Choose an outside mount when the frame has less than 2 inches of flat depth or you want to hide an out-of-square opening. Use a tape measure and record the width before the height, to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. Allow at least 2 inches each side and 2 to 3 inches above. Measure every window separately.
When should I mount a shade on the wall?
Decide on the mount before you start measuring. An inside mount sits within the window opening. It gives the shade a clean, built-in look. Check the flat depth inside the frame with your tape measure. The cassette needs at least 2 inches of flat depth to sit in. If you have less, choose an outside mount.
An outside mount fixes to the wall above the opening. The shade overlaps the opening at the sides and top. That overlap hides an out-of-square frame and blocks more light. It also avoids having a cassette stick out from a frame that is too shallow.
Look at the opening before choosing your coverage. Allow at least 2 inches each side and 2 to 3 inches above. If you cannot confidently choose the mounting position, leave that part to an installer before ordering.
How do I measure the width for an outside mount?
Start with the width. Use a tape measure and work to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. Measure the opening at the top, the middle and the bottom. Write down all three measurements, then keep the narrowest. Windows are rarely square. Measuring only across the middle can miss a difference elsewhere in the frame.
For an outside mount, add at least 2 inches on each side of that opening width. Record the resulting width as your outside-mount width. Keep the opening measurements alongside it so you can see where the added coverage came from. The overlap is part of the size you are asking us to make.
If you decide on an inside mount instead, give us the narrowest opening width without subtracting anything. We make the factory deduction ourselves. Measure every window you plan to order in the same pass, using the same tape. Even windows that look alike need their own measurements.
How do I measure the height for an outside mount?
Measure the height after the width. Run your tape from the top of the opening down to the sill at the left, the middle and the right. Record each measurement to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. Use the longest of the three so the shade covers the full drop.
For an outside mount, allow 2 to 3 inches above the opening. Add that allowance to the longest opening height. Write down the resulting outside-mount height beside the outside-mount width. Keep the dimensions in width-then-height order when you price the shade.
Take your time reading the tape. Rounding to the nearest inch loses the detail we need to make a shade for your window. Check your written measurements against the tape before moving to the next opening. If you cannot get a reliable measurement, ask someone to help before confirming the order.
What should I check before ordering?
Check that your finished measurements fall within our sizes. We make shades from 9 to 109 inches wide and up to 130 inches high, to the eighth of an inch. Keep the outside-mount allowance in those finished measurements. We make zebra shades, roller blinds and Shangri-La shades to order in our Richmond Hill workshop.
Choose the chain side while you are ordering. Our chain-operated shades use a continuous-loop chain, sold shrouded and anchored to the wall with a tension device. You choose which side it hangs on. We set its drop length to suit the window you measured. A motorized shade has no chain.
Measuring is a job you can do yourself if you can read the tape and record the measurements reliably. Installation is a separate decision. We install within 75 km of Elgin Mills and Yonge in Richmond Hill, with a minimum of three windows. If you are unsure about mounting the shade, arrange help before ordering. Custom shades cannot be returned once the order is confirmed.
What does a made-to-measure shade cost?
These are examples of common window sizes. They are not measurements for a particular house. Each shade is priced from the measurements of the window it will cover. For an outside mount, use your finished width and height, including the added coverage, when pricing your window.
A chain-operated zebra shade at 24 by 36 inches is $125.40. A chain-operated zebra shade at 30 by 48 inches is $175.00. A chain-operated zebra shade at 36 by 48 inches is $199.80. A chain-operated zebra shade at 36 by 60 inches is $237.00.
A roller blind at 24 by 36 inches is $86.10. Shipping in Canada is included in these example prices. Prices are before tax. GST or HST is charged according to the delivery province.
What to do next
Use your finished outside-mount width and height to price your window on our site. You can order free material samples before buying, and one shade is fine. We make your order in Richmond Hill and dispatch it within three working days of confirmation; transit time is on top.
Made to measure in Richmond Hill and shipped free anywhere in Canada. Or ring us on (289) 210-3254.