The Level

The level is another essential carpentry tool. Without it, you would never know if the structure you are building is level or plumb. There are as many ways to level a structure as your imagination will allow.


A Level Applicaion for the iPhone

For instance, you could use a clear plastic tube and partially fill it with water. Hold it in a U-shape, and the height of the water on one end is level with the height of the water on the opposite end. If you use your imagination, you can see how this could be used if a store-bought level wasn't available.

Fortunately, there are plenty of inexpensive levels to choose from without resorting to using the plastic tube. There are several of the old style carpenter's levels that have been around for many years. They come in several sizes, but the most common are the 24-inch and the 48-inch. You can level most projects with a combination of those two. The 48-inch level is good for leveling deck joists or plumbing wall studs, and the 24-inch is great for leveling things where a 48-inch level may not fit, like a window opening or door header.

For projects where you are trying to level a large deck or structure, a transit level is perfect. I have used a transit level many times when a 48-inch level is too small. Suppose you are trying

Bubble Level

to level the frame of a multi-tiered deck. Leveling it with a standard bubble level would not be practical. With a transit level, you can level structures across large spans with a great deal of accuracy by simply rotating the scope.

Transit Level

In these modern times, the level spans many technologies. There are several levels to choose from for almost any application.

There are laser levels for installing things like drop ceilings on large commercial projects. There are digital levels (for those that don't trust the bubble). There are torpedo levels for leveling small objects. There are magnetic levels for plumbing metal studs. There are 8-foot levels for plumbing walls, and many more specialized levels that are designed for very specific applications. There are even level applications designed for mobile devices, such as the iPhone.

As mentioned earlier, the 24-inch and the 48-inch are the most common and are considered by myCarpentry to be on the list of essential carpentry tools.

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