How to Measure for Blinds and Shades

What you will need....

-Steel or Solid Measuring Tape (No cloth measure Tapes as they can stretch and be inaccurate.)
-Paper or Notebook
-Pen/Pencil
-Step stool or Ladder

Inside Mounts

An inside mount is when you plan to mount the blind or shade within he casing of the window. This also means that you must have enough depth to accommodate the product that you plan to install. You will need to choose a product before you will know exactly how much depth that you need but usually you will need at least 3/4". If you have enough depth you can mount your product flush but it is not always necessary to do this. It is always necessary to take the depth measurement before you go into any Window Covering Store to order.

TO MEASURE:
To measure for inside mount you will measure inside the the window frame in 3 different places. Top middle and bottom. Take all 3 measurements and write them down. The smallest measurement will be the one that you will place the order off of. Do not take any deductions to allow for clearances as the factories will take these deductions off in the factory for you. Don't forget to measure your depth amount and make sure it meets the requirements for your selected product. Make sure you measure each window independently even if they look the same size.

Outside Mounts

Outside mounts are for when you don't have enough depth within the window frame or you want to hang your blind or shade above the window. For outside mounts there is a slightly different way to measure...

TO MEASURE:
To measure for outside mount you must make sure that you choose the correct place to mount the blind. If you mount it above the trim you must record the depth of the trim in case you need extension brackets. If You mount it on the molding you must make sure it is able to provide the proper support as well as it is wide enough to support the product. With an outside mount you will want to measure the exact width that YOU want the blind. Make sure that you allow for some overhang on the sides so that light will not creep through when you want to close the blind or shade. You also want to make sure that you order the blind long enough and not too short. Measure from the hanging point to the bottom of the window sill. Record the measurement and add normally about 2-3 inches to the bottom to allow for errors. You defiantly don't want to have a blind that is too short.