Methods in Determining Obstructed Distances

Adam Yeomans

Often times during construction projects, distances have to be measured from one point to another where the measurements are obstructed from being able to be measured the full distance. There are several situation where this occurs, but only a few proven methods for accurate measuring work well in these situations.

Combining Rooms

A man measures plywood sheating for the a house.

Before any destruction or construction can take place in a remodel, measurements have to be taken and a plan must be developed. Open concept living space is desired by many people, but in order to create this open space in an existing home, walls need to be removed. In order to measure the full distance of what the new room will be, measure from the exterior wall to the wall that will be removed and record the distance. Go into the next space divided by the wall and measure and record the distance of that room. Add the distances together and add the thickness of the wall for the total length. Now you can plan your open room and create accurate drawings for estimating and planning purposes.

Measuring For A Vaulted Ceiling

If you are going to open up a ceiling to create a vaulted look, you can measure how tall your new wall will be by making a hole in the ceiling where your wall will continue and shove a 1-inch by 1-inch board up through the hole until it touches the bottom of the rafters. Mark the board and then measure the distance. This will be the distance that your wall will have to extend upward.

Building Blocking Measurable Distance

If you are working on a large project that involves multiple buildings, you may need to measure the distance through the building. This is best performed with a measuring wheel. Walk the distance with the wheel on the ground from the starting point of the measurement to the edge of the building. Now transfer this measurement to the side of the building where the measurement can be taken unobstructed. Perform the same action on the opposite side of the building. This gives you your starting and ending points as well as the building width. Measure the entire distance with the measuring wheel and record the distance.