DIY Tool Tip: Origins and Uses of the Level

February 18, 2015

DIY Tool Tip: History and Uses of the Level.

History

The level, also known as the “spirit level” or “bubble level”, has been used by carpenters, stonemasons, metal workers, millwrights and surveyors for centuries. As its name implies, it is used to indicate whether a surface is “level” (horizontal) or “plumb” (vertical). The level is believed to have been invented by an amateur French scientist named Melchisenech Thevenot around 1661, though it had also been mentioned in the writings of an earlier French scientist, Guillaume Rondelet, as far back as 1558. The first successful American-made levels came into popular use around 1939.¹

Types of Levels Used in the Building Trades

Some of the more common levels used in the building trades include the torpedo level, carpenter’s level (box level), and mason’s level. To learn how to use one, read it, and to check to ensure that the reading is accurate, check out the following See Jane Drill video: “How to Read a Box Level and Check it for Accuracy”.

While digital levels are becoming more and more popular in certain fields where precision is required, such as civil engineering, the standard box or torpedo level is still widely used in the building trades and by DIY-ers in home projects. As long as the level has been checked for accuracy, it should provide a very reliable reading for a variety of surfaces. Whether you are framing up a partition wall or hanging a picture on the wall, you can rely upon your trusty level!

¹ Wikipedia, “Spirit Level”