Realized my tape measure was the problem

I was fitting a shower door yesterday. Every piece of glass seemed a bit short. Checked my tape against a new one. It was stretched out from use. Now I test it before any big cut.

2 comments

2 Comments

gracecarr3d ago

Is it crazy how that happens without any warning? Claire_hall is totally right about measuring twice, but you gotta measure with a tape that's actually right first. I had one go bad on a fence job and only caught it because the posts looked funny.

claire_hall4d ago

Measuring twice. My 25-foot Stanley tape did the same thing after five years of siding jobs. The first six inches were fine, then it stretched maybe an eighth of an inch per foot. I check it against a steel rule now, or even the factory edge of a sheet of plywood. It's a quiet kind of tool failure that ruins a whole day's work.