The Hidden Code Behind Your Tape Measure’s Red Squares

If you’ve ever taken a close look at some of your tools, you’ve likely noticed perplexing features on them. Surely these features serve some purpose, but they’re not always intuitive. Take tape measures for example. There are all kinds of marking on them. But do you know why there’s a red square around some numbers on a tape measure? It certainly makes the squared numbers easier to see at a glance, but there’s more to it than just visibility.

Why Are There Red Squares on My Tape Measure?

According to the Home Depot, these red squares are there to help make math easy for you. “The typical length between studs in a wall is 16 inches on center,” the company explains. “This is marked in red on many tape measures.” Thanks to the red markings, you can easily see where your next stud is likely to be without having to do math on the fly or eyeball your measurements.

How Do I Use the Red Squares?

Once you’ve found your first stud, you can set your tape measure there to start. At every red square, or 16 inches, you can make a mark on the wall showing that there’s likely a stud at that location. It’s a good ideas to follow up with a stud finder to confirm, but this is a good starting point. It will give you an idea of where the best spots to mount things are so that you can start planning you wall decor layout with the markings.

Are There Any Other Markings Like This on Tape Measures?

The Home Depot says that there are a couple of other common markings on tape measures. The one you’re most familiar with is the foot marker. “Many tape measures will have 1 foot marks every 12 inches. This eliminates the need to convert inches to feet yourself,” the company says. They add that “some [tape measures] have special markings every 3 feet as well.”

The other common marking on tape measures is the black diamond, or sometimes black triangle. The Home Depot explains that these marking are called black truss marks and “they indicate truss layouts of every 19 3/16 inches.” Just like it’s common practice to space studs every 16 inches, the 19 3/16 inch spacing “is often used by some engineered joist manufacturers.” The Home Depot says that “there are 5 of these marks for every 8 feet.”

Source

How to Read a Tape Measure, The Home Depot, 2023.

The post The Hidden Code Behind Your Tape Measure’s Red Squares appeared first on Family Handyman.

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