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PlanReader®

The PlanReader® design was created by a General Contractor with 20 years experience in the building

of custom homes as well as whole house renovations. 

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There were many instances where dimensions were missing or not clarified on construction blue prints.  Contractors and customers needed to know various distances from Point A to Point B. 

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For instance, an electrician might need to know the distance from a window to a sconce or the space between recessed lights. A plumber would like to obtain the distance from the center of a toilet waste

to a wall to meet building codes. The same applies to HVAC and framing contractors.

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Building Plan Dimensions are determined utilizing the following methods:

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  • Place a 12" Architect Ruler on the plan

       and read the scale telling you the

       dimension. The problem is  these 

       rulers are awkward, not convenient

       and always have a minimum of

       6 different scales embedded on it's

       3 sides. Customers always had a hard

       time reading the proper dimensions

       and would get very  frustrated.

  • The other method is to take your tape measure and place it on the area were you need the dimension and count how many 1/4" or 1/8" markings represent the distance (most residential plans are drawn with an 1/8" or 1/4" marking equal to a foot). This method does give you the dimension needed, but,

       the margin of error increases because counting the incremental markings can get confusing and                       tedious. 

  • On todays job sites there are a lot of immigrants who are used to meters not foot dimensions. The conversion can be confusing and leaves room for error.

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The PlanReader® scales were designed to alleviate the confusion in reading blue prints.  The method has been extremely simplified and can be embedded on the front or rear of a tape measure blade.

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In order to simplify the scaling, we have taken an Architect Ruler and and separated the dimensional numbers, thus, giving the contractor/homeowner a fresh and easy way to interpret blue print dimensions.  

You could call the PlanReader an "Architect Scale for Dummies".

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PlanReader® displayed on front of blade:
IMG_1299 (1).jpg

Retail Enhancement:

Tape measures incorporating the PlanReader® scales are increasing the value of your product by giving the buyer "2 products in 1"! 

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The customer gets a standard tape measure as well as the built in Architect Scale.

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The latest version of the PlanReader design will also include the standard dimensional scale on the front or back of the blade as well as the architect scale up to the 36" marking. This will give the user ample opportunity to read blue prints by simply placing the blade on the plan and reading the dimensions.

1) DIY:

  • General measuring, home improvement projects.

2) PRO: All trades - Job site construction projects:

  • Plumbers

  • Electricians

  • HVAC Installers

  • Masons

  • Framers

  • All other trades engaged in the reading/use of Construction Blue Prints

  • Designers, Interior Decorators

  • Building Code Officials

  • Estimators

The PlanReader® scale is perfect for any of these trades below:

PlanReader® 

Licensing Opportunities:

  • The PlanReader® scale is not manufactured

       as a separate product. Our goal is to license the

       design to various OEM manufacturers'.

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            and is sold as 5 different SKU's:

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  1. 16' - MODEL #:  1819-0016

  2. 25' - MODEL #:  1819-0025

  3. 33' - MODEL #:  1819-0033

  4. 25' Metric - MODEL #:  40-1925

  5. 33' Metric - MODEL #:  40-1933

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 PlanReader®  partnerships have also been with:                      KLEIN TOOLS (via Komelon)                            

LOWE'S - KOBALT (via Komelon)

Since it's inception, the PlanReader® design has

won many accolades in the tool industry:

Added Value:

The addition of the PlanReader® scale design to an existing SKU as well as any new SKU will enhance the consumer desirability for purchase for the following reasons:​

  • Adds “value” to the “SKU”.

  • 2 Blades in 1.

  • Innovative design.

  • Provides a retailer with a competitive advantage.

  • Complete enhancement to current product options; no takeaways.

  • Broadens target market for tape measures. All tapes can be used as a regular tape measure for measuring as well as device for any trade or DIY homeowner engaged in the reading of construction blue prints.

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Professional Comments:

 “Oftentimes, when out in the field, it can be difficult to measure plans to verify dimensions. With the

new 25′ PlanReader Architect Series Power Tape, you have both 1/8″ and 1/4″ architectural scales built

right into the bottom of the tape. With larger, easy to see numbers on the top side of the tape, you can do your regular measuring and layout work. When you need to go back to the drawing board to check some dimensions or verify the size of something on the plans, just flip the tape over and you have the two

most common architectural scales at your fingertips.”

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“Having worked at an electrical and mechanical engineering consulting firm for over 10 years presented

many opportunities to use a tape measure like this – of course it didn’t exist when I needed it! Often we would be called onto the job site to either do field work, draw as-built plans or resolve conflicts that had

to do with the coordination of the building trades. Most all the plans that our company produced were

done in either 1/8″ or 1/4″ equals 1 foot architectural scales (which, we agree, are probably the two most common scales used today). So when we would show up on job sites, we would have a roll of plans under

one arm, a tape measure and our architectural scales in the other hand. The idea of being able to

combine a regular tape measure and the architectural scales makes so much sense!”

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“The 25′ PlanReader Architect Series Power Tape is one of those tools that just makes so much sense.

Anyone that has been in any facet of the building business has undoubtedly run into situations where

they had to go back to the plans to check a dimension or verify something. Also, if you are on the design

side of things, it can be handy just as well to be able to measure something out in the field and then

sketch it to scale using the tape. “

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The PlanReader® Architect Series Power Tape makes bringing a blueprint or scaled drawing to life easier

and more accurate.

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For those who frequently work off of scaled plans or blueprints the PlanReader® Architect Series Power

Tape can make your work go faster and more accurate all at once. While the feature making this possible

is sort of hidden you won’t forget where it is once it demonstrates its usefulness.

 

The PlanReader® tape has a conventional-looking case (left) complete with a rubber over mold and easy

to read markings on the wide tape. Turn the tape over (right) and the 1/8 and 1/4 scale markings can

make life with a scaled drawing or blueprint much easier!

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“You have to turn the PlanReader® Architect Series Power Tape over to see the special feature. An

equally clear set of scales in resolutions of 1/8” = 1ft and ¼” = 1ft are printed on the bottom surface of the tape making it simple to measure right off of scaled drawings or blueprints and translate those numbers

to the correct dimensions on your work pieces. That means you can skip the mental calculations and still

get it right the first time. That makes your work go faster with less scrap. Both of those are especially important to contractors but also to the DIY community that likes to do quality work and save a buck whenever possible. Of course the PlanReader® Architect Series Power Tape also functions just fine as a regular tape measure when plans or blueprints are not part of the days projects.”

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For more information about the PlanReader® please contact BUILDERSCALE: builderscale@hotmail.com or call: 201-564-1741

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