Inside vs Outside Mount Blinds – What’s the Right Answer?
All of our products are designed for either inside vs outside mount use. While some prefer the recessed look of an inside mount Cellular Shade, others like the look of a Faux-wood Blinds that covers the entire window easily.
But which one is right?
There is no right answer for how your blinds should look. It’s a total preference by you, the customer. But here are some things to consider.
Decorative Framing
If you have decorative framing around your window, you’ll want to show that off. An outside mount blind will not highlight the features of your design, but will rather hide it from view.
On the opposite side of the coin, if you have older framework that is unsightly and you want to hide it from view, an outside mount blind or shade can go over the edges of the frame and cover up outdated trim.
Window Hardware for Inside vs Outside Mount Blinds
Some window frames aren’t conducive to inside mount shades due to hardware inside the frame itself that keeps the shade from operating smoothly. Cranks and locks on casement windows can get in the way of proper raising and lowering of your blind.
With the side lock pieces, getting a Cellular Shade to move up and down smoothly becomes tricky, as the small gap from the inside mount deduction doesn’t always have enough clearance to get past the locks.
Window Depth for Inside vs Outside Mount Blinds
Some windows are more shallow than others. Make sure that your window has enough depth to accommodate your chosen blind or shade. Some products, like Cellular Shades and Faux-wood Blinds , don’t require as much window depth, while Roman Shades and Natural Shades do require a bit more. You can always check the necessary window depth for a specific product in the “Product Specs” portion of the listing.
If considering motorized shades for inside or outside mount you have to consider the depth of the window frame to accommodate the wiring and/or battery pack.
- Measure the depth of the window frame across at the top.
- Record the shortest measurement.
Measuring for Inside or Outside Mount
For inside mount blinds, measure the inside opening in 3 locations- top, middle, and bottom. Record the smallest of the 3 measurements. That will be your ordering width. We do make a slight deduction for a proper fit with inside mount blinds. This deduction is made on our end, so you don’t have to worry about that. For the height, repeat the process of measuring in three different places- left, middle, and right. The largest of the three measurements will be your ordering length.
For outside mount blinds, measure the width of the area you want to cover. This will be the overall width of your blind, and we will not make any deductions. Repeat the process for measuring height to determine the length of your blind. Add 4 to 6 inches to the width and height measurements.
Once you have figured out Inside vs Outside Mount Blinds for your window treatments go to our Online Indigo Visualizer where you can preview window treatments on your very own windows. Simply upload a photo, choose a treatment, and see how it looks in your actual space. Change colours, options, and more to find the best window treatment solution for you. No photo? No problem. Choose from our sample room scenes and bring your design vision to life.
If you are looking for Window Treatment Inspiration checkout Graber’s How to choose Window Treatments or Indigo’s latest fashion-forward trends with these helpful guides.
As always, we are here to help. You can contact us with any measurement questions.
