|
How
to Measure for Replacement
Blinds and Shades
IMPORTANT: It is
very important to measure all windows that you
are planning to purchase blinds or shades for.
Your windows may all look to be the
exact same size, but in fact may actually be
different sizes.
This is especially true in older homes
and in homes with “custom designed
windows.”
Choosing
Inside or Outside Mounting of your Blinds or
Shades:
The first step you must do before you start measuring for
your blinds or shades is decide if you are
going to mount your blinds or shades on the
inside or outside of the window frames.
When you mount your blinds on the
inside, it provides a flush, crisp look, which
shows off your window molding.
Mounting your blinds on the outside of the window frame is
perfect if your window fames are narrow, or if
the window frames are unattractive.
In addition, mounting your blinds or
shades on the outside will make smaller windows
appear wider and longer.
Once you decide how you are going to mount your blinds or
shades your next step is to correctly measure
all of your windows.
IMPORTANT: NEVER use a cloth measuring tape to measure your
windows as it will not give an accurate
measurement. Always us a metal tape measure and
measure to the nearest eighth of an inch
(1/8”).
Inside
Mount:
When inside mounting of blinds or shades, the window frame
should be deep enough to support the mounting
brackets.
Below are the suggested depths:
PRODUCT
NEEDED
DEPTH
Mini
Blinds
1" to 2 ½"
Wood
Blinds
1" to 2 ½"
Most
Shades
1" to 2 ½"
Vertical Blinds
2 ¾" to 3 ½"
When measuring your windows, make sure to measure the width
of each window across the top, middle, and
bottom.
You also want to make sure that you
record each measurement.
However, when purchasing your blinds or
shades, use the smallest width measurement to
determine the allowances for the brackets.
To measure for the height of your
window, measure each side of the window
vertically as well as in the center.
Again, make sure to record each
measurement. For blinds and shades that are mounted on the inside of the
frame, use only the shortest measurement to
determine the vertical length of your blinds.
For blinds and shades that are mounted
on the outside of the window frame, you want to
use the longest measurement.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that you accurately record the correct
measurements per each window.
Outside
Mount:
When mounting your blinds on the outside of the window frame,
measure the exact width and length of the area
to be covered by the blinds or shades.
Make sure that you re-check your
measurements and verify them against the size
of your windows to guarantee that you’ve
added enough for the blind or shade to
sufficient overlap the window.
For horizontal blinds and shades such as pleated, cellular,
mini, micro, macro, and wood blinds you want at
least the following:
3" (1 ½" per side),
2"top, 1 ½"bottom.
For roll up window shades, you should
have 6" (3" per side), 3" top,
and 1 ½" bottom.
For vertical blinds you should have
6" (3-4" per side), 2" top, and
2"bottom.
By carefully measuring your windows, you can
assure yourself of purchasing window treatments
that will fit your windows.
|
