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The black diamonds which appear every 19 3/16” on metal tape measures are for spacing I-beam “timbers.” Several wood-product manufacturers offer I-beam “timbers” as a substitute for solid lumber floor joists. The diamond marks on tape rule blades are for spacing these engineered floor joists in new construction.
What is the red dot on a tape measure?
The red indicates 16-inch-on-center spacing. This is a common framing spacing for wall studs, floor joists and common roof rafters. If you decide to space framing at 24-inch centers, the red marks will be at every other foot marking on the tape measure.
What the mysterious black diamonds on measuring tapes are meant for?
The black diamonds on the tape measure represent that spacing. The first black diamond is at 19.2 inches” and after that black diamonds appear at 38.4, 57.6, 76.8, and 96 inches or 8 feet. That is one less stud for every 8 feet of wall, counting the beginning and end studs.
What is the little triangle on a tape measure?
Tape measures often use small, black diamond or triangle shapes called black truss marks. They indicate truss layouts of every 19 3/16 inches. This spacing is often used by some engineered joist manufacturers. There are 5 of these marks for every 8 feet.
What is the 8 foot rule on a tape measure?
For every 8-foot section of your wall, there should be six studs placed 16 inches apart. That’s why there are red numbers highlighted every 16 inches. If you use the tape measure, you can note exactly where the studs are by using the red numbers and marking the studs using a pencil.
What is the distance between the little black diamonds?
The black diamond marker on a tape measure falls between the 16-inch and 24-inch spacing. This marker is commonly used in building a concrete block chimney. But, it has other uses too. Marked at 19.2 inches apart, using this type of placement also allows for more weight loads with fewer pieces of wood.
What does 19.2 mean on a tape measure?
Support. The black diamond marks every 19.2″ on our tape rule blades. This is for spacing of engineered joists common on job sites. The 19.2 inches allows for a break at 8 foot to accommodate full sheets of plywood.
What does the arrow on a tape measure mean?
Every 16 inches, you may see a double arrow, a number marked in red, or the word “STUD.” This helps you locate every stud that may run across a wall once you’ve located the first one.
Why is every 16 inches marked on a tape measure?
Note the Marks for Studs and Joists Tape measures usually have a red mark every 16 inches. This makes it convenient to mark off wall studs or joists, which typically are 16 inches apart.
How many 16th are in an inch?
In this case, there are 16 units of smaller quantity (1/16 inch) in one unit of the larger quantity. Multiply the larger-quantity amount by the number of smaller units per unit of the larger quantity. Multiplying 16 by 0.5 gives you 8, so 8/16 equals 0.5 inches.
What is the maximum length of a long line tape?
They are available in fractional/decimal formats and lengths ranging from 50 ft to 200 ft making them ideal for many long distance measuring jobs.
What are the different marks on a tape measure?
On every tape measure, there are both small and large tick marks and sometimes numbers. The biggest tick mark usually denotes inches, the second biggest denotes 1/2 inches, and so on. The largest numbers correspond to inches, with fractions of inches being in between each of the largest numbers.
What is the difference in a type 1 and type 2 rated tape measure?
These are adequate for the majority of users and a Class II tape allows for a potential error of ±2.3mm over a 10m length. Class I rated tapes are the most accurate and an error of no more than ±1.1mm over a 10m length can be anticipated.
What is 5/16 on a measuring tape?
How to Read a Tape Measure. Tape measure markings represent lengths in inches and fractions of an inch. Each large tick represents one inch (1″), and the ticks between represent the following fractions: 1⁄16“, 1⁄8“, 3⁄16“, 1⁄4“, 5⁄16“, 3⁄8“, 7⁄16“, 1⁄2“, 9⁄16“, 5⁄8“, 11⁄16“, 3⁄4“, 13⁄16“, 7⁄8“, and 15⁄16“.
What is 3/16 on a ruler?
Fraction, Decimal, and Millimeter Equivalent Measurements Fraction Decimal Millimeters 1 ⁄ 8 “ 0.125 3.175 3 ⁄ 16 “ 0.1875 4.7625 1 ⁄ 4 “ 0.25 6.35 5 ⁄ 16 “ 0.3125 7.9375.
What are the two groups that tapes are classified in?
There are two basic types of tape measures with cases: spring return pocket tape measures and long tape measures. Spring return pocket tape measures will generally fit in a pocket. They are small; the case is up to about three inches across. The tape is returned to the case by a spring mechanism.
What does 2F mean on a tape measure?
Example: 1F=1′, 2F=2′, 3F=3′ Inch or 1”: The inch measurement is the longest vertical line on the imperial half of the blade.
What is a joist vs stud?
Wall studs are support beams in your home’s walls, they’re typically 16 to 24 inches apart. Joists are the support beams in your floor and ceiling. You need to find these if you want to hang light fixtures, ceiling fans or fix squeaky floors.
Can I use my phone as a measuring tape?
Google’s augmented reality app “Measure” turns ARCore-compatible Android smartphones into digital measuring tapes, as reported by Ars Technica. Using the app appears to be rather simple. Simply launch Measure, point the phone’s camera to an object, then pick two points to measure the distance in between.
How far apart are studs?
The general spacing for wall studs is 16 inches on center, but they can be 24 inches. At my home, the exterior wall studs are spaced at 24-inch centers, but the interior walls are 16 inches on center.
