After 3 tries i finally got my floating shelves level using a 4ft level instead of my 6in one

Last weekend in my laundry room i realized the 6in level was just too short to catch the slope in the wall so i grabbed my dad's old 4ft level and everything lined up perfect on the first go, anyone else find that bigger tools solve dumb mistakes?

3 comments

3 Comments

norathomas29d ago

Used to think a big level was just for show and my little one did the job just fine. Then I tried hanging a long curtain rod and the little level said it was perfect but the rod looked completely crooked. Swapped to the 4ft level and realized the shelf was actually off by a quarter inch over the whole span. Now I grab the big one for anything longer than a picture frame, it saves so much frustration.

torres.sage29d ago

Did you ever try using a cheap laser level from Harbor Freight for longer runs like that? I picked one up for like 30 bucks and it was a total game changer for hanging curtain rods and shelves without all the back and forth.

troythompson15d ago

I get the appeal of a cheap laser level, but I've found they can be more trouble than they're worth for anything over six feet. The $30 ones I've tried tend to drift if you bump the tripod or the batteries are low, and they don't always project a visible line in a bright room. For hanging curtain rods, a good 4-foot spirit level has never let me down, and it doesn't need calibration or fresh batteries. A cheap laser can give a false sense of precision when you really need something solid and reliable. So I stick with the long level for those big jobs.

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