A tape measure that’s sticky with rust, kinked, or unreadable for the first two feet needs replacing. But don’t grab just any rolled-up rule at the getting place. If you mostly measure window screens or walleye, a jumbo tape that reaches 30 feet and weighs two pounds only makes your job harder, even if it looks professional. Similarly, for docks and decks, a 12-foot workshop tape is just too short.
Many tapes combine metric and imperial, but for Canadian carpentry, a two-sided imperial tape, graduated in sixteenths of an inch, makes sense. Millimetres or superfine sixty-fourths deserve their own ruler. Checklist: are the increments clear and legible? Can you operate the lock without cursing? Does the tape fit your hand? If every answer is yes, it’s a keeper.
This article was originally published in the Early Spring 2026 issue of Cottage Life.
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