How To Use A Laser Level For Slope

When working on any project, you try your best to make the result look and feel perfect, right? Engineers and construction workers rely on a couple of tools to get that. Laser levelers are one of them.

Now, when you are working to smooth out an uneven surface, such as a wall, it can get pretty tough to spot the areas that make the surface uneven. Even after you get the right laser leveler, you might not find out the spots affecting the smoothness if you do not know how to use a laser level for slope.

Well, many might tell you that working with a laser level device for slope is pretty hard. But what if we told you otherwise? Would you believe us? If you can not, stick until the end and watch how we make the entire process a piece of cake for you.

How to Use a Laser Level to Create an Exact Grade or Slope

Do not worry; we will not make you learn the process by going through a laser-level instruction manual. Instead, we will provide step-by-step guidance. And the steps go something like this:

Step 1: Ensure Your Device Has the Right battery

First and foremost, you need to check whether the device has the correct battery inside it or not. If the battery is low, you might want to switch the cells. It is the only point where we would ask you to check the device’s manual to determine the correct battery.

Step 2: Set the Laser Level

Select a spot on the dry ground that is not that slanted. Get yourself a tripod to set the device on the ground. Now, while getting a tripod, ensure that it is stable itself. If the tripod is not stable, you will not get the correct results.

Layout the legs of the tripod and ensure that they have an equal distance between them. The distance between them is crucial because the tripod will not be stable on the ground if the space between the tripod legs is too much. Press the pins of each leg and ensure that they are grabbing onto the ground properly.

Next, put the device on the tripod’s top and mount it. Depending on the tripod you have, you might need to screw the laser or just turn a knob.

Step 3: Level the Laser

After mounting the device on the tripod, you need to work on leveling the device. If it has a self-leveling mechanism, the device should level itself right after turning it on. However, if the device does not have this feature, take the help of the bubble and ensure that the level is correct.

Step 4: Set the Laser Up

Once the device is at the right level, you need to enter the grade percentage. It will depend on your project. After that, set the slope of the laser side by side. Use the level rod or grade to set the grade height. Some rods might have a ruler, which will come in handy to measure the height.

If your one does not come with a ruler, you can use a measuring tape. But do make sure that the measurement is accurate. Otherwise, you will not get precise results.

Now, keep the grade height in mind and adjust the leveling rod. It is another crucial part of this step. This adjustment will ensure that you can get accurate and consistent measurements from the laser. So, be a little careful while you are adjusting.

Step 5: Work on the Detector

At this point, you would need to work with the detector. Figure out the right place for it. The detector should be capable of finding the beam. Keep that in mind when figuring out the right place to set the detector. If you find it challenging to find the right place, get someone to help.

Give your mate the detector, and you ensure that the beam connects to the detector while your mate is trying to figure out the correct placement for it.

Step 6: Finishing Touches

This step is the last step for the entire process. You would need to place the grade at various points at this step. By doing so, you can quickly figure out if the ground is below or above the desired level. Move the rod up and down if you want to get a highly accurate reading.

Now, the bottom part of the rod will measure the slope. So, you must mark the desired spot. You can use a marker or any other marking device to mark the areas affecting the overall smoothness of the surface.

If you want to finish this detection process faster, we recommend keeping the desired grade measurement. That will help you to complete the entire marking process in a short amount of time.

What RPM Should the Laser Have for Slope?

The RPM of the laser states two things. First, how bright and strong the laser is going to be, and second, how far the laser is going to travel. The ones with high RPM are very bright and visible. This trait makes them a perfect pick for outdoor projects.

However, you need to also consider that the high RPM lasers will not travel that far. So, if your project requires you to set the laser a little far from the targeted spot, these would not be a great pick.

On the other hand, low RPM models will provide a faint beam. But the beam will indeed travel a greater distance. Also, for outdoor projects, we would recommend utilizing the line and rotary lasers that come with pulse or detector features. Those will be easy to work with.

Final Words

As you can see, learning how to use a laser level for slope is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is go through a couple of steps, and you will be golden! However, we do recommend double-checking whether the laser level you are working with is suitable for the project or not.