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How many people battle to measure a 90-degree angle for a building or large plot of ground, or even to cut a piece of board? For an easy way, just remember three numbers: 3-4-5. You can double or multiply them by whatever you want (6-8-10 or 30-40-50), using centimetres, metres or kilometres, or even a stick… it’s all the same.
Here’s what to do: place a peg where you want the corner, measure off 3 units on one side, measure 4 units on the other side, then use a piece of string to measure 5 units across the two ends. If it’s more or less, you do not have an accurate 90-degree angle (the larger the measurement, the more accurate your angle). We often find buildings out of square, probably because the builders used a small metal square – which could have been bashed or bent – to make their measurements.
ALLEN JOHNSON
GONUBIE
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