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How to.........Water Level?

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Paradise Ridge

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
90
Location
North Idaho
Howdy all,

I've got 10' sidewalls and want to put up 8' sheets of plywood, 2" off the floor and plan on drywalling the upper 2'. I need the tops of the ply to be flush, level and even so I don't have gaps when I hang the drywall.

I tried to measure 8'2" off the floor, but the floor isn't perfectly level. I tried a 16' long piece of strait 1x6 stock and a level but by the time i got 30' to the corner I was 2" off in elevation. I figger a water level will do the trick and I can go around corners. I plan on using the level to mark the studs then screw up the 1x.

Ok, so now for the question.
How do I use the ******? I understand the premise, but if I put one tube end 12" or so above my 8'2" line, what keeps the water from running out the other end while I climb up and down the ladder to mark the other studs at 8'2"? Do I just try to hold the working up at about 8' and hope nuthing runs out either end? Do I just plug it or stick my thumb over the end? Any water that comes out will make me recalibrate my starting point.

I'm probably making things a LOT harder than they really are!

Scott
 
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Hackerbill

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
17
Location
St John's NL
Just off the top of my head...could you simply add colored water to whatever height and then join the ends of the hose into a continuous loop? It'd be a little more clumsy but you won't spill a drop and the height of the water column won't be cushioned like it would be by just capping off the ends of the hose. You would need to hang the air filled section from the rafters or at least have it high, but it should work.

I wouldn't be worried about getting the water exactly the right height either. Just add enough or more than you need and mark the wall on one end. Measure the difference from the wall mark to the water height and duplicate the mark on the other end of the wall by measuring off the water column to the same height on the wall.

NEVER used a water level before so if I'm totally out to lunch I beg forgiveness!!!:wtf:
 
Z

z28toz06

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
1,012
Location
Connecticut
Hackerbill said:
Even easier!!! LoL
Why climb a ladder when you can work from the ground! :thumbup:
Click to expand...
The premise is water seeks its own level. If you turn it in to a closed loop I don't think it would work because of the back pressure. For it to work you need one area to work from. Use that as your base spot and measure from there. You need to have extra hose at both ends and hold your finger over it when moving it until itsettles after moving it. It is a 2 man job.

Why don't you just get a line level and some string?
 
H

Hackerbill

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
17
Location
St John's NL
z28toz06 said:
The premise is water seeks its own level. If you turn it in to a closed loop I don't think it would work because of the back pressure. For it to work you need one area to work from. Use that as your base spot and measure from there. You need to have extra hose at both ends and hold your finger over it when moving it until itsettles after moving it. It is a 2 man job.

Why don't you just get a line level and some string?
Click to expand...

It should work as long as the full loop has no blockage...can't imagine why it wouldn't!

You won't be able to just close off the two ends because trapped air on either side would effect how much the water column could move, thus affecting the level. Water in an open loop would move freely and easily just like if it were open to the air on both ends.
Water or any liquid will seek its own level in an enclosed space too unless other factors are effecting it...even in a vacuum.
still...it would be a bit of a pain to deal with the upper part of the loop as I said, but at least 1 guy could handle it in a pinch.

String and a line level are excellent, although the water level might be just a little more exact over a longer distance(?).
String and line level is how I set up my footing forms when my garage was started. D'oh...
Totally forgot about that...thinking too hard about how the water level works I guess! Hahaha

Gets my vote for the easiest answer to his problem!!! :beer: :thumbup:

Make sure you use a high quality string so you can pull it really tight to get the natural sag out of the line.
 
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P

Paradise Ridge

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
90
Location
North Idaho
Wel dangit! I passed the dumb$hit test!

I'm going to combine a couple of your ideas and it should work out.

I figger I'll borrow my neighbors laser level, measure down 1' 8" in both corners, set the laser so it lights up both corner points, and mark away! After I get my elevations, I'll screw up my 1x4x12 on top of the marks and lift the panels with drywall kickers until they hit.

THANKS!

Scott
 
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