How To Accurately Measure Your Windows And Doors For New Blinds

It’s extremely important to accurately measure your windows or doors before you order the blinds. It’s not difficult to read the numbers on the tape measure. The tricky part is knowing where to position the tape measure, what type to use, etc. All these details are revealed in the following tips.

Use the right type of tape measure

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Cloth tapes are not accurate enough if you want to measure your windows to the millimeter. It’s why you should use a metal tape measure. You’d be surprised how much using the right tools counts not for this project in particular but in general.

Select the type of blinds you prefer

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There are numerous types of blinds to choose from, for both windows and doors. For example, you can opt for horizontal blinds, vertical ones, energy-efficient blinds, blackout shades, cordless blinds, etc. and they’re each installed in a specific way.

Do you want inside- or outside-mounted blinds?

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In the case of the windows, you can opt for inside- or for outside-mounted blinds and in each of the two cases you have to measure the windows differently. The inside-mounted types are installed within the window and the outside-mounted ones are installed to cover the window frame or to attach to the wall.

How to measure for inside-mounted blinds:

For horizontal blinds, first measure the width inside the window frame at the top, middle and bottom and use the smallest measurement. Then measure the height inside the window frame at the left, middle and right and round the measurements down. Use the largest measurement to make sure the blinds cover the entire opening.

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For vertical blinds, measure the width inside the window frame at the top, middle and bottom and use the smallest measurement. Then measure the height inside the window frame from the top of the opening to the sill at the left, middle and right and, again, use the smallest measurement.

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How to measure for outside-mounted blinds:

For horizontal blinds, measure the width between the outer-most points where the blinds will be placed. Measure the height between the highest and lowest point.

For vertical blinds, measure the width of the window or door and add 4” to each side for maximum light control. Then measure the heights from the headrail location to the will at the left, middle and right sides of the frame.

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If you opt for roller blinds:

Keep in mind that the cloth or fabric width in the case of roller blinds will be 3cm narrower than the overall exact width of the blinds.