Had to fix a wobbly garden wall in Tucson with no level on hand

Was doing a small repair job last week and my level was back at the shop. The homeowner needed it done that day, so I grabbed a clear plastic tube from my truck, filled it with water, and used it like a giant water level. Taped one end to a brick at the high point and just matched the water line on the other side. It actually worked perfectly to get the top course straight. Anyone else ever use a water tube in a pinch?

3 comments

3 Comments

fox.derek4d ago

That clear tube trick is a lifesaver. I've used it for setting fence posts across a slope where a laser level would have been useless. You can even mark a line on a foundation wall by having a helper hold one end while you walk the other side. It's just physics doing the work for you, right?

cora_scott773d ago

Yeah, physics doing the work is the best part. I used that tube trick to level a deck frame once, and my helper, who was about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, nearly spilled the whole thing. Good times, @fox.derek.

sage_ramirez422d ago

My neighbor Mark tried the tube method to level a long garden bed last spring. He filled a fifty foot hose with water and had his teenage son hold one end. The kid got distracted by his phone, dropped the end, and they lost all the water. Mark said the kid looked like he'd seen a ghost, and they had to start over from scratch. It's a great trick, but you really need someone who will pay attention for those five minutes.