What Does The Diamond Mean On A Tape Measure

Mystery tape measure markings here s where the black diamonds come in.

That s another story for another day though. That is one less stud for every 8 feet of wall counting the beginning and end studs. The tape measures also come with markings that are supposed to help you when it comes time to space your wall studs. The black diamonds on the tape measure represent that spacing.

The numbers that were mentioned above also come into play here. The first black diamond is at 19 2 and after that black diamonds appear at 38 4 57 6 76 8 and 96 or 8 feet. They represent the middle of the studs. The black diamonds are.

96 inches divided by five gives 19 2 inches so five trusses per sheet. The black diamonds on the top scale of a tape measure are for truss layouts for eight foot sheet goods. The first black diamond is at 19 2 and after that black diamonds appear at 38 4 57 6 76 8 and 96 or 8 feet. The black diamond is meant to signify the center area between studs in a home or building.

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Much as the 16 inch mark stands out for contractors looking to fasten drywall to the studs the black diamond represents the 19 2 inch spacing traditionally assigned to roof trusses. That fractional measurement is based on supporting an 8 foot plywood panel with five evenly spaced trusses. They start at 19 2 inches which was originally used in metric layouts. The black diamonds on the tape measure represent that spacing.

It stands to reason those who make money for building will need tape measures that are a little more in depth than those of us who just get them out to check our height.