Measuring Blinds For Your Home

When a homeowner wants to hang blinds in his or her home, it's important that the window opening be measured properly in order to achieve a good fit. If windows are standard size, ready-made options might work. Stores such as Home Depot have a wide selection of ready-mades in a variety of colors, materials and sizes. If the window opening is not standard, curtains, shades or blinds will have to be custom ordered and precise measuring is a must. Here are some questions to ponder:

- Do you want them to hang inside or outside of the frame? This is a personal choice that will depend on a homeowner's taste as well as the appearance of the window frame. Having the devices mounted inside will provide a clean and simple look. It will also let the frame stand out visually. If the opening is framed in an attractive wooden molding, it might be a shame to hide it. If the opening is simply framed in wallboard or drywall, hiding it beneath blinds that are mounted on the outside would be fine.
- Do you have your measuring tape handy? Grab your measuring tape and a piece of paper with a pencil. You'll need to measure width from side to side and height from top to bottom. Measuring in a few spots is advisable in order to see if there is any distortion or irregularity. If you're going for an inside mount, use the narrowest measurement when ordering.
- Would you feel more comfortable having a professional measure? Many companies will send a representative to measure at your house for free if you agree to purchase blinds from them. If you're going to use that company anyway, it might be a wise idea. That way, if there are any errors, it will be the company's responsibility to order a correction.
- Where do you want your controls to hang? As you're scoping out your space, visualize opening and closing the devices each day. By viewing your room layouts and furnishings, you'll see that having the controls on the left or the right side will be the most advantageous. If you order wands on the right side but always have to lean around your dining room table, it will be a pain.
- Do you have young children who might become tangled up in the cords? For families with young children, there are child-proof alternatives such as cordless openers or those that are hidden away in a pulley device.
- What style fits with your décor? After you've figured out the functional parts of measuring and cord position, now you get to decide the fun part: the style. There are many colors, fabrics and materials to select from. Some are sheer while others will provide protective insulation from the outside weather and sunrays.

Blinds are one of the most popular window coverings around and for good reason. Not only are they attractive and functional, they provide insulation and light filtering for improving energy efficiency and lowering utility bills. Measuring yours correctly will make all the difference in how they look and fit.