A building level is a device designed to control the installation of devices, materials, structures in vertical and horizontal planes, as well as to check the clarity and correctness of the lines.

Modern construction technologies require the use of only high-quality materials and high-precision tools. Quite often, the overall result of repair or construction depends on strict adherence to the clarity of lines.

One of the main tools that allows you to keep all planes perfectly level is the building level. Vertical and horizontal lines are checked using different types construction levels: rack, hydraulic or laser.

Helpful information:

In order to determine which building level is best suited for your needs, first consider their design and features of use.

Bubble (rack) levels

The rack level is a rod with three cones at different ends. Each of them contains an air bubble placed in a tinted liquid. The cones also contain special marks, according to which the necessary measurements are made.

Bubble levels are so called because of the presence of cones filled with liquid (non-freezing in the cold) with an air bubble left behind. There are marks on the cones that help determine the position of the bubble relative to the earth's surface, and depending on the position of the cone, it indicates the horizontal or vertical of the object being measured.

The basis for the operation of this level is the movement of the bubble in the cone relative to the horizon level. The cone located in the middle is responsible for controlling horizontal lines. The other, located at one end of the staff, helps when measuring vertical lines. The third cone is installed at an angle and allows you to maintain the plane at a 45-degree angle.

When choosing a building level, you should also pay attention to its design, or rather the design of the slats. It can be of two types: rectangular section and I-beam (in the form of rails).

Rectangular levels are popular among amateur models that are used in everyday life. I-beams, on the other hand, have earned attention from professional builders due to their “survivability”. Such levels do not deform when dropped from a height or during prolonged intensive use.

The cross-sectional shape is not the only structural feature of the building level that you should pay attention to. Levels of different lengths are designed for different types of construction work. With their help, the evenness of lines and planes is monitored in a wide variety of conditions.

Rack levels exist with different numbers of eyes (cones), for example:

• Single-eyed (horizontal)
• Two-eyed (horizontal and vertical)
• Three-eye (the most common type of slatted level), in such levels two eyes are fixed motionless (horizontal and vertical) and one eye is adjustable (with a degree scale to determine the angle of inclined surfaces)
• Five-eye levels are special plumbing levels for laying water and sewer pipes at a certain angle.

There are bubble (rack) levels various sizes– from 20 cm to 2.5 meters.

To check the bubble level, place it on a flat surface, mark the position of the bubble relative to the marks, and then turn it the other way. If the bubble has not changed its position relative to the marks on the flask, then the level is accurate. Thus, it is necessary to check the readings of each cone.

Hydro levels (water levels)

The hydraulic level is another type of building level. It is a transparent tube, at the ends of which there are flasks with marks. Its functioning is ensured by the laws of physics and the principle of communicating vessels.

The liquid level in the flasks remains the same and constant, regardless of the height of one of them. In order to use the hydraulic level, you need to fill it with water. Try to avoid getting any bubbles into the tube, as... Each bubble will significantly reduce the accuracy of the construction tool.

To carry out correct measurements of the hydraulic level, you will need an assistant; you will not be able to do it yourself. Everyone takes a flask in their hand and opens the lids on them to prevent water from leaking out. One flask is pressed against the wall near the mark, and the other in the place where the mark needs to be applied. After this, the first flask is lowered or raised until the water level in the flask and the mark on the wall are in line.

The water level in the second flask will indicate a point that is located in the same horizon as the mark. It is imperative to wait until the water in the flasks and tube calms down, otherwise it will not be possible to carry out correct calculations.

After it has been possible to obtain two marks in the same horizon, they are connected to each other by pulling a string or drawing a line. Such levels are used at fairly large distances. The sizes of hydraulic levels range from 3 to 25 meters

Using a hydraulic level you can only mark horizontal lines, for vertical lines it is necessary to use a different type of building level.

By doing finishing works in rooms with small square footage it is not recommended to use a hydraulic level. Its minimum length is five meters, which makes it difficult to work with in small spaces.

When choosing a hydraulic level, you should pay attention to the shape of the flasks. Preference should be given to rectangular rather than cylindrical ones. It is easier to work with this level, because It is more convenient to press the flasks against the wall and make marks. The diameter of the tube also plays a role; the larger it is, the faster water in flasks is installed at the same level. The diameter of the tubes varies from 6mm to 8mm.

Laser level

The third type of building level is a laser level. This type of construction equipment is more modern and accurate compared to those described above. Equipped with various electronic technological solutions, it allows measurements in various planes with maximum accuracy.

Today the most convenient and accurate control measuring device, which allows you to accurately and efficiently construct lines in various planes. Laser levels can be mounted on tripods, magnets, sliding rods or special brackets. The most common models of laser levels are the so-called “self-leveling levels”, in which the beam-projecting part works on the principle of a pendulum, that is, it levels itself relative to the surface of the earth independently.

There are several types of construction laser levels:

1. Classic rack level with built-in laser pointer, with which you can project a laser beam onto a plane.
2. The so-called laser level, which can be independently installed in a level.
3. And the last, most technically advanced one is the plane builder. It has the ability to project several laser beams at once onto a wide variety of planes.

Technical perfection and versatility make the laser construction level the most preferable for purchase, but it also has the highest price.

Selecting the optimal level length. Here you need to determine for what work you plan to use it. If it's facing tiles, then you will have to purchase two levels: short (up to 60 cm), to control the level between adjacent tiles; long (200 cm), to control the level of the entire cladding plane.

During installation plasterboard structures, pouring screed, plastering walls, you need to purchase a long, at least 200 cm, building level. Thus, the larger the working area, the longer the level you need to buy.

The presence of all kinds of additional design features. Built-in magnets allow you to attach a building level to metal constructions, freeing your hands. The slots on the rail make it easier and more secure to hold the level in your hand. Rubberized linings protect against slipping and act as shock absorbers if the level drops.

The building level is a control and measuring device, therefore, when purchasing it, it is necessary to check for the absence of manufacturing defects and errors in the readings. To check the correct determination of the horizontal position, you can use a horizontal stand (available in large hardware stores).

If there is no stand in the store, you can put the level on any horizontal surface and, turning it 180 degrees, check the position of the bubble. If it has not changed, then the level is correct. The correctness of the readings of the vertical flask is checked by applying the level to a wall or other vertical surface. The constant position of the bubble indicates the serviceability of the flask.

Levels in which the flasks are securely fixed are more reliable and accurate. You should not buy models with screwed flasks; it is better to choose ones with tightly mounted ones. It is worth paying attention to this, because over time the screws become loose and they constantly need to be tightened and the accuracy of the level checked.

In addition to the above design features fastening the flasks, you should also pay attention to the quality of the fastening. If the flasks are not installed securely enough, then over time they will become loose and the level will become unusable.

When considering prices various types levels, you should not opt ​​for the cheapest options. Such building levels are short-lived, require constant adjustment, and may give incorrect readings. You shouldn’t skimp on instrumentation, because the result of construction and repair work will depend on them.

If you decide to buy a laser level, then saving here is even more inappropriate. Such things cannot be cheap, unless they are fake or defective. But here it is important to understand that if you need a level for one-time work (for example, installation interior doors), then it doesn’t make much sense to spend money

Always keep your receipt! It may happen that you only determine the defect or inaccuracy of the purchased level at home after some time. Most often this happens when you double-check planes at different levels. Professional builders use a whole range of measuring instruments. Each of them is adapted for a specific type of work and conditions, and therefore cannot be called interchangeable. They complement each other perfectly and “back up”. Therefore, in order to be able to replace or return a low-quality level, save the receipt.

We hope our advice will help you decide which building level to choose for your specific needs.

Tweet

Stammer

Like

• LEVEL, -yay, m.

  1. Conventional horizontal line or plane that is the boundary height of something. A few minutes later, Zvonarev stood up to his full height, and his head was right at the level of the funnel. Stepanov, Port Arthur. At the same level as the tower, a cloud slowly, lazily crawled. M. Alekseev, Soldiers. || Height of standing water. The sea rose, its level was 9 feet above the levels of the highest tides. Herzen, On earthquakes. This high bank rises fifty fathoms above the level of the Rokhli [river]. Garshin, Bears.

  2. what or Which. The stage reached in the development of something, the qualitative state, the degree of this development. Level of technology development. Pre-war production level. The level of well-being of the people. □ If you want to educate the people, raise the level of education in a civilized society. Pisarev, Realists. At consultations, he, Shelestova, is always amazed by his comrades low level knowledge. Chekhov, Intrigue.

  3. Device for checking the horizontal planes and measuring small corners tilt (in the form of a bar with an ampoule fixed in it, filled with alcohol or ether, with the exception of a small gas bubble); spirit level

  Sea level- the position of the free surface of the water of the seas and oceans, measured along a plumb line relative to the conventional origin.
  B level with what- in full accordance with smth. The young, vibrant part of society did not stop developing and constantly tried to keep up with modern requirements. Dobrolyubov, Literary trifles of last year.
  Be ( or be) at the level- meet, meet the requirements.

Source (printed version): Dictionary of the Russian language: In 4 volumes / RAS, Institute of Linguistics. research; Ed. A. P. Evgenieva. - 4th ed., erased. - M.: Rus. language; Polygraph resources, 1999;

The construction level is an indispensable working tool designed for checking the vertical and horizontal of various surfaces. It is used at all stages of construction, from preparing the foundation to plastering walls and laying flooring.

Types of building levels

There are 5 types of levels that are used in construction and installation work. They are:

1. Bubble.
2. Electronic.
3. Pipe.
4. Mermen.
5. Laser.

Each variety has its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice in favor of a separate tool largely depends on the operating conditions and the scale of construction or finishing.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Bubble Level

The bubble level is the most common. Often, in addition to the function of a level, it performs the task of a ruler. Typically, the device is a flat rail on which glass flasks with alcohol liquid. They contain small air bubbles. The central bulb serves to display the horizontal, and the two outermost rulers located across the section show the vertical and 45 degrees. This is the simplest and universal tool. It is used to check the vertical and horizontal, to draw marks, it is used as a ruler and even as a rule. To check horizontal and vertical lines using such a tool, you need to check that the air bubble in the corresponding flask is exactly in the center.

Bubble devices are inexpensive and very common. This level is made from metal profile. On sale you can find levels whose body is made of aluminum or steel. It is better to avoid aluminum devices, since when dropped, their surface bends or the stiffeners are deformed. A bubble tool will be indispensable when laying walls or plastering works. Similar levels are used as professional builders those who can afford to purchase a more expensive instrument, as well as amateurs. This device has an error of approximately 1 mm per meter of length, but this is not so significant.

The length of this level can be very varied. The cheapest are short instruments 30-40 cm long. They are in little demand because they allow you to determine level deviations only on a perfectly flat surface. In the same case, if you need to work with a non-ideal plane, on the surface of which there are slight differences along the entire perimeter, you need to use a long level. The most popular are bubble instruments 1 m long. Levels up to 4 m can be found on sale.

Often on work surface level, which is applied to the measured plane, there is a permanent magnet. This allows it to be fixed to steel elements such as beams and roofing sheets.

The bubble building level has a number of advantages:

• Low cost.
• Resistance to mechanical damage.
• Versatility.
• Easy to use.
• Possibility of flask calibration.

The disadvantages of the instrument include its massiveness. This level is difficult to use in small rooms, such as a bathroom or storage room. In this case, you have to choose short instruments that are less accurate.

When purchasing a bubble level, you need to check it. To do this, the instrument is applied to any horizontal surface and the indicator it shows is recorded. Next, you need to rotate the level 180 degrees and compare the new position of the bubble with what it was before. If everything remains the same, then the tool is working as it should, but if the bubble is in a different position, then the level needs to be calibrated, which is accompanied by a number of inconveniences, so it’s better to look for another one. The flask for vertical measurements is also checked in the same way.

Electronic building level

It is practically the same as a bubble one, with the exception that it is equipped with an electronic display on which indicators of the angle of deviation from the norm are displayed. Some instruments have internal memory that stores data.

Such a tool is more expensive, but in some cases it is more preferable. Thanks to its use, it is possible to measure the volume of material that needs to be used to level the horizontal or vertical surface. For this, well-known geometric formulas are used. This device has a sound indication that indicates that the ideal vertical or horizontal has been achieved.

It is worth noting that the electronic building level allows you to obtain measurement data with an error of only 0.1 degrees. The instrument's sensor is not perfect, so the instrument must be tested before purchasing. If the error in the angle of horizontal or vertical tilt in one position in two directions with a difference of 180 degrees is only 0.2 units, then this is a completely suitable tool that you can buy.

Features of the pipe level

The pipe level is also a bubble design, but in an unusual form. Instead of a rail, it is fixed in a small plastic corner 90 degrees. This tool is designed to check the tilt of pipes and beams. Thanks to its angular shape, such a tool is securely fixed to the surface and allows you to simultaneously control the horizontal and vertical.

The pipe level, although it has a short base, is used on almost ideal planes, such as pipes and beams, and therefore has good accuracy. It is often designed with a magnet so it can work on metal surfaces without support. When purchasing it, you also need to carry out a preliminary check to ensure that the readings of the bubble in the flask correspond to the direction of the instrument. Often the device is tied to the surface being measured using perforated tape which comes included. The undoubted advantages of such a tool include its compactness and maximum design adaptation for comfortable work with pipes and beams. The only drawback that a pipe level has is that it is not suitable for other work.

Features of hydraulic levels

A water spirit level is used to check the slope of long horizontal surfaces. The device has 2 vessels made in the form of flasks, which are connected to each other by a long flexible hose. Before using the tool, the flasks are fixed in one position at the same level and filled with water. The liquid fills them along with the hose that connects them. Water is poured in until the hose and the flasks themselves are filled to 2/3 of their volume. Next, the flasks need to be closed with special tight lids. The vessels are placed at the ends of the surface to be measured, after which the lids are opened. This device works on the physical principle of connected vessels. Atmospheric pressure equalizes the liquid column in the vessels to the same level. If the water column in the first and second flasks is at the same height, then the horizontal has been reached.

The hydraulic building level is the cheapest. The length of its hose is usually from 5 to 25 m. The cost of the tool depends on the quality of the flasks. When purchasing you should pay attention Special attention on the material from which they are made and the density of the lids. If they are unreliable, then when filling the instrument with water and stretching the hose to install the flasks along the edges of the surface being measured, liquid may leak out. The disadvantages of this equipment include its limited opportunities. When quickly filling the flasks with water, air bubbles may appear in the hose, which air the system and affect the accuracy of measurements. Often, when storing an instrument in direct sunlight, the transparency of the plastic is lost and it turns yellow.

Advantages and disadvantages of a laser level

A laser building level is also called a level. This professional equipment, which not only allows you to determine the vertical and horizontal, but also illuminates the surface with a laser beam, which allows you to draw on it or immediately navigate along the luminous strip. Such equipment can be fixed in the center of the room, after which its body is leveled using a bubble flask located on its surface. Next, the device turns on, after which laser beams outline horizontal and vertical lines on the walls. Depending on the power level, the length of the luminous lines can be several tens of meters.

The laser building level is the most advanced. He gives the maximum exact indicators and is characterized by its small dimensions, while allowing you to work in rooms with a large area and even in very cramped closets. With its help, you can detect the slightest deviations on the measured surface. Laser levels are used by professional builders because they significantly speed up the work process. The tool highlights perfectly vertical and horizontal lines, which allows finishing without preliminary drawing. With this level it is easier to lay wall or floor tiles, glue wallpaper, fix frames for plasterboard or suspended ceilings.

The obvious disadvantage of this equipment is its high cost. Those instruments that have more or less affordable price, have low efficiency. Of course, they are accurate, but the laser built into them does not allow illumination large room along the entire contour. IN daylight the luminous lines are almost invisible, and the process of setting the level itself before turning it on takes more time.

Greetings, dear visitors! I've been thinking about a topic for an article for the last couple of days, and then it came to me email from one reader in which he asked for information about building levels. And I thought - what a great idea. After all, where is repair without a level?

To date, the level selection is simply epic. From the simplest water ones to digital ones with a built-in laser. What level is needed and for what purposes, as well as by what criteria to choose them - we’ll find out right now.

Construction level: types

The simplest design is an ordinary water level, also known as a hydraulic level. It consists of two plastic, usually cylindrical flasks with a scale, connected to each other by a flexible long hose. The principle of its operation is simple and should be clear to any high school student. It is based on a well-known physical phenomenon - the water level in communicating vessels is always the same.

With the help of such a device, we can easily mark two points located in the same horizontal plane on maximum distance, equal to length hose. You just need to put marks opposite the boundaries of the water in the flasks.

Such a tool will be indispensable when building a country house, marking ceilings and floors during repairs and similar matters. The lengths of hoses at these levels range from 7 to 25 meters, which is quite a lot. The cost of such a tool, of course, is small, around 150 - 300 rubles.

It is more convenient to work with flasks that are not cylindrical in shape, but with rectangular cross-sections - they are easier to apply to the surface. The diameter of the tube - the larger, the faster the same level is established in both flasks. As a rule, hydraulic levels have a diameter of 6 - 8 mm.

The next class of tools is bubble levels or spirit levels. Most of them have a length of 40 - 250 cm. The horizontal and vertical in them is controlled by the position of the air bubble in alcohol, sealed in special transparent flasks. Short spirit levels are needed when laying tiles, installing windows and window sills...

Long - for installing beacons, checking the vertical/horizontal planes and lines, and various kinds of markings. Oddly enough at first glance, spirit levels can differ in many characteristics, which we will talk about in more detail in the next chapter.

Goniometers and inclinometers are devices that allow you to measure and set angles between planes, and the slopes of planes from the horizontal and vertical, respectively. Such devices may look different. Protractors come in the form of a quarter-circle bulb and in the form of two “rails” connected by a hinge, or whatever it is called.

Basically, inclinometers and inclinometers are digital instruments, that is, they have an LCD display that displays angle values. An inclinometer is also often called an electronic or digital level.

I think that goniometers are needed mainly not by builders, but by carpenters. Inclinometers will also be more useful to them. In finishing, the inclinometer will be in demand only, perhaps, for tiling works, and then, more for control. Their highest accuracy (usually 0.05 degrees) leaves the tiler no chance for even the smallest hack. And you will most likely go crazy already on the second or third tile))

A colleague of mine, a tiler, recently purchased a Bosch digital inclinometer and confirmed this. But damn, how cool he is, this Bosch.

There are also various avant-garde types of building levels on sale. For example, pipes. Moreover, they come in different designs. There are devices in the form of a “clip” that are put on a pipe, there are ordinary bubble devices with a recess for a pipe on the body, and there are generally masterpieces of the avant-garde - “sticks” with five eyes, each of which is set to a certain slope - to make it easier to drain, you know whether.

Laser levels. I already have an article about them, so I’ll keep it short. This is their most technologically advanced type (I mean self-leveling). High accuracy, ease of use, huge time savings when marking. Such devices are divided into two large classes: positional and rotary.

Positional ones do not have any moving mechanisms; as a rule, they produce a classic laser cross or several dots.

Rotary lasers produce one point, but due to the rotating base it quickly moves 360 degrees. Such devices are used, for example, by ceiling craftsmen.

Bubble Level Selection

Of course, the most common tools for home renovation are bubbly. So what criteria are the most important when choosing a spirit level?

First you need to decide what work you need it for. The length of the tool will depend on this. If for tiles, then you won’t be able to get by with just one level; you’ll need at least two: a short one (40 or 60 cm) and a long one (200 cm). The short one is used constantly to check the level between adjacent tiles. Long – to control the entire surface of the cladding.

If you intend to assemble structures from gypsum plasterboard, plaster, pour screed, you will definitely need a long spirit level, at least two meters.

Next the most important criterion- form.

Often there are levels that have the cross section of a rail. Is not the best choice– such a tool bends very much. Much more powerful than a box-type “stick”. And if they have a stiffening rib inside, then that’s great!

The next point is the device of the flasks.

Extremely important feature. In the store you can see levels, for example, with the following flasks:

In what case do you think the device readings will be more accurate? Of course, in the first one. The smaller the distance from the boundaries of the bubble to the divisions of the flask, the more accurately the deviation can be determined. Remember this. Also pay attention to the sensitivity of the bubble, it greatly depends on the radius of curvature of the flask. To the eye it seems that the flask has the shape of a cylinder, but this is not entirely true, it is slightly curved, otherwise the slightest deviation from the horizon would “carry away” the bubble to the very edge of the flask.

One more thing can be added here. The flask for determining verticality is often inaccessible to good review, because By applying a building level to the wall, we will not be able to look at the readings of the level parallel to it - our head gets in the way. This means that we will not be able to objectively judge the readings of the device. But there are levels in which a special system of mirrors is built in, and the image of the bulb is “displayed” at the rear end of the level, which is extremely convenient. For example, the Israeli Kapro levels of the Plumbsite series have such a system.

The accuracy of “sticks” for professional use is no worse than 0.5 mm per 1 meter of length; for housework, a simpler tool is also suitable, with an error of 1 mm per 1 meter.

Processing work areas. Ideally, they should be processed with a router. This can be understood by the rough surface(s).

The presence of built-in magnets is also a very important addition to any level. You hang it on the profile and calmly adjust it. Other extremely useful features of spirit levels are slots in the body for easy grip and rubberized linings, which often also serve as shock absorbers if the instrument falls.

Rotating and adjustable flasks are controversial advantages. Tools that have manual adjustment available instead of a dead mount are more likely to become misaligned. It’s better to take flasks that are sealed once and for all. The main thing is to carefully check the tool in the store.

The verification procedure is quite simple. First place the level on the table or counter, look at the readings, and remember. Then turn it 180 degrees (but so that it remains in the same place!) and look again. If the position of the bubble is the same, the instrument is not lying. You do the same procedure for the vertical, only you apply it to the wall.

In some spirit levels, the bulb for horizontal control is recessed into the middle. Personally, I find this solution inconvenient, and I do not advise you to purchase such ***. The flask should be on top, period.

Here's a good video about bubble levels:

Well, I told you everything I knew. Do not buy something that is outright cheap, carefully inspect the instrument before purchasing. This concludes the article, thank you for your attention! And don't forget to subscribe for updates.