A homeowner in Denver asked me why I always measure twice, and his follow-up question got me.

I was giving him a quote for a big picture window and did my usual thing, pulling the tape a second time. He asked if it was just a saying or if I ever found a real difference. I told him about a job three months ago where my first pull was off by a quarter inch on the height, which would have meant a custom unit that didn't fit. He then asked, 'But what do you look for the second time that you miss the first?' I realized I was just checking the number, not the whole run for a bow in the wall or an out-of-square corner. Now my second measure is a full visual check of the opening, not just the tape. Anyone else have a specific thing they double-check on that second pass?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_harris692mo ago

Oh man, that's a really good point. I read an article once where a carpenter said his second measure was always for "truth" not just length, like checking if the floor is actually level over the whole run. It's easy to just see the number on the tape and call it good. Your story about the bow in the wall is a perfect example of that.

patricianguyen2mo ago

Totally stealing that truth idea from @patricia_harris69.