How do measure to see if something is square?

[Doug]

The wall in our dining room looks off but I can’t tell if its just an optical illusion? How would I go about measuring it to see? It is 96″ from bottom to top on both sides.

Doug

[Steve Jones]

Well there are two methods.

1) use a trianglular square and fit it in each corner and see if it is flush. This will require a long one to get out there.

2) use the 3 4 5 concept that people use when stringing out a deck or patio layout.

From the center of the 90Degree, measure out three feet in one direction, then four feet in the other direction and then from the end of the 3 and the end of the 4 the distance should be 5.

This method is pretty accurate, but you are using possibly unsound walls, meaning they may not be traveling a straight path.

Then you could purchase one of those nice lazer levels. This would really tell accurately and precise. But, do you have $150 just to tell squareness.

I will tell you that right now, without seeing it that it is not square. No home, $50K to $3 mil, has square walls, just not possible nowdays.

Steve

[Dave]

I’m not sure from your post what you’re trying to check – but whatever – a way to tell if a rectangle is really a rectangle is to measure the distance from one corner to the opposite corner. That measurement should be the same as the measurement from the other two opposing corners. (If you were using two tape measures, they would form an “X” on the area you’re measuring.)

But again, I’m not clear on whether you want to check that the wall ITSELF is square – or whether it’s SQUARELY in place (in relation to another wall, floor, ceiling…)

[Jay J]

Doug,

Take a piece of nylon string and run it tip-to-‘wherever’ on corners that are diagonal to each other. Cut to size. Take the cut piece of string and ‘measure’ the opposite diagonal corners. Depending on how short or long the string is, you’ll get an idea of how much the walls are out-of-square.

Jay J

[e hunt]

Out of square counter tops. How do you measure to get the degree of the angle to cut a 45 so it will line up and not have a gap at the wall of where the 2 45’s line up for the 90

[Author]

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