The key to any accurate measuring is taking running dimensions. Measuring is a lot like painting. Sure, anyone can hold a brush, but painting well takes understanding, practice and skill (or haven't you ever cut anything too short?). The same holds true for measuring a room or a houseful of rooms. The first step in old-house restoration is to make a plan of action, and that calls for an accurate plan of the building. A set of measured drawings or plans helps in several ways: — 1. It provides documentation of existing conditions for anybody's future reference. You'll need that, and maybe someday the present or future owners (or even historians) will, too. — 2. It is essential for
