Question about using a 4-foot level to mark a long straight line on a subfloor

Tack a finish nail into each end of the level, slide it along the floor, and the nails will scratch a perfectly straight guide line every time, which saved me a ton of time on a recent job in Tacoma.

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan18419d ago

Yeah that snagging issue is real, I had to switch to a chalk line on a rough OSB job in Denver for the same reason. @tessa868 your double line trick is solid for visibility on dark subfloors.

the_nathan3mo ago

Ever try that trick with a chalk line instead? I used nails like that once and they kept catching on little seams in the plywood. A chalk box just rolls smooth and you get a nice, clear blue line. For a really long wall, I snap two lines a few inches apart and fill in between them for a perfect guide. The nail method is clever, but it can snag.

tessa8683mo ago

That trick with the nails is a classic, but I ran into the same snagging problem on an old fir floor in Portland. @the_nathan has the right idea with the chalk line. I keep a four foot level and a chalk box in my kit just for this. For long runs, snapping two lines and filling between them is the only way to get a truly straight, thick guide you can see from any angle.