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PSA: I used a level wrong for TEN years until yesterday
I was hanging shelves in my garage and kept getting frustrated that my level showed things were straight but they looked off. My dad came over and pointed out I was only checking one direction. Turns out you gotta flip the level around and check it from the other side too because they can be off from the factory. Anyone else not know levels need to be calibrated before you trust them?
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andrew7784mo ago
Actually that's not quite right about levels needing calibration. Levels don't really drift over time like a tape measure might, they're either accurate from the factory or they're not. Sounds like your dad was just showing you how to double check by flipping it and reading the bubble from both ends to see if it matches up.
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the_sean4mo ago
Wait is that actually true though? I thought my level was just getting old or something but @andrew778 is right, it’s basically a solid block of metal with a bubble, so what’s really gonna drift? But here’s the thing - even if levels don’t drift, they CAN be off from the factory. I saw a video where a guy lined up like ten levels side by side and almost all of them read different. That’s why flipping it around is so important, like what your dad taught you. So yeah, levels technically don’t need calibration, but you definitely need to verify them before you trust them, especially if you’re hanging something expensive like shelves. I’ve started checking all my levels against a straightedge first thing before any project now.
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