Roman blinds, also know as Roman shades, are made of fabric and are made for privacy as well as at the same time giving a unique feature to any room. It is essential to measure the window accurately, if this is done incorrectly Roman shades won’t fit the window, and numerous companies refuse to accept returns for customers’ orders. The window can be measured in two ways, this depends on if the installation is outside or inside the window frame.
Many Roman blinds are classed as inside installations;this is when they fit within the window frame. The measurements must be perfect, even if it is slightly out, the blinds will not fit correctly into the frame. The most important measurement is width, because shorter or longer blinds will still be able to fit into the window, although not perfectly.
Firstly with a measuring tape, measure the window frame at the very top. The window frame should not be measured; place the measuring tape inside the frame. Usually windows have the same width whether they are measured from the top, middle or bottom. However, as some windows might not have the same width for the whole length, it is better to measure at the top; this is because installation of the Roman shades at the top of the window.
The length measurement does not have to be as exactly right, so you don’t have to worry as much about that, but it can look awkward if a Roman shade is too short or long. Place thestart of the measuring tape up the inside top of the window frame, and place it down to the bottom corner of the window. This will give you the length measurement.
If the installation is for the outside of the blind, or mounted outside the window frame, then the measurements don’t need to be exact in this case. This is because the shade bar can butt against the window frame without damage. Though the measurements do not have to be perfect, if you have measurements that are short, this can prevent the blinds from being installed properly.
Similarly to inside installations, width is the most important measurement. A measuring tape needs to be used to measure the top of the window frame, but this obviously from the outside of the frame. Do this for the length of the window as well. It is important to add one or two inches to the measurement for both the length and width.
The measurements for the blinds are increased to make sure that the blind can cover the whole window. Adding more than two inches is usually unnecessary, unless you desire larger shades.
For both measurements of inside or outside installations, a W or L—for width and length—should be written close to the measurement, so the Roman shade company knows which measurement is which.
While measuring for Roman shadesis probably best done by professional, and should be used if possible, measuring the blinds yourself is not as difficult as you’d think. Just be very precise with your measurements, and it should all go well!