Okay, total lame-o question here:
Gotta measure a room for crown molding. I know enough to bet that wall-to-wall distance at ground level is not likely to apply to ceiling level. So I should do my measuring up where the wall hits the ceiling to determine proper cut length for the molding. Problem is, the stupid tape measure sags and kinks and falls before it reaches the opposing wall. Darn frustrating when atop a ladder.
So -- how do you smart guys do it?
On 12/7/2004 10:06 PM US(ET), Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott took fingers to keys, and typed the following:
Guys (plural), at least one of which is smart enough to read a tape measure. Put the other guy at the 'stupid' end. ...or one guy and one gal (positioned as above).
A finish brad in the far corner, and hook the point of the tape over that, or even a wad of duct tape holding the tape tight to the corner. Unless your room is real small, you will be using more than one stick of trim per wall anyway, so the corner-to-corner measurement doesn't matter that much. (You want a lap joint, not a square butt.) If the walls are crooked, recommend you look at the foam crown mold- much more forgiving. If you don't do trim work for a living, plan on messing up the first few cuts- buy an extra stick or two. You may wanna google the threads about coping inside corners and figuring the miters for outside corners....
ceiling
If you want the easy way out go with a laser measurement system (laser ruler or laser tape measure). They are cheap enough now that one can afford it to take that little hassle out a one man job.
When you buy the molding, add 1 extra foot to each measurement. To measure a wall you can put a temporary drywall screw in the corner to hold the measuring tape end (the small hole will be covered by the molding anyway). Another way is to get a friend to hold the tape end.
On 12/8/2004 12:39 PM US(ET), Robert Allison took fingers to keys, and typed the following:
That one is accurate to 99.5 percent of the distance +/- one inch. Just keep a bucket of caulk handy to finish up. :-)
Thanks all for the excellent suggestions. I just checked out the the laser/sonic measuring device and its accuracy is +/- 0.5% @ 10 feet. Which comes to +/- 5/8'' max error. I reckon the wavelength of the ultrasound pulse is too long for better accuracy.
I like the idea of a brad or drywall screw - totally obvious solution. Easier than roping my wife into standing on a ladder, too.
You might also invest in a "Fat Max" tape. Mine stand out horizontally to 11'.
On 12/8/2004 2:59 PM US(ET), Robert Allison took fingers to keys, and typed the following:
Have you gotten a blood blister on the end of your thumb from that extra tab on the top of the tape end yet?
After the first 10 or so, I learned. It is amusing when someone asks to borrow your tape. You can just stand back and wait for the "ouch!"
I am tired of all the clone tapes and new designs. I asked Santa to just give me the old fashioned chromed plastic Stanley tapes back, 25 or 30 foot, best clip in the industry.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net
I am not sure who you are responding to here, but the fat max is about as standard as you can get, it is a stanley, but it is wider. I do alot of measuring for estimates by myself. I can easily take measurements that with an ordinary tape, would require a second person.
I, too, don't care for all of the "inovations". The final straw is the new electric tape that is out for Xmas this year. Have you seen it? It extends with the push of a button. We all know how hard it is to have to pull that tape out manually!
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