Question about keeping your line level on long runs

For years, I'd just trust my eyes and a short level for any wall over about 20 feet, which honestly led to some headaches (and a few callbacks). I'd be out there, constantly moving the level, trying to keep it all straight, and you know how it goes. Then, about two summers ago on a big garden wall job in Springfield, the foreman showed me this trick with a water level. You just get a clear hose, fill it with water, and use the water line at each end to mark your height. It's dead simple and cheap, maybe 15 bucks for the hose. The key is you only need two people for a second to set the marks, then you can work alone. It completely changed how I start any long run now. Has anyone else got a different method they like for this, or do you just stick with a laser?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbara_baker571mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain on those callbacks. Been there, staring at a wall that looked fine until the sun hit it just wrong. That water level trick is a lifesaver for sure, cheap and it just works. I still use my laser for interior work, but for outside over long distances, you can't beat the old school methods.

margaret_kim131mo ago

My buddy Jake in Toledo swears by his chalk line, @barbara_baker57.

grant_hart29d ago

Funny you mention that, @margaret_kim13 - my father-in-law used to swear by a broken piece of garden hose filled with water for leveling fence posts. Said lasers were for people who couldn't read a bubble.