Tools

Measuring Tools

Tapes, spirit levels, laser levels, squares and straightedges — including the long straightedges needed to check floor flatness before large-format tiling.

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Measuring Tools products

Measuring Tools buying guide

Checking flatness before you tile

Large-format tile fails on flatness, not level. A 2m straightedge across the floor in several directions tells you in five minutes whether you need a levelling compound. Doing that check before ordering adhesive is far cheaper than discovering the problem with half the floor laid.

Level and flatness are different things

A floor can be dead level and still unfit for large-format tile if it undulates, and a floor with a deliberate fall to a drain must not be level at all but still needs to be flat. Spirit and laser levels measure level; a straightedge measures flatness. Both checks are needed, and confusing the two is a common source of arguments between trades.

Laser levels on site

A self-levelling cross-line laser sets out tile courses, fixture heights, cabinetry and falls far faster than a spirit level, and removes the cumulative error of stepping a short level along a wall. Check the calibration periodically by taking a reading, rotating the unit 180 degrees, and confirming the line lands in the same place — a dropped laser can be out by enough to matter without any visible damage.

Tape measures and consistency

Different tapes disagree, particularly at the hook. On any job where more than one person is measuring, use tapes from the same batch or nominate one tape as the reference for critical setting out. A two-millimetre difference at the hook compounds across a run of cabinetry or a tiled wall and shows up as a cut that does not fit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a laser level for a bathroom?
Not essential, but a self-levelling cross-line laser makes setting out falls, tile courses and fixture heights considerably faster and more accurate than a spirit level alone.
What length straightedge should I use?
2m is the standard reference for checking floor flatness and is what most tolerances are specified against.
How do I check a spirit level is accurate?
Place it on a surface, note the bubble, then rotate it end for end in the same spot. The bubble should read identically. If not, the level is out.

stocked at both jaden services trade counters — fairfield heights and prestons — with australia-wide delivery and trade pricing for regular accounts. Get in touch