Is it possible to build a house with curved walls, ceilings and floors? Of course you can, somewhere in Africa, the natives do it. After all, wild tribes do not use the usual building tools and especially modern horizontal and vertical control devices. Yes, they do not need it. But an ordinary European person will not be able to live in a building with overhanging walls, skewed slopes and crevices in the doors - this is ugly, uncomfortable and impractical. In addition, such a home threatens to fall on the head of its unlucky owner and forever hide from the descendants “amazing house-building skills”.
To prevent this from happening, you still need to adhere to the basic canons of construction and use such a useful tool as a level or plumb line. Moreover, they are not at all difficult to use and require only care and patience. Even if construction is not supposed, the level is irreplaceable in the household: to hang a picture, put a gas stove in the kitchen or a washing machine - all this he can do without any problems, saving time.
The modern construction industry produces levels of various configurations, technical equipment and purposes. The range is so wide that it is easy for a novice builder to get confused when choosing a tool for himself. In fact, there is nothing complicated here. There are three main types of building levels: water, bubble, and laser. All the diversity that we see on store shelves is represented by modifications of these basic models. The so-called magnetic levels are just an improved view of the ordinary bubble.
What is a level: principle of action
The construction level is a device with which you can control the position of the building elements relative to the vertical and horizontal lines and between each other. Also, using it, it is convenient to set a certain angle of inclination, if the design requires it.
The principle of operation of this tool is based on the physical phenomenon of gravity and the property of a liquid to occupy an exact horizontal position in a calm state in space. This can be clearly observed by filling a glass jar with water. No matter how we place the container in space, the water will tend to align horizontally.
Now we take two transparent vessels, connect them with a flexible hose (according to the principle of communicating) and fill them with liquid - this is the hydraulic level. Fill the test tube for chemical experiments with water, leaving a small air bubble, plug it with a stopper and set it horizontally - you get a bubble level.
Appointment of the main types of levels
As described above, the main types are water, bubble, laser level indicators and plumb. All of them are used for specific types of construction work.
Plumb line. With it, it is convenient to control the vertical, for example, when forcing a wall. A rope and a special load are all the details of this device. The load is suspended on a rope, it is fixed at the upper point of the finished wall and the rows of masonry are corrected if the line is obstructed relative to the reference vertical. To work with a plumb, you need a trained eye of the builder.
The laser type of level appeared relatively recently and gained wide popularity. It looks like a tripod with a floating head attached to it. The latter always occupies a horizontal position in space. The head is equipped with a laser emitting a color beam. It is a reference horizontal or vertical line, relative to which work is performed. The laser magnetic level is a slightly different design. Its base contains a magnet, which is simply applied to vertically mounted metal racks or a wall.
Water level. Serves to draw a zero mark, relative to which one or another type of work will be performed, for example, screed, hemming the ceiling, fixing the first row of tiles, etc. To work with such a device, two people are needed - one keeps the original flask at the mark, the second exposes all other points. The level must be correctly filled with water, preventing the formation of air bubbles inside the tube.
Bubble type level gauge. The so-called masonry level, which is used by masons, erecting walls. It also has widespread use in the device of any frames, in plastering, and many more where. It is a hollow profile tube made of light metal, into which mini-flasks with liquid and an air bubble are inserted. This bubble is a level indicator. Usually there are three such flasks: for horizontal direction, vertical and at an angle of 45º.
Magnetic levels: where do they apply
The view of the building level from a series of bubble ones, where magnets are included in the design, is called the "magnetic level indicator". This tool was specifically designed for the installation of metal-frame building elements. It is convenient to use when welding square pipes and fixing various metal profiles. Also, all construction operations where the usual bubble level is used can be performed using this device.
Magnetic levels have the following characteristics:
- Do not require fixing with your hands to a controlled surface of metal.
- High precision and versatile.
- They can be performed as an electronic magnetic level or with a built-in laser emitter.
How to check the magnetic level for accuracy?
Buying a building magnetic level from a seller does not interfere with making sure its accuracy. To do this, right in the store you need to choose a flat horizontal surface and put a tool on it. The middle of the position that the bubble has taken should be noted with a thin marker. Next, put the level in the same place in the same way, only turn it 180 °. The bubble on the working instrument should occupy the same position.
In the same way, check the correctness of the vertical level indicator. You should not take a defective tool in the hope that you can correct it a little. Indicators are displayed on special factory stands. At home, this is impossible to repeat.
How to use the magnetic level?
When welding, use the magnetic level as follows:
- A metal part is applied to the installation site and tacked by welding so that it can easily be bent to the sides.
- They attach a magnetic level to the part and bend it until it reaches the desired position.
- Carefully fixed by welding.
Conclusion
Due to the fact that in modern construction technologies they began to use frame metal structures of buildings, magnetic levels were developed very well. The supply of their electronic indicators with backlight greatly facilitated the use of this tool, significantly reducing the load on the visual organs of a person.