DIY Blinds: Measuring, Installing and Maintaining
Take the hassle and worry away from ordering the wrong size or type of blinds for your windows. Blinds Direct offers DIY made-to-measure blinds that will perfectly fit your unique window spaces. DIY blinds are as easy as measuring your window spaces and selecting your blind type online, easily installing them, and then caring for them in order to extract the most longevity from them
You don’t need to wait for someone to come and measure your windows to receive a quote. Along with their made-to-measure blinds service, Blinds Direct.co.za also provide pre-made blinds should you require a combination of the two.
Maintaining Your DIY Blinds
The majority of blinds, including wooden blinds, aluminium blinds, plaswood blinds (also known as faux wood), roller blinds, shutters and vertical blinds , only require a dry wipe or dust. Your natural basswood blinds can be dusted and wiped down with a lightly damp cloth. Whilst PVC vertical blinds can also just be dry-wiped, their fabric variety can be vacuumed with a brush attachment.
Measuring for Your DIY Blinds: Recess (inside mounted blinds) - vs - Facefix (outside mounted blinds)
Before taking measurements for your online blinds order, you will need to decide whether you would prefer recess or facefix blinds. Recess blinds are fitted very snuggly on the inside of your window frame. Facefix
blinds are fitted above the window frame and outside of the window
frame.
Recessed Blinds - How to measure for blinds to be fitted within a recessed window.
1. Use a steel tape measure as they are much more reliable than cloth or plastic tapes.
2. Check for any obstructions that could get in the way of the blind - i.e. window handles, telephone boxes, cables, inward opening windows etc.
3. In three [3] places (top, middle and bottom) measure the width from wall to wall inside the window recess. Bear in mind that very few windows are 100% square. It is common for the measurements to sometimes vary by a small amount. The narrowest width dimension is the dimension you use in our online blind builder ordering steps.
4. Now measure the drop. We suggest you measure from top of the recess down to window sill, measuring at three drop points (left, middle, right) to find the longest dimension. It’s this longest dimension you should use. If its vertical blinds you’re after then you should use the shortest dimension.
5. Make sure to measure all windows your require blinds for, even if they appear to be the same size
Facefix Blinds - How to measure an exact size blind, such or when mounting a blind outside a recess.
Simply measure from how far outside of the frame you would like the blinds to sit. Making small markings on your wall outside of your window frame and measuring those will make it easier. We recommend 50mm over hang on each side.
1. Again use a steel tape measure as they are much more reliable than cloth or plastic tapes.
2. Simply measure the EXACT AREA you would like the blind to cover as shown in the diagram.
3. From left to right, measure the exact width of the area you want the blind to cover. We recommend you add on at least 50mm (5cm) either side to ensure you have the area covered correctly with your blinds.
4. From top to bottom, measure the exact drop of the area the blind is to cover. We recommend a 50mm overlap be applied to the top, and another 50mm overlap at the bottom. Measure all windows you require blinds for - even if they appear to be the same size.
Installing Your DIY Blinds
Most times, installing your blinds is as easy as drilling the blinds bracket to the wall. For recess blinds, you need to be sure that the bracket is secured far enough away from the window so that the blinds don’t touch the window. The outer edge of the window frame is the best placement for this.
Your facefix blinds bracket will need to be attached to the outside of your window frame. This is easier seeing as though you will have more space to work with. All blinds supplied will include mounting brackets, screw, plugs, safety cleat and installation instructions to make it that much easier.
The hardest process where DIY blinds are concerned is choosing from the vast variety!