When planning new window treatments for your home, you must take accurate measurements to fit properly and function as they should. Knowing how to measure for Roman shades is essential for a perfect fit and seamless installation. If you purchase Roman shades that are too narrow or too short for a window, it will have light gaps on the sides, top, and bottom, making it much less energy efficient. Ill-fitting window treatments also don’t look very good on windows or French doors. Your measurements must be precise, and this step-by-step guide will show you how to measure your windows professionally.
Necessary Tools and Materials
First things first. Gather the tools that you will need for measuring your windows. You will need a stepladder, a metal measuring tape, a pen, and paper for measuring.
Your supplies for installation include a stepladder, a metal tape measure, a pencil, the two included mounting brackets, the included four screws, and a cordless drill.
How to Measure for Roman Shades: Step-by-Step Guide
First, measure the depth of your window frame. If you have 1.5 to 2 inches of depth, you can opt for inside-mounted Roman shades, which look more streamlined and tidy. If not, you will need an outside mount for your Roman shade.
Measure for an inside mount, place your ladder next to the window, making sure it is sturdy. Measure the width of the window casing’s interior horizontally at the window opening’s top, middle and bottom. Round the measurements to the nearest 1/8 inch. Write the measurements down.
Measuring the height of the window in the same manner at the left, center and right of the window. Write these measurements down also measured to the nearest 1/8 inch. Use the narrowest measurement of the three width and height measurements as your window size for your shade. This allows the shade to move properly when you adjust, raise and lower it.
For outside mounts add .5 to 1 inch on each side of the width of the window outside the window trim to have full coverage of the window. Add .5 to 1 inch to the height measurement below the window sill for an outside mounting window covering. You will also need at least 3 inches of space on the wall above the top of the window trim to mount the hardware.
Common Measuring Mistakes to Avoid
If you are measuring one window and another one looks the same size, take measurements of it anyway. All windows can be off by a small degree from each other, even if they are on the same wall in your home.
Make sure you take precise measurements and record them all on paper, and consider if you have any window hardware that you measure with that in mind, so your shades can operate properly and hang levelly on the windows.
Double-check the product information before ordering your new Roman shades to ensure they will fit as an inside mount option. Roman shades have different styles that require more or less room in the window frame to mount them flush with the wall or closer to the window in the frame.
If there isn’t enough room on both sides of the window with a flat surface on the wall, then consider an inside mount shade, so it can be installed properly.
Double-check your measurements and write them down as width x height x depth for each window on a sketch showing which window each of the measurements is for, so you can install the correct one in each window.
Conclusion
For a successful Roman shade installation, you must be precise in your measurements for each window, so they fit perfectly and operate properly. Most all DIY homeowners can measure for new window treatments properly when taking their time and not rushing the process. At Desert Window Wear, we understand that this can be a daunting task. Contact us today and let us help with a full turnkey process for custom window treatments of all types.
