Top Down Measuring to Ensure Finished Length Accuracy
Top Down Measuring is a very important option for window treatment measuring and fabrication. It should be done when the space that the drapery hardware will be installed in is a tight spot with no margin for error.
Yes, Top Down Measures does take a bit more time on the front end of the job, but it outweighs having to re do or alter the treatment after installation. In the long run it does save time, money, and homeowner disappointment.
When there is a lot of space between crown molding and door or window molding, hardware placement isn’t as crucial because there is wiggle room for the hardware to go up or down a few inches.
Top Down Measures are also done for curved or arched windows when the window treatment will be mounted into a tight space. This works not only for drapery hardware but also for board mounted window treatments as well.
For a Top Down Measure, the drapery hardware is ordered and installed first before a finished length can be determined. Once the hardware is installed, a measurement is taken from the bottom of the ring to the floor. Then the work order can be done and sent on to the workroom.
These traversing panels are a good example of when to do a Top Down Measure. When the initial measure was done a deduction for the drapery hardware was not subtracted from the wall measurement before the panels were fabricated. Also the wrong deduction can be subtracted resulting in an incorrect finished length. Install was one of those ‘uh oh’ moments when the panels were installed and were dragging on the floor. New brackets were ordered which, fortunately, did correct the problem, but that was extra time and expense that could have been avoided.A little extra time and effort on the front end often saves much headache after the product is installed! Our measuring sheets can help make sure you get the right measurements the first time. One free download is available at www.seamlessworkroom.com/shop.
