Measure Decking

Simplify Decking Measurements

Here's a comprehensive tutorial that will take you through how to accurately measure a proposed or existing decking area, complete with area, volume, and elevation changes for surface leveling.

Use these points as a guide to measure for new decking:

• Choose a memorable starting point, then tap on the + icon and select ‘Closed Shape’.

• Once the LED indicator changes from red to green, the first point is captured and you can move to the next point.

• If you need to change path type, you can do this while stationary at a pause point.

• Curves are common with decking and for established curve measurements, we recommend using the Arc path type rather than Trace Line. For an Arc, capture a minimum of three points – at the start, middle, and end. On your third measurement, the app will display the best-fit arc.

• Once the perimeter measurement is complete and you have returned to the original starting point, you can then capture the surface area of the shape.

• To collect grade changes, select the Points path type and zigzag across the area, gathering enough points to accurately capture the varying grades or elevations, which will assist in leveling the site using the cut-and-fill feature.

• Finish the measurement by returning to the perimeter starting point for increased accuracy – tap on the red icon to stop measuring.

• Change to 3D cube view to visualize the elevation, or tap the 3D surface icon to view the surface area and volume.

• Tap ‘Edit’ > ‘Cut / Fill’ > ‘Net’, and set the net fill as zero to see how to level the site ready for decking without bringing in or removing any material.

Use these points as a guide to measure for existing decking:

• Clear any easy-to-move obstacles before you begin measuring, and assess any immovable obstructions.

• Choose a memorable starting point, then tap the + icon and select ‘Closed Shape’.

• Select an appropriate path type and measure the perimeter of the decking area, pausing regularly – remember to use ‘Trace Line’ if you are measuring an irregular shape, as you can follow the exact curves of the decking edge.

• If there is an inaccessible corner, you can use the ‘Extrapolate Corner’ feature to measure into it – simply capture two measurement points, before and after the corner, then revisit this once you have finished your measurement.

• Continue measuring, changing path type as required, and return to your original starting point – tap the red stop icon to finish the measurement.

• If you need to extrapolate a corner, now is the time to do this – simply tap the line between the two relevant points and select ‘Edit’. Scroll to ‘Extrapolate Corner’ and tap to extrapolate the selected line into the corner to see the full perimeter and area.

When you have a complete measurement diagram for your new or existing decking area, you can export as a PDF, image file, DXF, DWG or CSV straight into CAD software, to continue planning your decking project.