Metal Tape Measure

Are you considering a glass purchase? We recommend using a metal tape measure.

Metal tape measures are what we use to measure our glass. We recommend that you use a metal tape measure to measure your furniture if you want to order a Glass Protector Top or a Glass Table Top.

All the lines between the inch mark are measured in fractions of an inch. If there are 15 lines between each inch mark, each little line represents 1/16”. The longest line in the middle is a half inch. The next longest line, between the half mark and the ends of the inch are the 1/4″ and 3/4″ marks. Between the 1/4″ and 1/2″ mark, the next longest would be the 3/8″ mark, since the 2/8″ is 1/4″ and the 4/8″ is 1/2″. Most measuring tapes will have the inches within a foot marked in red.

When making a measurement of glass or furniture, and especially when you mark it, make sure the side of the tape is flat against the surface where you mark it. The tape is naturally cupped out from the surface, so just give it a twist to get one edge flag against the surface.

When you are measuring glass or furniture between two inside corners and you can’t get the tape all the way into the corner for a good measurement, many people will bend the tape into the corner as tight as they can and then guess what’s left. The easier way is to take two inside measurements. On one side, measure out a few inches and make a mark. Then measure from your mark to the other side and add the two measurements together.

The end of the tape measure will have a metal hook to grab onto a board or butt into a wall. These ends can get bent over time, and it’s easy to fix that by using a pair of pliers. They are designed to be adjusted, but should you break off the tip, it’s probably time to get a new tape measure. To avoid having to recalibrate all the time, don’t allow your tape measure to retract at full speed and smack the hook against the case. And for even more accuracy check your measurements at the 1” mark. Just make sure you remember to deduct the 1”.

If you need to make an investment in a tape measure, here on some tips on meatal tape measures and measuring glass. When you buy a tape measure, wider is better. Cheap tape measures will be narrow and will lose their shape after a few feet or so when extended. If you do a lot of measuring or need to be able to reach the ceiling without a ladder, then get a 1″ wide tape measure.