TIL my tape measure was off by a quarter inch after a whole house job

I was finishing a big house in Springfield, cutting a final piece for a hallway ceiling. I kept marking from my 25-foot Stanley tape, but every piece was just a bit short. After the third bad cut, I checked it against my metal ruler and saw the hook was bent out. I had to re-cut about 15 pieces, which set me back almost two hours. Has anyone else had a tape fail on them like that, and how do you check yours?

3 comments

3 Comments

ruby31028d ago

Man, that's a brutal way to find out. That bent hook will get you every time, especially on long runs where the error adds up. I usually check mine against a known square or a speed square's ruler edge before any big job.

mary_nelson7128d ago

My old Stanley 25 footer had a bent hook that threw off a whole deck frame by over an inch. I was so mad I almost tossed the whole tape in the trash. Now I make it a habit to check the hook against my framing square before I even pull the first measurement. That little bit of slop seems tiny, but it just multiplies across a long wall. What do you use to check yours, just the speed square itself?

reesel5928d ago

Speed square's good, but I trust a combo square more.