Is it plumb or is it level

[Absent Minded Farmer]

A lot of the video makers are neither level or plumb!

Ahhh! You've saved me the time. Thank you!



Mike

 

[scootergmc]

Furthermore, is it your or is it you're? Or is it tomato's?

 

[Russ from MN]

Local dialect, you have to filter out what you watch, just because they can post a video doesn't mean they're too bright!

 

[Tony in SD]

I watch a lot of YouTube and constantly see people using a level vertically and refer to this as being level. When a level is being used vertically you are not leveling it is plumb. You're thoughts.

You are correct. If you haven't figured it out yet, any idiot can pretend to be an expert and post a DIY video on Youtube and way too many do. There are however some very talented people posting the correct ways to do thing, you just have to figure out which ones are wrong.

 

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

Youtube be danged! Level is horizontal, plumb is vertical. I'm from Missouri.....you gotta show me.

 

[GChief]

But you knew what they meant right

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

After reading all the replies I still don't give a as long as it's plumb level.

 

[Keith True]

When my dad quit doing his own masonry work building houses he hired a very good mason to do that work.That guy used a thumb bob,built chimbleys,and poured concreke.And,he drank beerz.A single bottle had a z on the end of it.He'd say to his boy,Robbie,get me a beerz.He talked just fine,he just had his own way of pronouncing some words.Anyway,nobody ever tried to correct him.If you worked with him you would find yourself taking on some of his mannerisms.

 

[Texasmark]

Maybe, but when I'm setting a post, I'm using my level to make sure it's plumb. I'd bet even in the building trades the words are interchangeable.
AaronSEIA

To me a "plumb check" would be with a weight and string. A level check would be with an instrument with a glass tube with some fluid and an air bubble in both planes, 90* apart. I have used a "plumb bob" when mowing on slopes. I hang it off the canopy in front of my eyes. If the weight stays within the confines of the tractor I feel that I'm ok. I use a "level" when I am building something or setting a post.

 

[Dusty MI]

I built a brick chimney on the eve (west) side of our two story home, the chimney has a slight curve in it.
Dusty

 

[MeanGene1]

Don't forget the "water level", a piece of clear plastic tubing with water in it, so you were able to transfer a grade around a corner

 

[paul]

You are correct.

But when you use a level, you tend to want to have things level. So it’s a common enough thing to happen. Use a level to find out if something is level……

It’s good enough if I get the point of what they are showing me, and I can learn from that.

Of course the day I don’t make a mistake I’m going to correct everyone! Um, hasn’t happened yet….. maybe tomorrow?

Paul

 

[john in la]

Plumb refers to a line or object that is perfectly straight up and-down running perpendicular to the Earth's horizon
Level means something is perfectly horizontal flat, side-to-side or parallel to the horizon

So tell me this.
How can something be perfectly perpendicular or parallel to a round object.

 

[Tramway Guy]

Kinda like when someone says that an engine won’t crank…

 

[leroy in ne]

Think about this: A survey instrument has a lug on the bottom center to attach a line with a plumb Bob that's used to center over a dedicated known point allowing a straight line to be transferred at the same time a level line is transferred. Is there plumb and level at the same time?

 

[Tony in SD]

Think about this: A survey instrument has a lug on the bottom center to attach a line with a plumb Bob that's used to center over a dedicated known point allowing a straight line to be transferred at the same time a level line is transferred. Is there plumb and level at the same time?

yes. My house was built that way. The floor is level and the walls on the level floor are all plumb at the same time.

 

[a49deere]

Plumb refers to a line or object that is perfectly straight up and-down running perpendicular to the Earth's horizon
Level means something is perfectly horizontal flat, side-to-side or parallel to the horizon

So tell me this.
How can something be perfectly perpendicular or parallel to a round object.

10th grade geometry

 

[jniolon]

why is this such a hard concept to understand ?

 

[Steven Allen]

Plumb refers to a line or object that is perfectly straight up and-down running perpendicular to the Earth's horizon
Level means something is perfectly horizontal flat, side-to-side or parallel to the horizon

So tell me this.
How can something be perfectly perpendicular or parallel to a round object.

Not parallel or perpendicular to the horizon arc but rather to a line tangent to the arc at that point.

 

[john in la]

Not parallel or perpendicular to the horizon arc but rather to a line tangent to the arc at that point.

I understand the 10th grade geometry.

But think about it.
Are the walls of a house really parallel to one another. The measurements is so small that no one would notice so let’s look at it on a bigger scale.
If I build a house in Georgia and the walls are plumb to the earth under it they point at a set point in the sky.
But if I build a house in California the walls would still be plumb to the earth but because of the curvature of the earth they would point at a different spot in the sky.
So the walls of the two houses are not parallel.