Curtains and Blinds: Measuring and Choosing

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Curtains and Blinds: Measuring and Choosing

Measuring properly, linings and headings, blind cord safety and fitting

Curtains are made to measurements you supply, which makes measuring the part worth doing slowly.

Measure the pole, not the window

Curtain width is taken from the pole or track rather than the glass, and the pole should extend beyond the window on each side so curtains stack clear of the light.

Drop is measured from the eyelet or the bottom of the ring to where you want the hem — sill, below sill, or floor. Floor length looks best either just clearing the floor or deliberately breaking on it.

Fullness

Curtains need considerably more fabric than the window width to hang properly — commonly between one and a half and two and a half times, depending on the heading. Skimping is why curtains look flat.

Linings

Standard lining protects the fabric and improves drape. Thermal lining reduces heat loss noticeably at a window. Blackout lining is what makes a bedroom dark, and light still enters around the edges unless the curtain overlaps generously.

Blind cord safety

Looped cords and chains are a strangulation risk to young children, and blinds sold in the UK and EU must be supplied with safety devices. Fit them, keep cords short and out of reach, and choose cordless blinds in any room a child uses.

Move cots and beds away from windows with cords.

Fitting

Check for cables and pipes before drilling above a window, and use fixings suited to the wall. Heavy curtains need a track or pole rated for the weight.

Fabric choice

Heavier fabrics hang better and insulate more. Check the pattern repeat, since matching a large repeat across several drops uses considerably more fabric and costs more.

Sunlight fades curtains unevenly, so a lining protects the face fabric and extends its life.

Ready made and made to measure

Ready made comes in standard drops and suits a standard window. Made to measure costs more and is the only answer for anything unusual.

Blinds and curtains together

A blind handles privacy and light control; curtains add insulation and soften a window. Many rooms end up with both, and the blind should be fitted inside the recess with the curtains outside it.

Check the blind clears the window handle before fixing the brackets permanently.

Energy

Thermal linings and close-fitting blinds reduce heat loss measurably, and draught-proofing the frame itself does more than either.

Measuring twice

Measure in centimetres at three points across the window, and use the narrowest for anything fitted inside a recess. Write it down rather than remembering it, since made-to-measure cannot be returned.

Note whether the supplier makes a deduction for clearance.

Care

Vacuum with an upholstery tool, check the cleaning label before washing, and expect shrinkage on unlined cotton.

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