How to Measure for Exact Fit or Outside the Recess Blinds
Direct Fabrics · Measuring Guides
Exact Fit: How to Measure Outside the Recess
For blinds fitted outside the recess, face-fixed to the wall above and around the window. Whatever you measure is exactly what we make, bracket to bracket, with no adjustment on our end.
Recess or exact?
Which fitting are you measuring for?
This guide covers exact fit. If you're fitting inside the recess instead, see our recess fit measuring guide.
Why this matters
With an exact fit, there's no deduction and no safety margin added on our end. The number you give us is the number we make. That's exactly what makes this fitting method flexible, but it also means the coverage allowance, the fixing height, and the bracket positions are entirely down to your own measurements. Take your time here, since there's no fallback adjustment once it's made.
Before you start
Check these first
The most common mistake here: measuring the window frame exactly, with no overlap allowance, then finding light gaps around the edges once it's fitted.
Always use a metal tape measure. Cloth or fabric ones can stretch slightly, which is enough to throw off a measurement that has no deduction to absorb the error.
Step by step
Measuring your exact fit blind
Measure the width
Measure the width of the recess, then add at least 50mm to each side. This is the standard minimum allowance to stop light leaking around the edges, add more if you want a fuller overlap.
Measure the drop
Measure from the top of the recess down to the sill, then add around 70mm to that measurement. This gives room above the recess for the blind's brackets and headrail, so the fixing sits on solid wall rather than crowding the top edge of the opening.
The overlap at the bottom is your choice. Take into account anything below the window, a radiator or a sill lip, that the blind shouldn't touch when lowered.
Identify your wall type
Blinds normally fix with just two brackets, one at each end, rather than a run of fixings like a curtain track. That makes each fixing point more important, since there's no neighbouring bracket to share the load if one is weak. A stud detector will find timber studs behind plasterboard on a stud wall, and will also show you whether you're on solid masonry or hollow dot and dab plasterboard.
Mark your bracket positions
Most blinds fix with just two brackets, one at each end of the headrail, rather than several spaced along the run. To find where each bracket sits, take your finished blind width, subtract the window or recess width, and divide by two, that's how far in from each edge of the window the bracket goes. Mark both points at the same height and check them level before fixing.
Check clearance for handles and opening windows
If the window opens outward, check the blind and its brackets sit far enough forward, or high enough, that the open window doesn't catch on it. If the window opens inward, check the handle doesn't catch the blind or its chain when fully open. As a guide, allow at least 60 to 90mm between the handle and the front of the blind, the exact figure depends on the blind type, so check yours if you're working to a tight space.
Record your final numbers
You should now have everything needed to order. Double check both measurements, since nothing is adjusted once made.
What to have ready before you order
- Finished width, recess width plus at least 50mm each side, no deduction will be made
- Finished drop, recess top to sill plus around 70mm, no deduction will be made
- Wall type, solid masonry, timber stud, or dot and dab plasterboard, and whether longer fixings are needed
- Bracket offset from each edge of the window, using the offset formula
- Any obstructions noted, handles, opening windows, radiators
Not sure about any of this?
With no deduction applied on an exact fit, getting the numbers right matters more than usual. You don't have to get it right alone.
Let us take the measurements
If you're unsure about your wall type, coverage allowance, or which numbers matter most, our team can measure for you before you order, so nothing's left to guess.
Ask about our measuring serviceGet it installed for you
Prefer not to fit it yourself? We can arrange installation, so you don't need to worry about brackets, fixings, or getting it level.
Ask about installationYour measurements
Fill this in as you go, or print it and take it round the room with you.
Width
Drop
Wall and fixing
Notes
This sheet is for your own reference, nothing here is saved or sent anywhere unless you send it to us yourself.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How many brackets does a blind need?
Normally just two, one at each end, unlike a curtain track which uses several spaced along the run. Very wide spans, particularly on roller blinds, may need a centre support bracket or a back bar, check your chosen blind if you're unsure.
Will you adjust my measurements at all?
No. With an exact fit, the width and drop you give us are made exactly as stated, bracket to bracket, with no deduction or allowance added on our end.
How much overlap should I allow?
At least 50mm on each side of the recess width, and around 70mm at the top of the drop for bracket clearance, is the standard minimum. The overlap at the bottom is your choice, take into account anything below the window such as a radiator.
How do I know if my wall is dot and dab?
Tap the wall. A hollow, drum-like sound over most of the surface, with occasional solid-sounding patches, usually means dot and dab plasterboard over masonry. A stud detector will also flag it. Where possible, fixing through into the solid masonry with a good quality plug is stronger than a plasterboard-only fixing.
Is there another fixing point I could use instead of the wall?
Yes. If there's a curtain batten above the window, fix to that and measure its full width, taking the drop from the centre of the batten to the sill. If the window has a decorative architrave with a flat face around it, you can often fix to that instead, measure the flat area directly.
What if my window opens outward?
Check the blind and brackets sit far enough forward or high enough that the open window doesn't catch on it before you finalise your measurements.
I'm replacing an old blind with a new one the same size, do I still need to measure the recess?
No, just measure the existing blind itself, including its brackets and fittings, and order as exact fit to that size.
Can I fit an exact fit blind over a recess that's too shallow for a recess fit?
Yes, that's one of the most common reasons to choose exact fit, a shallow or obstructed recess often works better with the blind sitting outside it entirely.
Why would I choose exact fit over recess fit?
Exact fit gives you full control over size and position, useful for shallow recesses, obstructions inside the recess, or when you want the blind to overlap and reduce light gaps more than a recess fit allows.