This blog post will is a simple “how to” measure your windows for inside mounted blinds and shades.  Knowing how to do this will help you save a lot of money.  How?  Because if you can DIY, you can take advantage of much lower prices available through online vendors of made to measure blinds; They are, by far, the lowest cost option – cheaper than even the big box stores.

What you’ll need:

A paper and pen and a steel tape measure. If your window is up high, you will need a ladder. Pretty simple.

Tips:  Before you start measuring, remember to round to the nearest 1/8 inch.  Do NOT take any additional deductions from your measurements, the manufacturer will make the necessary deductions.

Here’s how:

Measure the width first, in three places:  the top, middle and bottom.  Write down all three measurements.  Select the SMALLEST measurement.

Measure the height next, in three places: the left, center and right. Write down all three measurements.  Select the LONGEST measurement.

Now that you have your width and height, there’s one last thing you should check. For inside-mounted window treatments, it is important that you are aware of your mounting depth.  As a final step, measure the depth from the outer edge of your window casing to the window itself.  Every blind or shade has different sized headrails, the operating mechanism at the top of the blind or shade.  For example, if your mounting depth is 2 inches and the headrail of your blind or shade is 2 1/2 inches, then it’s going to stick.  Just be aware.

Also, make sure there are no other obstacle in the window casing, like alarm sensors, locking mechanisms, etc.  These will interfere with the operation of your blind or shade.

When you are ready to select your window treatments, take a quick peek at the products “specifications.”  This will give you the minimum mounting depth information and tell you whether or not your blind or shade will fit “flush” or stick-out.

Tags: blinds, diy, how to measure, windows