Heavy duty tape measure with standout for solo framing
A heavy duty tape measure with standout for solo framing is really helpful at those times when you don't have anyone to help you hold the tape because your doing a project alone.
When you're building a house by yourself, you can't afford a tape measure that collapses or slips. Find out which durable, high-standout tape measures let a single owner-builder pull long, accurate measurements across a subfloor or foundation wall without a helper holding the other end.
Trying to measure a 14-foot wall layout by yourself with a flimsy, cheap tape measure is an exercise in pure frustration. The blade constantly collapses, the hook slips off the wood, and your dimensions end up compromised. Investing in a heavy duty tape measure with standout for solo framing changes everything, allowing a single builder to extend a rigid blade high into the air or across a subfloor without a helper holding the other end.
- True Standout Length: When holding the tape over a long span you want the exact point the blade snaps when extended horizontally into mid-air to at least 10 feet. Framing requires a minimum independent standout of 11 to 14 feet.
- Hook Claw Defense: The end hook must have multi-rivet reinforcement (ideally 4 rivets) to absorb the violent shock of the tape snapping retracted at full speed.
- Blade Coating Durability: You want the tape to be able to withstand rust and not get bound up or jammed. You also want the paint to stay on. Without the numbers, the tape is worthless.
In addition to a good quality 25 ft tape, you will find it useful to get a 100 foot cloth tape that reels back in when you need to measure long distances. Foundation forms are one of those things to check for squareness. You won't use this nearly as much, but it is a tape measure that you will want to have after you finish your home project because it will be worth the cost to have around.