Measure the width of the opening in three places, top, middle and bottom, and give us the smallest one. Measure the height from the top of the opening to the sill. Work to the eighth of an inch, write width first, and do not deduct anything. We cut to the number you send, and we make from 9 to 109 inches wide and up to 130 inches high.
What exactly do I measure
An inside mount sits inside the window opening, so you are measuring the opening itself and not the glass and not the old blind. Use a steel tape, not a cloth one.
Width: measure across the opening in three places, near the top, halfway down, and near the bottom. Write all three down and send us the smallest. Height: measure from the top of the opening down to the sill, and if the sill slopes, take the longest point.
Do not take anything off for clearance. We do that, to the tolerance the shade needs. If you deduct a quarter inch and we deduct ours as well, you get a shade with a gap down both sides.
How accurate does it have to be
To the eighth of an inch. That is what the order form takes and that is what the workshop cuts to. An eighth is close enough that nobody will ever see the difference and loose enough that you do not need a laser.
Write the width first, every time, on every window. Width then height is the order the whole trade uses, and a 36 by 60 shade in a 60 by 36 window is the most expensive typing mistake in this business.
How much depth does the frame need
The bracket needs somewhere to sit, so measure how deep the opening is from the face of the frame back to the glass. If it is shallow, the shade can still go on, mounted on the wall or the face of the frame instead, which is an outside mount and wants a different set of measurements.
Tell us the depth if you are unsure and we will say which way to go rather than guess.
What if the opening is not square
It usually is not, particularly in an older Canadian house, and that is normal rather than a problem. That is the whole reason for measuring the width in three places and sending the smallest: the shade then clears the narrowest point and the small gap left at the widest one is invisible from across the room.
If the difference between your three measurements is more than half an inch, say so on the order. An opening that far out is worth a conversation before it is cut.
What happens if I get it wrong
A made to measure shade is cut for your window, so it is not returnable once the order is confirmed. That never covers a shade that arrives defective, damaged, or not what you specified, and it never will.
For an honest measuring mistake there is a remake guarantee: one blind per customer, on a website order of three shades or more. It does not apply to a trade account. It is one remake, not an open door, which is why the three measurements are worth the two extra minutes.
What to do next
Take your three widths and your height and price the window on the site. If you would rather not do any of the above, we measure and install within 75 km of the workshop for $100 a window, minimum three windows, and 20% off at seven or more.