At BlindsUpdate we want to make your window blinds shopping experience as pleasant, accurate and satisfactory as possible. We offer the following guidelines for measuring horizontal blinds to assist you in your shopping. These guidelines are the same for all 2” faux wood, 2” wood, 2-1/2” faux wood and 2-1/2” wood blinds.

Blinds Measuring Instructions

• We recommend the use of Rowley "inside mount" measuring tape for 100% accuracy
• Always use a steel tape, preferably the Rowley "inside mount" tape to measure the exact width and height to be covered.
• When updating your blinds, you can decide to mount your wood or faux wood blinds inside the window frame/casing or outside the window frame/casing to the wall above the window.
• In order to mount the blinds inside a window casing, you should make sure there is enough depth to allow room for the blinds to be flush mounted(see figure 1). If your window frame is not deep enough for a flush mount, you may want to either install them outside the window frame/casing or order the valance with returns to cover the visible portion of the headrail. Specific depth requirements are discussed with each product.

Inside Mount Instructions

When mounting blinds inside the window frame/casing:

• Measure the width and height in three different places as shown above.
• For peace of mind and 100% accuracy use the Rowley "inside mount" measuring tape provided FREE* on our site.
• Record the smallest width measurement and largest height measurement to the nearest 1/8”.
• Enter exactly what your window frame(opening) measures. DO NOT TAKE ANY DEDUCTIONS as the factory deducts ½” from the overall width to allow the blind to fit inside the brackets easily.
• Check to be sure you have enough window depth. See individual products for details.

Outside Mount Instructions

When mounting blinds outside the window frame (to the wall or door):

• Measure the width and height of the window in three places as shown above.
• Record the measurements to the nearest 1/8”.
• We recommend that the blinds overlap the window by at least 1-1/2” on each side.
• Allow for the height of the headrail when measuring for the height of the blind. Generally a total of 3” added to the height is adequate to allow for the headrail height and overlap at the bottom of the opening.
• The factory will take NO deductions on outside mounted blinds. You MUST add for overlaps.

NOTE: Please Double-check Your Own Measurements!

• Refer to the measuring forms to ensure you understand how to measure
• Measure to the nearest 1/8” – don’t round your measurements.
• Clearly indicate which is width and which is height. It is very common to transpose measurements. Always indicate the width measurement first, then the height (W x H)
• Remember to take no deductions on inside mounted measurements.
• Remember to allow for the height of the headrail of the blind for outside mount measurements.
• Each blind is custom made to your sizes. If these sizes are incorrect, it may not be possible to change. Take your time and double-check your measurements. If you have any questions when measuring, please refer to our video on “How to Measure for Blinds” or call us at 888-366-3199.