An Introduction to Laser Levels
Laser levels have completely revolutionized the building trades, becoming the tool of choice for aligning points, checking level and plumb, and for squaring operations. Over the past decade, technology has advanced and prices have dropped. What used to take two or three people operating multiple tools can now be done faster, more easily, and with greater precision and consistency with a single person operating a single tool.
Do you really need a laser level?
If you're working on a large outdoor jobsite, then it's really just a matter of choosing the right laser level for your needs. In the past, contractors used water levels or transits for long-range outdoor jobs. These traditional leveling options both require two people on the job. A transit is also plagued by the fact that human error, or the slightest change in position, can throw out its accuracy.
Interior layout work involving distances of more than 6' (180cm) will also benefit from a laser level, which eliminates the need to repeatedly shift tools and extend measurements from point to point. Hanging drop ceilings and framing rooms are classic applications. Laser levels are also excellent tools for lining up electrical outlets around a room, transferring ceiling layouts, and building decks.
The decision of which laser level to invest in will depend on whether you're a professional contractor with constant repeat work, or if you're doing a one-off job where accuracy and time constraints are less of an issue. For home improvement jobs, investing in a simple multi-purpose laser product can be a money saver and make your work more professional.
In many situations, a laser level is still no substitute for a traditional level, which is a better choice for confined spaces and "up close" level and plumb readings.
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Outdoor construction |
Framing rooms |
Marking drywall |
Hanging shelves |
What types of laser levels are on the market?
There are four basic types of laser level:
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Rotary laser levels, which shoot a rotating dot to create a 360º line, come with a detector, for reading hard to see laser lines outdoors over a long distance. Kapro's rotary lasers also feature single line generators and plumb up, plumb down points.
899 Prolaser® Electronic Rota-Line
Line laser levels – or point to point levels – which shoot multiple horizontal and vertical laser lines over a distance of 65 to 100' (20-30m). These lasers are designed for indoor use, and often incorporate Plumb up and Plumb down capabilities.
890 Prolaser® All-Lines
Single line lasers shoot only single lines, and typically have a more limited range (10' - 20' or 3m - 6m).
893 T-Laser
Point generators are spirit levels which shoot a laser dot, and sometimes incorporate a line generator that can be flipped down in front of the beam.
831 Prolaser® Palm
Which features are important to look out for?
Self-leveling vs. manual leveling – what's the best choice?
Manual laser products are leveled in the same way as any other level – by sight, using a vial.
Choose manual leveling for setting slopes (laying pipe, etc.), and when the expense of a self-leveling laser is a major consideration (eg. for DIY jobs). Manual laser levels use less battery power and are probably less sensitive to getting knocked about.
A self-leveling laser will set itself on slopes up to ±3º-5º and let you know if it's out of calibration with a visual and/or audible sign. In most self-leveling lasers, the laser component hangs like a pendulum, and a beam is projected through a lens or prism. Gravity does the rest. Kapro's Prolaser® range includes a simple locking mechanism that keeps the pendulum in place for protection when it's not in use.
Electronic self-leveling mechanisms are even more reliable and accurate, like the one on Kapro's 899 Electronic Rota-Line. On large outdoor construction sites, with lots of action that could disturb your unit, self-leveling is optimal. For indoor jobs, where the laser level is likely to be transferred from place to place quite regularly during a job, a self-leveling laser will save much valuable time.
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Accuracy – how accurate is the level? How accurate does it need to be?
The stated accuracy of a laser level is dependent on the instrument itself being leveled. It is also a function of the distance between the laser level and the surface onto which the laser beam is projected. The further the level is from this surface, the wider the beam or dot, and the less precise. Therefore, all accuracies for laser products are stated together with their effective range.
The more accurate the level, the better, of course – but precision usually comes with a price tag. DIY jobs on your own home probably don't need to meet the same high standards of accuracy that a professional contractor will demand.
For contractors working on indoor jobs, or close-range outdoor jobs like deck-building, an accuracy of up to 0.3mm/m is more than you'll need. Over long distances, though, you'd be better off with a higher accuracy of at least 0.2mm/m. Kapro's professional indoor laser levels are accurate to between 0.3 to 0.2mm/m. Our rotary lasers are precise to 0.2 - 0.1mm/m, depending on the model.
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What is the ideal level range?
For indoor leveling jobs, choose a level with a range of at least 50' (15m), so you can easily frame an entire room without needing to reposition. For indoor commercial properties, a larger range – at least 65' (20m) – is ideal. For short range DIY jobs like hanging cabinets or shelves, 20' (6m) should be plenty. Outdoors you'll want a big range – around 250' (75m) from the unit in each direction.
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What is the ideal wavelength and rotating speed? Is a red beam better than green?
A laser with a wavelength of 635nm will be the most visible, so choose this for indoor work.
Also important are variable rotating speeds if you're going to use a rotary laser indoors, so you can choose a speed that is most visible.
Outdoors, you'll invariably be using a detector, so the higher the optimum speed, the better – it increases the range of the detector.
Red laser diodes are also recommended: they will maintain their accuracy over a wide range of temperatures, and are more reliable than green diodes.
All Kapro's laser levels come with red diodes, a 635nm wavelength, and our professional rotary lasers have up to 6 speed settings. Our laser kits also come with Beamfinder™ glasses included, which are designed to make the laser line even more visible. They can also be purchased separately.
Durability – is the laser casing tough, and rain/dust resistant?
Levels fall, have things dropped on them, get splashed with dust, mud and building materials. Tough "work-site armor" is a must for any construction tool, especially if it's got sensitive internal parts, like a laser diode or self-leveling mechanism. All Kapro's laser levels are rain and dust resistant, with tough durable casing.
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Does the rotary laser have a detector (receiver) and remote control?
A rotary laser without a detector is essentially useless for outdoor work with bright light conditions; always choose a unit that comes with a detector included. Ideally, you will need a range of 500' (150m) with the detector.
Since the laser range is typically expressed in terms of the diameter of the projected laser beam, the detector will need a range of half that number.
While a remote control is not a must, it does save you from disturbing the laser unit once it's set up, and save you from needing to walk back to the level to readjust or change functions. Remote controls will typically work at up to 20m range.
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Does the level have plumb up and plumb down functions?
You will need these functions if you're framing rooms or need to transfer measurements from floor to ceiling. A rotary or line laser incorporating plumb up and plumb down functions is usually a good idea.
What safety issues are involved in using a laser level? Will I go blind?
All Kapro Prolaser levels are Class II lasers, which is a small, low-intensity diode with a rated output of less than 1mW. This is the industry standard in the European Union, and although more powerful diodes are permitted in some markets, Kapro does not manufacture them.
It is recommended that you never look directly into the source of the laser beam, and that you work with safety glasses. See our manual for complete safety instructions.
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