I've been thinking about finally replacing the old drafty windows in my house, and I'm at the point where I need to measure everything up. Now, I've always been a tape measure kinda person—old school, reliable, you know, the kind my dad always had hanging on his belt. But lately, I've seen a bunch of people recommending laser measures for accuracy and ease of use.
I borrowed a friend's laser measure last weekend just to test it out, and honestly, it felt kinda futuristic and cool. Just point, click, and bam—instant measurement. But then I started second-guessing myself...like, how accurate is this thing really? I mean, what if the laser hits something weird or reflective and throws off the measurement? With a tape measure, at least I know exactly what I'm looking at, even if it's a bit clumsy sometimes (especially when measuring alone and the tape keeps bending or slipping...ugh).
Also, price-wise, laser measures seem to vary a lot. Some are pretty affordable, but others are like crazy expensive. Is it worth investing in a pricier one, or is a basic model good enough for window measurements?
Anyone here have experience with both methods? Curious which one you prefer and why. I'm leaning toward sticking with my trusty tape measure, but maybe I'm just being stubbornly old-fashioned.
I've used both plenty of times, and honestly, laser measures have saved me a ton of headaches—especially when working solo. I remember one job where I was measuring up windows on a second-story addition. Balancing on a ladder, wind blowing, tape measure flopping around...it wasn't fun. Switched to a laser measure after that and haven't looked back.
That said, you're right about reflective surfaces causing issues sometimes. I've had lasers bounce weirdly off shiny metal trim or glass, giving me wonky readings. Usually, just angling it slightly or placing a piece of masking tape on the reflective spot solves the problem.
As far as price goes, I've got a mid-range model that's been solid for years. Never felt the need to splurge on the super high-end ones. But hey, if your tape measure's still doing the job and you're comfortable with it, no harm sticking with what you know.
Curious though—are you measuring standard-sized windows or custom ones? That might make a difference in how much accuracy really matters...