How To Read a Measuring Tape

Measuring tapes come in different styles. For measuring rooms, or large areas, the heavy duty style, in a case that pulls open and snaps shut is often used. Measuring tapes also come in soft material, used for the dress maker, or to measure a hem and everything in between. Understanding what measurement it shows,is important, in any project.

Step 1  

Understand what a 1/16th is. A 1/16 of an inch, is usually the smallest measurement on a tape measure. The distance between every line on the tape measure is 1/16 of an inch.

Step 2  

Understand what an 1/8 is. An 1/8 of an inch is twice as big as the 1/16 of an inch. It is every other mark.

Step 3  

Understand what 1/4th of an inch is. 1/4 of an inch is every four marks on your tape measure.

Step 4  

Understand what 1/2 of an inch is. A 1/2 (half) inch is exactly what it sounds like: Half of 1 inch.

Step 5  

Understand, finally, what inches are. Inches are the long lines that cross either half of, or all of the 1" width of the tape. They usually are preceded or followed by numbers.

Step 6 Measure

• Hold the front of the tape at the point you wish to start the measurement from, and extend it to the point where you want to stop.
• Read the first large number before your stop point - this will tell you the number of inches.
• Read the smaller lines of various sizes (remembering what the various sizes mean) up until your stop point. This will tell you your fraction of an inch.

Tips

• On most full-sized (1" wide) measuring tapes, inches are broken down into 1/16 fractions. Each line represents 1/16 of an inch starting with the first one after any given number or the start of the tape.
• Note: Most measuring tapes have the same unit of measure on the top and bottom of the tape. This guide assumes that this is the case.
• With contractor measuring tapes, used for measuring large areas, you often cannot get a measurement using just the tape, as the body or case of the measuring tape gets in the way. That's why these bodies are carefully designed and marked to a certain width. Look on the case body for the width indicator. Many are 3". To measure a room from one corner to the other:
  
  
  1. Lay the tape on the floor and hook the end into one corner of the room.
  2. Pull out the tape along the floor.
  3. When you reach the other corner push the butt of the tape case into the corner (the butt or back of the case has been flattened for this purpose).
  4. Take your measurement from the tape and then add the 3" for the complete width.
• Example: Measure a space on your wall. Place the front of the tape at the start point and extend it until after you reach the stop point. Look at the tape and see the last number before the stop point, for example, 17. After the number 17, count four lines, noticing that you stop on the third longest line. That would make the total measured space 17 and 1/4 of an inch.
• This applies only to a tape that measures using standard Imperial (feet and inches) units. Consider using a metric measuring tape, which some say are more logical and easier to use. Also consider that the usage of metric is not commonplace to linear measurements in areas that use Imperial units; and to expect to confuse contractors, home-improvement store employees and other people that may assist you. You may have to use a calculator and list of conversions as building materials commonly do not list both systems of measurement.

Warnings

• This would not work exactly the same for a metric tape measure. Metric tape measures are based on a different system of measurement.