine), but in more of a C-clamp configuration which allows me to measure the thickness of some object's face where there is a thicker frame, lip or ridge around…
pcdev
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8 answers

Does the outer diameter of 4.78 indicate an M4 or an M5 bolt?

I measured the maximal diameter of this counter-sunk bolt. Note: The bolt is not parallel with the jaws, but slightly rotated so that the bolt head is behind them. Therefore measurement is not of the bolt head, just the threads. And tried to match…
Martin Drozdik
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7
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6 answers

When tiling a floor must I start in the middle of the room?

I am tiling a small bathroom ~45sq ft. The book I am referencing suggested starting the tile in the center of the room to prevent laying any tiny fractions of tile near one side of the room. I'm working with 12x24" tiles and it looks like I might be…
dpollitt
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6
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7 answers

How to get a straight line when painting wall with fillet to ceiling

We are moving to an apartment built in the 1920:s which have a fillet between the walls and the ceiling. We want to paint the walls, and to get a nice finish between the ceiling and the walls, we want to paint a distinct line around 10 cm down from…
Theodor
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5
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1 answer

How can I measure lengths greater than 50' to a precision of less than 1/16"?

Is it possible to measure a length greater than 50' to a precision less than 1/16"? If so, what tools and/or techniques should I use to do so?
Matt
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5
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1 answer

How to measure a crooked room?

I am faced with the task of measuring a room that has no right angles. The room has the following layout (this sketch in not scaled, there is also a window in the right wall which I omitted here): I want to measure the room as accurately as…
Björn Pollex
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4
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1 answer

How can we measure the air quality index of our room?

My house is situated near a construction site and dust, particulates, etc gather in really quickly. My room is currently set up such that there are two different air filters running continuously around-the-clock. The Air Quality Index is a number…
Pacerier
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4
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1 answer

How can I estimate square footage of fencing for stain?

I have a fence that looks like the following: I plan on staining this fence with a paint sprayer and this stain product. The product notes that one gallon will cover Coverage Area (sq. ft.) 250 ft². Can someone help me determine how to calculate…
dpollitt
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4
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3 answers

How do I measure a standard sliding glass door?

We are going to hire somebody to replace our sliding glass patio door. Its a standard sliding glass patio door, similar looking to this: I am going to buy the replacement door at auction, but first I need to know exactly what size door I need. I…
n00b
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4
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1 answer

What's the best way to measure for crown moulding and trim

I've been putting up a lot of trim lately (baseboards, quarter-round, chair rail, crown moulding, etc). The problem I'm having is getting precise measurements that each piece should be cut to. I'm using a 25' tape measure to determine the length of…
dolphy
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How do you determine the slope of a floor?

What are some methods for figuring out the slope of a floor? I've always heard the slope referenced as, eg: "1/2inch over 6ft." - is this the normal way, and/or are there other common ways to say it?
gregmac
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