Many window treatments manufacturers won’t come to your house to measure your windows, so you’ll have to do this by yourself. You should take care to do it in a proper way, otherwise, even the most beautiful blinds can look dull and not suitable for your windows. The correct way of taking measurements depends on the type of blinds you want to install.

Horizontal Blinds Inside Mount

IOf you want to shades to cover only the glass surface of the window, you’ll have to mount them inside the window casing. You have to measure the distance between the edges in three points: at the margins and in the middle. Then write down your figures and choose the smallest of them. That’s because you don’t want the width of the blind to exceed the casing space, as it won’t fit inside. Then you have to measure the length. You’ll proceed the same way, but this time you’ll keep the longest measurement, because you want to shade to completely cover the window at the bottom. Some window treatments manufacturers recommend that you measure also the two diagonals of the window and if they aren’t equal, forget about the inside mount and choose the outside mount.

Horizontal Blinds Outside Mount

In this case, you want your blinds to completely cover the window, thus exceeding the glass area. You have to measure exactly the area you want to be covered by your window blinds. Make sure that the size of your future blinds exceeds the windows with about 1 1/2″ on both sides, otherwise you may not get the desired light control or privacy. These measurements are easier to take than the ones in the inside mount case, but you should still pay attention to have them taken correctly.

Measuring Windows for Vertical Blinds

Usually, vertical blinds are mounted outside the windows, just like curtains and drapes, by using a ceiling track. In this case, you’ll have to measure the width of the blinds, taking care to overlap well the windows, and the length to the window sill or to the floor, if you want your vertical blinds to touch the floors. Allow about 1 inch at the bottom, for seamless movement of the blinds.

When you order the blinds, make sure to tell the manufacturer how you measured. The best way would be to make a drawing and put the measurements on it, for avoiding misunderstandings.

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