How to Measure for Blinds Before the Quad Cities Home Show

Knowing how to measure for blinds in the Quad Cities starts with one choice: inside or outside mount. Inside mounts take three widths: top, middle and bottom. Keep the narrowest. Measure the height on the left, center and right and keep the longest. Then check the depth. For an outside mount, measure the area you want covered and add overlap.

Do it a week or two before the QCBR Home Show in February. You'll shop with real numbers instead of guesses.

Why measure before the home show?

Because a home show is a lot to take in. The Quad Cities Builders & Remodelers Association (QCBR) holds its Home Show in February. Check the organizer's home show page for the 2027 dates and hours before you go.

It's a big room. KWQC reported that the 2026 show at the Bend XPO in East Moline had 227 booths and seven showcase rooms. It was the 49th, and more than 100 businesses took part. You'll see everything from kitchens and decks to roofs and windows.

With your numbers in hand, every conversation goes further. Ask which products fit a shallow frame, or what a wide window needs. You'll be comparing options for your actual windows instead of a sample on a stand. Without numbers, most answers start with "it depends."

Treat the week before the show as homework week. An hour with a tape measure covers most houses. Then go enjoy the show.

Short on time? Start with the rooms that bug you most. For a lot of people that's the bedrooms, where early light wakes everyone up. Next comes the main living room, where you spend your evenings. Spare rooms and stair windows can wait for a second round. You can always measure the rest after the show, once you know what you like.

What tools do you need?

Not much. A few basics will do:

• A steel tape measure. Cloth tapes stretch. A metal one stays true.
• A pencil and paper, or a notes app on your phone.
• A step stool for the tops of tall windows.
• A helper, if you can get one. Wide windows are easier with two people.

Measure in inches. Go to the nearest eighth of an inch. If the tape lands between two eighths, write down the smaller one for width.

Make a simple chart before you start. Give each window a name, like "living room left" or "kitchen sink." Don't call them "window 1" and "window 2." In a month you won't remember which was which.

Are blinds inside windows a good idea?

Often, yes. An inside mount sits within the window frame. It looks neat and built in. It also lets nice trim show. But it needs enough depth, and it lets a thin line of light in at the edges.

An outside mount sits on the trim or on the wall above the window. It covers more and blocks more light. A small window looks larger this way too. It's the fix for shallow frames and odd window shapes.

The inside vs outside mount choice, side by side:

Not sure? Measure for both. It only takes a minute more per window. Then you can decide at the show.

How do you measure for blinds with an inside mount?

Take three widths, three heights and one depth. Go in this order:

1. Width. Measure inside the frame from side to side. Do it at the top, the middle and the bottom. Write down all three. Circle the narrowest.
2. Height. Measure from the top of the opening to the sill. Do it on the left, in the center and on the right. Write down all three. Circle the longest.
3. Depth. Measure from the front edge of the frame back to the glass. If a lock or crank sticks out, measure to that instead.

Why the narrowest width? A blind made to the widest number won't fit where the frame pinches in. Why the longest height? So the blind reaches the sill all the way across.

Write down exact numbers. Don't take extra off to be safe. The company making your blind will make its own small adjustments for fit. If you take some off too, the blind ends up short.

Check what sticks out into the opening:

• Casement cranks near the sill, on windows that swing out.
• Sash locks where the top and bottom halves of the window meet.
• Security contacts (small alarm sensors) on the side of the frame.
• Tilt-in clips you press to tip the window in for cleaning.

Note each one on your chart. They don't always rule out an inside mount. They do change which products will work.

How do you measure for an outside mount?

Measure the area you want covered, not the opening.

1. Pick where the top goes. Many people mount a few inches above the frame. That leaves room for the headrail (the box at the top of the blind) and makes the window look taller.
2. Measure the width. Measure the window opening, then add some overlap on each side. Overlap blocks light at the edges and gives more privacy. A couple of inches per side is common. Ask what your product needs.
3. Measure the height. Go from where the top will sit down to the sill. If there's no sill, go a little past the bottom of the opening.
4. Check for room. Make sure the wall above has space for brackets. Watch for a ceiling, a vent or a curtain rod.

If the window is next to a wall or a cabinet, check the side space too. You need room for the overlap on both sides. If one side is tight, the blind can sit a little off center. You can also trim the overlap on that side.

Think about stack height too. Stack height is how much room the blind takes up when it's fully raised. Mount it higher and the stack sits above the glass. Then you get the full view when it's up.

What's the difference between blinds and shades, for measuring?

Blinds have hard slats that tilt. Shades are made of fabric that raises and lowers. That changes a couple of things.

Blinds need tilt room. The slats rotate inside the frame. Wide slats need more depth than narrow ones. A shallow frame may only fit a narrow slat on an inside mount.

Blinds stack taller. Raised blinds pile up at the top, and wider slats make a taller stack. That stack can cover part of the glass on an inside mount.

Many shades need less depth. Cellular shades are a good example. They need very little frame depth, so they often fit where a wood blind won't. They also stack tight, so more glass shows when they're up.

If your frames are shallow, measure carefully and bring the depth to the show. It might steer you from blinds to shades. Our blind options page shows the main styles.

How do you measure blinds for replacement?

Measure the window, not the old blind. This trips up a lot of people.

The old blind may have been the wrong size all along. It may have been cut down, or it may be an outside mount you'd now like inside. Starting from the window gives you a clean slate.

Before you take anything down:

• Note the mount type. Was it inside or outside? Did you like it that way?
• Note what bugged you. Light gaps at the edges? A stack that hid the view? Cords?
• Check the old bracket holes. New brackets may land in a different spot. Plan to patch and touch up.

Then measure the window fresh, the same way as above. If the old blinds have cords, that's one more reason to swap them out. Our blinds come cordless, or you can go motorized.

What about older and out-of-square Quad Cities windows?

Older homes need one extra check. Frames settle over the years and stop being square.

The Quad Cities have plenty of older houses. Rock Island's Broadway Historic District alone has more than 550 houses, per the city. Most went up between 1890 and 1915. Windows in houses that age can be off by a bit at the top or bottom.

Your three widths and three heights will show it. If they differ by more than about a quarter inch, the frame is out of square. You can also measure the two diagonals, corner to corner. If they don't match, the frame is out of square.

What to do then:

• An outside mount hides the problem. The blind lines up with the wall, not the crooked frame.
• An inside mount can still work. It will show uneven gaps, though. Point it out to whoever orders your blinds.

Homes from the 1960s and '70s have their own quirks. The 2000 census put the median Bettendorf home's build year at 1972, per the State Data Center of Iowa. Many homes from that era have had their windows replaced since. Replacement windows often sit inside the old opening, so the frame can be shallower than you'd expect. Check the depth on every window, even ones that look the same. Our layout guide for Bettendorf ranches, split-levels and bi-levels covers the picture windows and landings from that era.

What size blinds do I need for a 35 inch window?

That comes down to the mount, because "35 inches" can mean two different things.

For an inside mount, you order to the opening you measured. Say your three widths are 35 1/4, 35 1/8 and 35 1/4 inches. You'd write down 35 1/8, the narrowest. The maker adjusts from there so the blind fits inside the frame.

For an outside mount, you order the size you want covered. With a 35-inch opening and about two inches of overlap per side, you'd cover about 39 inches. Your exact overlap depends on the product and the look you want.

The same logic works for a 32-inch window or any other size. Custom blinds are made to your numbers. You don't have to pick the closest stock size and live with gaps.

What should you bring to the show, and what happens after?

Bring a one-page sheet. For each window, list:

• Its name and room.
• Three widths, three heights and the depth.
• Inside mount, outside mount or "not sure."
• Which way it faces, if you know.
• Anything in the way, like a crank or a lock.
• How the room is used. Bedroom, home office and TV room all need different things.

Measure each window twice. Do the second pass on a different day if you can. If the two passes disagree by more than an eighth of an inch, measure a third time. Small slips are easy to make on a ladder. They're much easier to catch on paper at the kitchen table.

Snap a photo of each window too. Take one of the whole wall, so the window shows next to furniture and trim. Take a close-up of the frame corner, so the depth and trim show.

At the show, use your sheet to ask better questions. Which products fit this depth? What overlap does this one need? Will this work on an out-of-square frame?

After the show, take your time. If you choose custom blinds or shades, your measurements are a great start. Before any custom order, our design consultants measure every window again themselves. That way the final fit is on us, not you. That visit is free and happens at your kitchen table, with a clear quote at the end. The Budget Blinds step-by-step measuring guide is a handy refresher. Got short, high windows in a finished basement? See our tips on lower-level windows.

Want a second set of eyes on your numbers? Our local team can help with measuring for blinds in the Quad Cities, from Bettendorf and Davenport to Moline and Rock Island. Book your free consultation.

Kevin Sill is CFO and co-owner of the family-owned Budget Blinds franchises serving the Quad Cities.