Home & Garden Improvements

Scale rulers are used by architects as a way of quickly working out the dimensions of a building or property. They eliminate the need for complicated maths equations and can be easily used. Although they may seem complicated, scale rulers can be used by following a few simple steps.

Step One
Work out a rough scale for the plans being used. This should be listed on the design sketches or drawings. This should be in the bottom corner of the document. This figure is crucial to the whole process.

Step Two
Make sure the ruler is equal to the dimensions. Whatever the scale says the scale ruler has to read because otherwise the dimension calculations will be totally incorrect. The most common scales will be ¼ of an inch to a foot or ½ of an inch to a foot.

Step Three
Measure the desired lines from zero on the picture. It is important when working out any dimensions to keep lengthy and detailed notes at all stages. These readings will be the final ones used when giving dimension calculations to builders.

Step Four
Repeat the process two or three times and write down the readings as you go. If the readings are similar then average them to get a more accurate estimate of the dimensions. If the readings are not similar then go back over the process and make sure the scale ruler is set correctly. Accuracy is every thing when using an instrument such as this.