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Re-Visit Laser Measuring


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#1 Mike Adams

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Posted 30 April 2017 - 05:01 AM

Forgive me if this aspect of laser measuring has been answered, but does any have the ability to locate openings? 

Thanks,

Mike Adams V13



#2 Kevin Rabenaldt

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Posted 30 April 2017 - 09:52 AM

I have not employed a laser for measuring existing houses but when I do I take measurements of a house I take as many pictures as I can.  I try to get as much distance away as practical on exterior walls and take the picture face on to limit distortion.  I then print the those pictures needed and scale off based on something I know a size of to get a scale or use percentage of distance.  For instance, If a window is 30 percent from one edge to the overall wall, I can convert that in my drawing.  Other aids I use the pictures for is to line up with some element in the picture; ie center of a gable, or it is so many bricks away from a corner (I measure the brick size when on site as well as any siding reveal, etc).  You may say all of this is too much work.  I have found that is not really.  And with lots of pictures it has saved me trips back to a site.  In the rare time I have to revisit a site I can check a measurement (with a tape) to confirm.  "Exact" placement of windows is most the time not required (at least for me).



#3 Keith Almond

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Posted 30 April 2017 - 10:34 AM

Agreed. Normally, the items that are there aren't going to change and they are what they are. As long as the representation of the existing is close, only a few dimensions are ever critical.
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#4 Mike Adams

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 10:42 AM

Thanks Kevin and Keith

 

I bought a Leica for an as-built I measured yesterday.  Has some nice features and learning more as I work with it.  The previous as-built was for a family that had "stuff" everywhere and in front of everything.  Can't put the tape and stick rule away entirely,  but this laser helps.

 

Mike



#5 Harlon Suttle

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 05:57 PM

I have heard but not seen, siding contractors such as James Hardie siding have a ipad app they use....just a thought...

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#6 Harlon Suttle

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 06:22 PM

Did a little Youtube research and here is what the Hardie estimator was using or something similar....and you can get a dwg file for import.....

https://youtu.be/XA7FMoNAK9M

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#7 Harlon Suttle

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 06:33 PM

Found a few more and here is just one example

https://youtu.be/JJ7fb0c8oz0

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#8 Tom Rogers

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 06:49 PM

I use a Strait line that I got from Home Depot for about $20 and it works pretty good.  I have also used an app called Magicplan that does a decent job on room layouts.  Similar to what you were looking at Harlon.  


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#9 Daniel Zanoli

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 07:37 PM

You guys are killing me with all these new toys.... I'm glad its almost summer so I can start fishing again..



#10 Tom Rogers

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Posted 03 May 2017 - 07:51 PM

I had my strait line back when I worked for a production builder and I would take it into competitors houses or models and take quick measurements to see how we stood with competition.  Now I find it nice for as builts when needed 


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#11 Brad Graber

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Posted 04 May 2017 - 06:44 AM

I use a combination of lots of pictures and measurements.  I typically take as many pictures as possible, the exterior ones straight on as possible with the exterior. Then just sketch out the house with a pencil and start measureing.  Outside I use a 30' tape and 100' tape,  Interior measurements I use a Bosch laser, I find it a bit faster with a laser inside and it also helps me keep from wearing out my pockets with a tape.  On the exterior I found you either can't see the laser or you can't hit anything on an outside corner.



#12 Guest_Derrik Bauer_*

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Posted 04 May 2017 - 06:58 AM

I do pretty much the same as Brad.  I do use the laser outside for wall heights.  It is easy to see the laser dot under the overhang of the soffit.  Also, I take photos with my tablet (Galaxy Tab 10.1) and draw dimensions on the photo instead of sketching the house.

 

I use the cheap ($50) Bosch laser.  GLM15.  Not as big of a worry if I drop it (which I have done many times).



#13 Brian Berzinskis

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Posted 09 May 2017 - 07:39 PM

I got a small Leica DISTO E7100i which I find very handy. When it comes to openings on an as built of an existing house I typically measure the size of the window trim and then I am able to take my measurements from trim to trim on a wall with multiple openings because that trim is usually off the wall enough for me to hit it with the laser if I lay it against the wall.

 

I did think that the bluetooth feature that it came with was going to be cool because it would record all the dimensions that I took but there is no way to translate that into the proper locations. It is much easier for me to just sketch it and write the dimensions alongside my sketch but I will often take someone with me on a measure.






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