A savvy shopper looking to find the best price on window blinds would be wise to do a little research. Stores like Walmart and Target will usually have competitive prices, but a limited selection of blinds from which to choose. The biggest advantage of walking into a discount store to buy your blinds off the shelf is that there is no waiting to get them. Just pay for them, take them home and put them up.
For those who are not limited by an immediate need to have something covering their windows, there are some rewards to shopping online. There are many internet retailers who have a wide selection of window treatments available that can be purchased "as is", "cut to order" or custom made. You can also price shop while at home in your skivvies enjoying a glass of wine or a beer. That's much better than driving around town to Target, Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes, plus you'll probably be able to save money as well as gas. Internet shopping is "green" shopping.
LOWES PATIO DOORS
If you're going to order blinds online, knowing how to measure your windows or doors is important. Carpenter's have a saying "measure twice, cut once". In this situation you could say "Measure twice, pay once". If you order custom blinds and don't order the right size, you can't send them back, so if you want to reorder you'll be charged again.
If you're measuring for vertical blinds, here are a few tips so that you get the measurements right:
When you're writing down the measurements make sure to clearly note which number is the width and which is the height and always indicate the widthbefore the height (W x H). Plastic or cloth measuring tapes that are typically used by seamstresses for measuring cloth, or in my case, thighs, have a tendency to stretch, so use a steel measuring tape and measure to the nearest 1/8 inch. Measure the width in at least two places and take the smallest width. Depending on the width of the window, measure the height in at least two places and take the smallest height. If you're measuring for a sliding glass door, they usually only use a one-way draw. The tracks for one-way draws are usually reversible. Inside mount valances will not align flush with the wall. They will extend into the room an inch or two.
Should you choose and inside or an outside mount?
Make your decision on whether you will have an inside mount or an outside mount before measuring for the blinds. An outside mount can help conceal an old, unsightly window. An outside mount can make your windows appear larger. An inside mount provides a neater look. If you prefer an inside mount, make sure the window has enough depth to install the mounting hardware. For an inside mount, be sure to allow for the height of the blinds headrail in your measurements.
How to measure for an inside mount - Measure the width at the top, center and bottom of the window opening and record the narrowest width. Measure the height left, center and right and record the shortest height. Provide exact measurement when ordering your blinds because they will deduct 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch from the width and up to 1/2 inch from the height to make sure the blinds fit inside the window frame. Also, make sure the window has enough depth for the mounting brackets.
How to measure for an outside mount - Measure the width of the window opening and if there is room, add at least 4 inches to each side to try to minimize any leaks of outside light. Next, measure the height of the window opening and add at least 2 ½ inches to the height so that you can mount the brackets above the opening and allow for some overlap at the bottom of the window. If the blinds will hang down to the floor, make sure that you have about ½ inch clearance so that they open and close properly. When you specify an outside mount, no deductions will be taken and the blinds will be cut to the exact measurements you provide.
Now that you know the advantages to buying vertical blinds online (better selection, lower price and less hassle) and how to get the proper measurements, you can pour yourself a beer or a glass of wine, sit down at your computer and start surfing for the best blinds at the best prices. Oh! One additional bit of advice is to measure first and drink later.
How to Measure Your Windows For Window Blinds
Marcia has been an internet publisher for over five years. Having experienced the frustration of measuring windows wrong when ordering vertical blinds online Marcia wrote this article to help make this process easier for others You can visit Marcia's latest web site to learn more about using window treatments to decorate your home at http://www.blackverticalblinds.com/ where you can find information on buying Black Vertical Blinds
LOWES PATIO DOORS
0 comments:
Post a Comment