So I finally gave in and picked up a laser measurer and honestly couldn't be happier with my purchase. No more fumbling with the tape measurer and running it behind furniture, now it's just point click record. Makes the estimate go faster and smoother giving me more time to focus on the condition of the walls and sell the job. Anyone else spring for one of these fancy doodads?
This fancy gadget claims to be accurate to within 1/16 of an inch. Tried tested and approved by me. Sadly it does not double as a calculator but does have settings for area and volume. I just measure record and calculate when I'm writing up the estimate. I believe you can also add and subtract distances by walking them off. Lowe's has a video which demonstrates all of this.
I still have my fatmax tape and my lufkin self centering tape for good measure, but this is top nitch for estimates in my opinion. Can measure up to 130ft accurately.
I would think all you guys would use this instead of running tape measures across peoples obstacle courses of chachkis and furniture.
How does the continuous measure work? I have a mile of concrete in a business district to measure and the width of the sidewalk varies with every building. Would it continuously calculate the varying depth/width as I walked along the curb?
Click the view demo link under the picture. This should explain all the tools common uses. It's not as effective outside in sunlight so I read. You'd need a wall to bounce the laser off of too keep that in mind.
They do not measure continually, at least mine does not. I have a mode that keeps adding every new measurement the the previous but not one that measures as you walk along.
I hate to say it, since it was my worst college class, but if you are trying to find the area of side walk with a known length and a varying width that is a curve, that sounds eerily like my Calc II class. Integrals!!
I just picked one up at Home Depot, its green and I forget the brand but its great, it also has a surface temp reader on it. Which is what I needed more than the measure function. , 39 bucks.
I'm just about ready to order one, but tell me. When I am measuring the height of a wall, will I have to bend over and measure from the baseboard to the ceiling, or can I measure from mid point up and then down and have it add the two ?
I have the Dewalt version...a bit over $100 I think and it's great. It's very accurate and makes measuring for estimates a snap. I will place it on the lowest stair directly below the ceiling in a stairwell to get the "max height" for ladder selection.
Mine also has a sq ft and volume feature. What I find most interesting since buying this is how crooked all the walls really are.
Some of you guys actully measure the rooms during an estimate?...I only have to look at a room and instantly know how much paint and time it'll take to paint it.:yes:
I'm just about ready to order one, but tell me. When I am measuring the height of a wall, will I have to bend over and measure from the baseboard to the ceiling, or can I measure from mid point up and then down and have it add the two ?
Bill if you have a steady hand you'll be fine doing that. I tried it last night and got it to read out 8 ft. I believe there is a way to add measurements as well just havent played with it enough to figure it out
I used to think the same way and would just eyeball it. For residential interiors it works pretty well, but I decided a couple years ago to try to measure everything so I can better calculate jobs that fall out of the norm, communicate production rate expectations to crew, evaluate which employee need more training quantitatively, etc.
I only paint residential houses and condo's and after a while you can estimate them in your sleep......Yeah if I had to do something new like offices or a warehouse I'd certainly measure it..Exteriors I measure because I rarely do them.
Sully, he's the first casualty of Cabin Fever. No sense in beating the dead horse. And after a particularly vulgar PM to me, we were forced to give him the ultimate perma ban.
OK OK, I gave him a perma ban, but the mods did not disagree.
ANYWAY, thanks for the thread, I'm gonna TRY to make a detour to HD before an estimate this afternoon and see if they have one.
You should have gotten the one that does a triangle, that way you shoot it at a wall outside and then press it again and bring the red laser up the wall and it gives you the height. I have used mine to cut crown molding.
Great purchase, you will love it!
I like that one! I had one a while back, and learned my lesson on buying cheap. It had it's uses but could be pretty inaccurate do to some design flaws. Was just looking for a nice one the other day & they were out of stock. Good range on that one.
Its the one with the triangle on the front. It works a2+b2='s c2 pythagorean theorem.
It works great for tall buildings and such. You can also point the laser at a wall and walk the laser down the siding for length. Good stuff.
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