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Taking your measurements

If you have babies or young children who live in or visit your house you should read our safety advice & tips for roman blinds. Child Safety: Blind chains and cords.

You need to firstly decide whether you want the blind to sit inside the recess or on the outside of the window recess.

Inside or outside a recess?

If any of the following are true then the blind should be positioned outside the recess:

  • The window recess is less than 4cm.
  • The window opens inwards.
  • The recess is not square (or wonky to use a non technical term); the recess width varies by more than 2cm when measured at different points OR recess height varies by more than 2cm when measured at different points OR diagonal distances differs by more than 2cm.

Width: This is the width of your recess.

Drop (length): This is the length of your recess from top to bottom.

Installation height: Measurement from top of window to the floor – this is so that we can make the blind to be compliant with the safety regulations.

We will make adjustments to your measurements to allow the blind to be fitted and to work freely.

Advantage: it is easier to fit because normally it can be attached to the top of the window frame

Disadvantage: once pulled up it will obscure the top part of your window.

Width: This is the width you would like your blind to be.

Drop (length): This is the length of your recess from top to bottom.

Cassette height: Measurement from top of window to the floor – this is so that we can make the chain the right length to be compliant with the safety regulations.

We will make the blind to your measurements.

Advantage: once pulled up it will not obscure the top part of the window.

Disadvantage: it is slightly harder to fit as it has to be fixed to a solid wall.

Inside a recess

1 Measuring the width

Carefully measure the width at three points; one towards the top of the window and one towards the bottom and one in the middle: take the smallest measurement.

We will make adjustments to your measurements to allow the blind to be fitted and to work freely.

2 Measuring the drop

Carefully measure the drop at three points: one on the right, one on the left and one in the middle: take the smallest measurement.

We will make adjustments to your measurements to allow the blind to be fitted and to work freely.

Outside a recess

1 Measuring the width

Decide how far you want the fabric to overlap each side of the window. We recommend between 5cm and 10cm on each side but this depends on the look you are trying to achieve and the space available.

2 Measuring the width

Decide how far you want the fabric to overlap top and bottom. We recommend between 5cm and 10cm below and between 10cm and 15cm above. This depends on the look you are trying to achieve and the space available but it must be at least 5cm above the top of the window to make sure you can get a fixing for the blind.

For a roman blind, you should also take into consideration the amount of fabric, if any, that you want to drop over the top of the window when the blind is drawn up.

Lifting mechanisms

The cassette (top bar) contains a winding mechanism that pulls up the blind fabric and is operated by a side chain. The chain can be on the left or right of the blind. It is a high quality heavy duty metal mechanism and there is a choice of chain colours.

Standard chain colour is chrome but you can also have white, brass, antique brass, black nickel or satin nickel. If you would like any of these other colours please let us know.

  • It provides:
    • smoother operation when used with larger blind sizes.
    • A more formal look.

The cassette (top bar) contains a pulley mechanism that pulls up the blind fabric and is operated by a cord. The cord can be on the left or right of the blind. The cord is tied off on the metal cleat fixed to the side of the window once the blind is raised.

  • It provides:
    • A more casual look.
    • A slightly less obtrusive look than the sidewinder

Homemaker of Settle provides a measuring and fitting service within an area of 15 miles of Settle, please email or phone for an appointment.

  • Always use a metal tape measure. Fabric tape measures can stretch over time and are therefore not as accurate.
  • Always measure more than once.
  • Take your measurements in centimetres: all measurements on this website and used by our suppliers are in centimetres.
  • For large windows 2 or more roman blinds side by side sometimes works better than one large bulky one, this depends on the look you are trying to achieve
  • If you are measuring for a door blind, you must take into consideration that the cassette mechanism will protrude from the door. You must make sure that the door will still open fully without the cassette catching on any nearby wall