Don’t Make This Easy Blind Measuring Mistake

How To Measure Up Windows For Blinds Lickety-Split

We understand that the pressure can be on when you come to order the blind. Remember that old adage: measure twice ‘cos we only cut once due to the no-refunds-if-you-measured-it-wrong policy granted to bespoke blind products under the Consumer Rights Act.

‘What if you get your widths and drops mixed up?’ your brain asks itself and momentarily you forget what a width even is (it’s the horizontal measurement). ‘Maybe I should call in a professional,’ you think.

Now, there is nothing wrong with going down the route of finding an installer and using their services, just don’t abuse their good will.

If you don’t feel confident with measuring your windows there are plenty of great professional installers around who can take care of the whole process for you – from measuring to choosing your blind to installing it for you, although you have to pay for this privilege.

A few people use this service to gain the measurements they couldn’t acquire themselves and then buy their blinds online. Don’t be like those guys, especially when our website makes it really easy to measure and order. This frees up the professional installers to work with genuine clients.

Those people who never intend to use the installer’s full service tell them that they’ll mull it over and will get back to them in a few days, and often the installer knows this isn’t the case. All we’re saying is, if you treat installers like this, don’t be surprised if you end up with the wrong measurements!

As insiders in this industry, take it from us, don’t waste their time. They’re genuine folk trying to do an honest day’s work and don’t want to be used as a talking-tape-measure.

So where does that leave you, Oh Confused One? You can’t call a professional for help and your retinas are burning in the sunlight streaming through your naked windows. You need to act right now.

Grab your tape measure. Firstly, you need to know what a recess is.

What is a window recess?

A recess is where the window is set back from the wall, creating a window sill. The recess is usually the thickness of the wall from the inside to the outside, but it can be of varying depth. When you install a blind within a recess you have the option to fix the brackets to the top of the recess. You can also choose to fit the blind outside of a recess, which is called an exact fit. This means the blind sits in front of the window sill and typically hangs below it too, which also goes for windows that are not recessed as well. See the shaded areas in the images below to get an idea.

How To Measure Windows For Blinds

If the blind is going into a recess do this:

Measure from one edge of the recess to the other to get the width. Take three width measurements, one at the top, the middle and the bottom. If there are any variations in size (it does happen, especially in older houses) use the largest width.

For the drop, that’s the length of the window (the vertical measurement). Again, take three, measuring from the very top of the recess to the very bottom. Be sure to pick the biggest measurements.

Input those measurements into our website, making sure you tell us if you measured in centimetres, millimetres or inches, and that it is for a recessed window. We will then make the appropriate deductions to ensure your blind fits perfectly.

If the blind is going outside of a recess, do this:

If you haven’t got a recess or you want the blind to be installed outside of it, then it’s up to you how big you want the blind. You want to add a little bit of an overlap (70mm at the top and bottom and 50mm each side) to ensure no light leaks through. Input the measurements and indicate that it’s for an ‘exact’ sizing option. We’ll take care of the rest.

Got that? It’s easy, stop worrying. If you get stuck, contact us. If not, make sure you at least hide the samples before you call the professionals.