How To Measure Your Window For Shutters in Chicago

Indoor shutters in Chicago are typically sold by the square foot, so if you’re looking for a rough measurement for a price estimate, just measure your window height and width, to the nearest ⅛ of an inch.

For Chicago homeowners who are a little handier around the house, we’ll teach you the easiest way to measure your windows for plantation shutters.

Measuring Rectangular and Square Windows for Shutters

Regular square windows look like the easiest kind of windows to measure – and that’s because they are, compared to other window shapes. But there’s still an entire process to go through to get measurements. Here’s how to do it.

What You’ll Need:

• Tape measure

• Paper and pencil

Starting off, measure the width (the horizontal distance). Get a measurement across in three different places: in the exact center, close to the top, and near the bottom of the window. Mark down all three, rounding to the nearest ⅛ of an inch. Then, measure the height (the bottom-to-top) – get three measurements, one in the center, and one near the left and right edges of the window as shown below.

Why do you need to measure three times each? Simply because no window is a perfect square. And because of the different types of shutter mounts different windows need, you may need to get either the shortest measurement (for an inside mount), or the absolute largest measurement (outside mount). Recording measurements in multiple places makes sure your bases are covered.

How to Measure Unique Shape Windows for Shutters

Windows that aren’t rectangular are where measuring can become extremely tricky. Just as there’s no such thing as a perfectly square window, there’s also never a perfect semicircle or arch window – which means it’s not as simple as getting a width and height. For the best results, get measurements taken by a professional (which our team is happy to provide for free). Other than that, these are the steps to measure most types of unique-shaped windows for shutters.

Measuring Rounded and Arched Windows for Shutters

Start by measuring the width of the window at the flat side. Measuring only the window opening, mark down to the closest ⅛ of an inch the width of the arch. Moving on to the height, look for the midpoint of the window by dividing the width measurement in two, then measure to the end of the rounded part of the window from that point. Again, record to the closest ⅛ of an inch.

Measuring Elongated Arch Windows

Elongated arch windows look like a combination of a rectangular window and a circular window, with a flat, wide bottom and straight “legs,” but with rounded corners at the top and a taller arch. So think of it exactly as that: an arch and a rectangle on top of each other. Get the width measurement just like you would any other arched window, then measure the length of the legs (the straight vertical parts before the window curves into an arch). Next, find the window’s maximum height from the center, subtracting the leg height. Like always, write down every measurement to the closest ⅛ of an inch.

How to Measure Octagon and Circular Windows

Full circle and octagon windows are some of the trickiest to measure accurately, as there can be so many tiny aspects that can change the dimensions of the shutters you might need. You might want to leave these windows to a professional.

For tricky windows and for any others you don’t want to do yourself, or just to save yourself some headache, call Sunburst Shutters Chicago. We’d love to take your window measurements at no cost to you during your free window treatment consultation. Just call 847-250-6544 or complete the contact form below to get started.