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Battery against mains, what to measure before ordering, and why a made-to-measure mistake cannot be returned.
Made-to-measure means cut to your figures, and no maker takes it back for being wrong. Measuring properly is the whole risk here.
On this page
Start here
Every manufacturer specifies where to measure from, whether to include the recess, and whether they will deduct for clearances or expect you to. Two makers can want the same window described in different numbers.
Made-to-measure blinds are cut for your window and cannot be returned for being the wrong size. That is the whole risk of the category.
Measure three times across each window, top, middle, bottom &mdash: the smallest. Old houses are rarely square, and the difference is often more than a centimetre.
In detail
The decision that shapes the whole installation. Tap whichever suits your situation.
What that means appears underneath
General guidance on the options. Any mains work belongs with a qualified electrician.
Worth knowing
The distinction that catches people out before the numbers even start.
The blind sits within the window opening. Neater, and it shows the frame. It also means clearances matter: a blind cut to the exact width will bind against the sides, so manufacturers deduct a few millimetres, and you need to know whether they are doing that or expecting you to have done it.
The blind sits on the wall above and overlaps the opening on both sides. More forgiving of a window that is not square, better at blocking light at the edges, and it hides the frame. Needs wall above the window for the headrail, which is not always there.
Measure the width at the top, the middle and the bottom. For an inside fit, work from the smallest of the three. A blind sized to the widest point will jam where the opening narrows. Measure the drop on both sides too, for the same reason.
Before ordering anything. Read that manufacturer's own measuring instructions and follow them exactly, even where they contradict this page. They are cutting to your numbers, their deductions are built into their process, and a made-to-measure blind cannot be returned for being the wrong size.
Looped cords are a recognised strangulation hazard for young children, and regulations in many places now require safety devices or restrict cord designs. Motorised blinds remove the cord entirely, which is a genuine safety argument for the category and one of the better reasons to consider them in a child's room.
Practical
Beyond the novelty, which wears off within a fortnight.
Worth setting expectations. A motorised blind makes a sound — a soft mechanical whirr for several seconds. In a bedroom on a morning schedule that is either a gentle wake-up or an irritation, depending on the sleeper. Quieter motors cost more, and the difference is real.
Before you buy
Tap a question to read the answer.
Sometimes. There are retrofit motors for roller blinds that engage the existing chain, and they work reasonably well on a blind that already runs smoothly.
For venetian, roman or vertical blinds it is much less likely, because the mechanism is integral rather than a simple chain drive. In most cases replacement is the realistic route.
Manufacturers quote six months to a year, and the figure depends almost entirely on how many times a day the blind moves. A blind on a morning and evening schedule works twice; one following the sun works considerably more.
A solar strip in a window with reasonable daylight can keep up with normal use indefinitely. In a north-facing room in winter, considerably less so.
Usually yes for the basics. Most systems keep schedules on a local hub or in the motor itself, so a blind set to open at seven will open at seven regardless.
What stops is control from outside the house, and voice control on many platforms. Worth checking where a given system keeps its schedule before buying.
Battery blinds usually are, since fitting is the same as any blind — brackets into the frame or the wall above. That is generally the same permission an ordinary blind needs.
Wired installations are a different matter and would want the landlord's agreement in writing. Read the tenancy agreement before ordering.
Keep reading
Blinds handle daylight. The lighting guide handles the rest.
Read the lighting guideHow we checked this
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