Making accurate measurements is crucial for every DIY project. We've compiled our top strategies and tricks to improve your measuring skills to the highest level.

Measure to Mark

Tape measuring in tight areas usually involves stretching the measuring tape and trying your best to read. You can eliminate the tape completely by drying-fitting or placing the tape in place while marking where the tape needs to be cut using the help of a pencil. Create your mark using the shape of a "V" instead of one line, as it will give you an accurate mark. The edge that forms the "V" indicates the exact location of the cut.

Use Pencil Lead for Marking Kerf Width

A kerf is an expression that describes the size of the blade of a saw. You must know the kerf's size to be able to accurately make multiple cuts on any piece of work. If you're unable to determine why your cuts on the wood are always shorter, it may be because you didn't include the 1/8-inch thickness of the saw blade.

Fortunately, overcoming this problem is simple—just cut your pencil to the size of the saw blade. While measuring, ensure that all cuts are made to the outside edge of the mark. If you do this, you'll also be able to remove multiple pieces from the same piece of wood without worrying about cutting too close.

Story Pole

A story pole can be described as an aid to your project. It shows the dimensions of an individual project in their actual dimensions, not numbers, which makes it an all-in-one source that can save time and eases the burden of designing and measuring. The story pole is typically employed by carpenters to determine things such as the size of windows, siding, and doors. Also, it is used for many other purposes, including furniture construction to building masonry.

Hand Measuring

The most reliable tape measure is one that's always at hand whenever you require it, that is, your hand!

Make use of a tape measure to discover the measurements of your fingers, hands, and arms. For some, two fingers are around 1 inch. Then, take a measurement of the length and width of your hands. Also, measure the distance from your fingertip to the forearm on both sides. Next time you need to measure a ballpark, you can make use of your hands to measure lengths.

Synchronize Measuring Tapes

A time-saving tip is to keep several tape measures within your workspace. Placing one in the vicinity of the table saw and another close to the place where the installation is made eliminates the irritating back-and-forth that happens if you do not carry your tape measure.

While the markings on the majority of tapes are precise, the hooks could be bent or warped as time passes. To confirm the accuracy, draw an edge on a straight edge using both tape measurements and compare the markings. It is best to have this carried out at the beginning of each project. However, at a minimum, you should take a moment to ensure that no major injury has occurred when any tape gets damaged or dropped.