How to Measure Your Window for Blinds

Taking out your measuring tape and placing it against the molding on your window may seem like an easy task, but the truth is, if you mismeasure your window for blinds it can become a major mess. If you are not a trained professional, it is extremely hard to get the measurements right. There are numerous steps to the measuring process, and making one wrong calculation can end up costing you money on blinds that won’t fit and cannot be used for your window.

If this is enough to make you nervous, call your local professionals at Budget Blinds®. With a free in-home consultation, you can have peace of mind knowing your windows will be properly measured and your blinds will be a perfect fit. If you are still determined and willing to take your chances, here are the steps to measuring your window for blinds: 

Step 1: Tools

Before starting your process make sure you have the proper tools to complete the task ahead.

• Measuring Tape (3/4 – 1” size)
• Pencil
• Notebook
• Calculator (Don’t forget your math skills, you will need them)

Step 2: Inside or Outside Mount

A major decision that needs to be made before you start to measure your windows is whether you want to mount your blinds on the inside or outside of the window frame. This will determine where you measure on the window. Inside mount will actually sit inside the window allowing the molding to show. Outside mount can be mounted on the window molding or above the window molding.

Step 3: Inside Mount

• Measure inside the window frame: width at the top, middle, and bottom
• Out of the three measurements, use the narrowest width
• Measure the window height: left, middle and right side
• Out of the three measurements, use the longest height
• Before ordering your blinds check with the vendor for mounting depths for the brackets
• Also, consider window cranks that will interrupt the blinds from closing

Step 4: Outside Mount

• Measure width where the blinds will be placed
• Measure the height from the top where the headrail will be to the base of the sill
• Make sure you consider the placement before measurement, whether you want it on the molding or above
• Also, calculate how much extra you will need for optimum privacy and light control

• After taking your measurements and calculating the right lengths and widths, make sure you have talked to vendors for manufacturing details that could impact your measurements.
• If there are manufacturing details that set off measurements, then you will have to do some math to get the correct measurement for that particular set of blinds. For example, a deduction for the headrail, any obstructions, or the depth of the window can affect the way the blinds fall.
• Be sure you read the measurements correctly off the tape.
• For an outside mount, make sure the wall or the molding can support the weight of the new blinds.
• An important tip to remember is that not all windows are made the same (even if they appear identical) and each window will have to be measured separately or else you will have blinds that you cannot use.

Step 6: Call Budget Blinds