fiberglass tape measures...

[erick anderson]

can they stretch to the point that they are no longer accurate? Are metal tapes better?

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

They usually wear out in other places before they stretch (I have never had one stretch). At $12 for a 100 foot tape at Wal-Mart, you can not go wrong. Before Disto days, I would have to replace the tape every six months. Now, every two years. Fibeglass tapes are much easier for measuring houses than metal tapes. JMO.

 

[xm39hnu]

...and they don't sag as much over long runs.

 

[Chris Colston]

Metal tapes rust!!

Metal tapes have a tendency to rust and they also can cut you very badly. If you must have a tape, fiberglass is the way to go.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Fiberglass tapes really do not stretch. However, they do not take the abuse that a metal tape will take. Mine always gave out at the end where they are hooked on the house. Seems that I would be replacing them once a year.

Last time one went out, Judy picked up a 100 foot metal tape with 3x retrieval. Now that is a man's tape: heavy so you know you have something in your hand, slide guard so as not to cut yourself and when you really crank the handle, just get out of the way of that tape coming in. I look upon it as off season fishing retrieval practice. This particular metal tape is standing up very well into it's 3 year with no rust. I personally like it.

Warning: Do not touch the metal tape part with your bare fingers at 13 below zero. It's darn cold.

 

[Lysander in Charlotte]

If you ever use a Sokkia 100' fiberglass tape with the appraiser's hook, you'll never use anything else. It's like they are made for us.

 

[Fred]

Does everyone put their measuring device in the report and how well it seemed to work?
EG, "I measured the comp sf by eye from 50 feet away and at the bottom of the hill. Any one or more of the dimensions could easily be off by 25%"
EG "After pulling my old worn-out, cloth tape as tight as I could, it read 100', but there was still a noticeable sag in the middle - therefore, 95'."

 

[Anne Matthews]

Just buy a bunch at one time and replace them when the hook eventually snaps off. I find about 6 months is the typical life of a tape, and advise carrying a spare in the car for when it does break while hooked to the house out in the boonies that you just don't want to drive back to.

Never had a fiberglass tape last long enough to lose it's accuracy, but at less than $15 a pop, it is just much easier to keep a stash of them handy.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

EG, "I measured the comp sf by eye from 50 feet away and at the bottom of the hill. Any one or more of the dimensions could easily be off by 25%"
EG "After pulling my old worn-out, cloth tape as tight as I could, it read 100', but there was still a noticeable sag in the middle - therefore, 95'."

I don't put that kind of wording in but all of my reports carry this disclaimer:

"The square footage contained in the report is the result of measurement of the subject property by the appraiser using the most current acceptable standards for measurement. However, the client is advised that the appraiser in addition to being licensed by the State of Michigan as a real estate appraiser, is also duly licensed as a Fisherman by the same State of Michigan. While the appraisal license carries with it the obligation to be as accurate as possible, the fishing license is known to carry with it the obligation to expand, expound and to generally glorify the results of the licensed activity to the point of oneupmanship. Since the writer of this report is totally unsupervised while gathering data for the real property appraisal, the veracity of such data must be considered based on two conditions: #1 The proximity of the subject to fishable waters and #2 the conversation with the homeowner regarding fishing while the data is being gather. In neither case will the appraiser take responsibility for the accuracy of any measurements or veracity of any data contained in the report that was gathered under either of the two above mentioned conditions."

 

[Big ole Boy]

Very interesting Richard, very interesting ....


heres mine,

"..... I generally measure my houses standing away from the house and use a long screw driver to hold the tape at one end lining it up with my eyeballs ..... I then proceed to pull the tape and take my measurements using my other eyeball ....."

.... my ability to measure is based on my experience with the world around me ..... that has been a life long process of checking and re-checking .......