How To Dad Jordan Watson reveals hidden detail on tape measures ‘builders wouldn’t even know’

New Zealand social media sensation, Jordan Watson, best known as How To Dad for his hilarious viral parenting videos, has made a discovery that will have not just parents but home renovation enthusiasts and builders impressed.

In a new video posted to TikTok, the father of three has shared that he’s discovered something about commonly used tape measures “most builders don’t know.

“The width of the tape measure is written on the tape measure, I’ve just seen online,” he said in his video which has garnered 3.6 million views.

“I thought it can’t be true but it’s on here,” he says revealing the measurement on two different tape measures.

Watson demonstrates that instead of having to bend a tape measure for some awkward measurements, such as a window sill “and boink, I hit the end of the wood so then you’ve got to put like the bend in [the tape measure] ... this whole time you could have just gone -” and he demonstrates taking a straight measurement then adding the noted width of the tape measure.

“There will be a lot of builders saying ‘Mate, I already knew that, I’ve known since I was a young buck’. But if the whole world knew this wouldn’t be a surprise,” he said.

“Builders, thank me later.”

Photo / TikTok

Fans on social media expressed their shock at the news and some said they’d stick to the old way of taking measurements.

“But I don’t know how to do the math … so I have to bend it,” one user confessed.

Another follower said: “It’s 1am, I know there’s a tape measure on the kitchen bench and I am tempted to go get it to see.”

A third commented: “Didn’t know that, will probably never use it myself, but one day I might tell someone else. Like I always knew.”

Photo / TikTok

Builders also weighed in on the discovery, revealing whether Watson’s finding was news to them or not.

“I use a tape measure nearly every single day. I did not know this,” one said while another commented: “I’ve been a builder for two months and I found this out when I was still in course so technically I’m the better builder.”

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.