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Many construction and finishing processes can be accelerated and facilitated. You just need to know how to use the laser level, and purchase it, of course. These devices are also called plane builders or levels. The most common option is prism laser levels. Several special LEDs and optical devices – prisms – are built into the body of this device. The rays from the LED are refracted in prisms, allowing you to build vertical and horizontal planes. On surfaces, they are displayed as red lines, which are convenient for marking, checking deviations from the vertical and horizontal, and a host of other things.
Getting Started
Before using the laser level, it must be set vertically. There are two types of instruments – with and without automatic position correction. If your meter does not have auto-tuning, it has bubble levels and adjustable feet. Twist the legs so that the air bubbles are exactly in the center of the scale. After that, the level can be switched on.
If the laser level is self-adjusting, small deviations – about 4 ° – it compensates independently. When the position is set, a sound signal is sounded (in another version, it stops beeping) or the green LED lights up, indicating readiness for work (before that, the red one is on). If the normal position cannot be straightened by automatic correction, you will need to manually twist the legs so that the deflection angle is less.
How to work with the level
Laser levels can have different feature sets. In the basic version, it is possible to get the vertical and horizontal planes, as well as include them together and get the intersection. In some models, it is possible to get a point at the zenith and under the device (plumb, point – nadir), there is also a function of constructing two parallel vertical planes. Additional features are useful, but their presence increases the cost as the system becomes more complex. Some manufacturers add tripods or platforms to the basic package, which can be mounted on the wall with a screw or magnet.
The models also differ in the possible angle of the plane built in the horizontal surface (sweep angle). It can be from 110 ° to 360 °. The easiest way is to work with one that gives a full plane, but it belongs to professional models and costs a lot. A full plane can be obtained even with a small luminescence plane. For this, the device is turned around its axis.
When using the unit outdoors, a laser catcher can be helpful. It is usually bought separately. When buying, you need to check if this model is compatible with your laser. Special glasses can be helpful. Firstly, they will protect the eyes from accidental exposure to the laser, and secondly, they allow you to see the beam more clearly.
Use when working on the floor
It is convenient to use the laser level when leveling the floor. Expose it approximately in the middle of the room and turn on the construction of a horizontal plane. On the walls, a straight line beats off, along which it is convenient to make markings.
The laser beam is also displayed on any object that you put in its path. Using this property and a ruler (roulette) you can find the most protruding and most “recessed” part of the floor. Based on these data, you will determine at what minimum level you can make a floor screed. Further, according to the height found, make marks on the walls and proceed with the installation of beacons. They can also be exposed along the beam. Having set the laser beam to the desired height, set the back of the beacon so that it is evenly illuminated by it.
Using the same horizontal surface, you can check how evenly the concrete is laid in the screed. The beam will be visible on the bumps, and the depressions can be found using the rail.
You can also use the laser level when laying tiles on the floor. To do this, you need to get the intersection of the rays on the floor. Set the required mode, choose the direction in which you will lay the tiles and, along the line visible on the floor, level the seam.
What can do on the walls
Now let’s look at how to use the laser level on the walls, you can even more actively:
- Check how curved the wall is. Parallel to it, at a distance of several centimeters, beat off a horizontal plane with a laser. Using a ruler or tape measure, measure the distance from the beam to several points on the wall. This is how it is determined how much the wall is heaped up and in what place, you can find notches and bumps. This procedure is necessary when leveling the walls.
- Using the same technique, you can check the verticality of the corners.
- Mark a horizontal line for attaching something: furniture, plasterboard ceiling profiles, etc.
- Get a crosshair for wall tiles.
- Have a vertical line to properly paste the first sheet of wallpaper. horizontal, to evenly stick the border, etc.
- Check the verticality of the slopes on windows or doors.
- Mark the line for wiring.
It is often necessary to use a laser level during repairs, and later in everyday life, for small jobs, it is often needed: hang something evenly, then display household appliances (a washing machine, for example), etc.
Video tutorials on working with a laser level (level)
How to check the laser level for accuracy
To be able to rely unconditionally on the readings of the laser level, it must be checked. The technical characteristics of the model indicate the maximum permissible error for this device. It is indicated in mm / m (millimeters per meter). Naturally, the smaller it is, the better, and this is one of the key parameters that you should pay attention to. But even comparing different devices of the same model, you can see a significant difference in the readings.
For a normal repair result, the deviation should be minimal, and it can be determined by checking. In theory, this check should be done before buying, but few stores will give you this opportunity. Then you can check the laser level at home, and if it has not passed the test, return or change (do not lose the receipt). The verification procedure itself is in the video. There are a lot of manipulations, but they are not difficult.