My level was off by a hair and suddenly I had a 3-inch gap to fix

I was building a garden wall in my backyard last Saturday and everything looked perfect until I dry fit the last course. Turns out my spirit level got knocked out of whack when I dropped it on a concrete slab earlier. I spent 4 hours tearing down two entire sections and re-laying them just to close a stupid gap. Has anyone else ever had a level go bad on them mid project and not realize it until way too late?

2 comments

2 Comments

faithbarnes10d ago

Oh man, been there. I once spent a whole afternoon hanging cabinets in a buddy's kitchen, leveling each one perfectly, only to find out later my level was just slightly off from being dropped. Had to redo three cabinets and the gap between the last one and the wall looked like a small child could fit through. Now I keep a cheap backup level in my truck just for peace of mind, and I still manage to drop it on the first day of every project.

elliotw3710d ago

That backup level trick is smart, @faithbarnes, but I gotta push back a little. Dropping a level once is a mistake. Dropping it on the first day of every project sounds like a bad habit, not bad luck. You could just buy a decent magnetic level holder for your belt or a tool pouch with a padded slot. It costs less than a cheap backup level and you won't have to redo three cabinets every time you bump your hip against a door frame. The real fix is just not letting it hit the floor, not planning for when it does.