A handy dad has shared a helpful trick when it comes to measuring spaces and items around the house.
Jordan Watson, better known as How To Dad online, said every tape measure has the length of the case printed on the side.
This means people can get the exact dimensions of a tight space without bending the tape but instead by adding the case’s length to a measurement.
‘I don’t even think builders know this. The width of the tape measure is written on the tape measure,’ Jordan, from New Zealand, explained.
‘I’ve just seen this online and I thought no, it can’t be true.’
He had two tape measures both showing how long the cases were on the side. One was 74mm long and other other 82mm.
‘Why is this important? Because all our lives, let’s say I’m measuring a window sill and I hit the end of the wood,’ the dad explained.
‘Then you’e got to put the bend in it and you’re closing one eye and its a little bit of guess work.’
Instead he suggested measuring a space by placing the case on one end of the space you’re measuring and pull the tape out to the other end.
Read the measurement on the tape then add the gadget’s case length and you will have a more accurate reading.
‘How To Dad’ Jordan Watson has shared a trick for using a tape measure. The length of the case is printed on the side which you can add to a measurement rather than bending the tape
‘There’ll be a lot of builders commenting, ‘No mate, I always knew that, I bloody knew that since I was a young buck, did you not know that?’,’ Jordan joked.
‘No, if the whole world knew then it wouldn’t be a surprise. Builders, thank me later.’
Jordan shared the useful information in an online video across his popular social channels that racked up more than 11 million views.
’32 years in the building trade!! Today years old I found out this,’ one builder said.
’12 years on the trade and I’m learning this now,’ a second wrote while a third exclaimed: ‘Whaaaat? Nooooo waaaaaay’.
Others argued whether the measurement refers to the length or the width of the case and some said they had known and been using the hack for years.
‘It’s 1 am, I know there’s a tape measure on the kitchen bench and I am tempted to go get it to see,’ someone chimed in.
‘It’s like the arrow that points to the side the petrol tank is, in EVERY SINGLE CAR. I taught my mechanic friend that,’ laughed another.
