How to measure windows for curtains in Dhaka

To measure a window for curtains, use a steel tape and take the width at the top, middle and bottom, then the drop on the left, centre and right, all in millimetres. Order from the smallest reading and note any AC unit, grill or beam near the window. For tall, motorised or blackout windows, book an on-site measure before anything is cut.

A made-to-measure curtain hangs properly only if the tape reading was right. A few millimetres off at the start grows once fullness, side overlap and drop are added. On a blackout install it shows up as a thin line of light down the edge.

This is how we measure a window when we visit a Dhaka flat, written so you can do a first pass yourself. Use it before you come to the studio, or to see what our on-site visit actually covers.

An accurate measure protects the whole order

We cut and finish to the opening you have, whether that is a Gulshan apartment or an office floor. Get the width or drop wrong and the panels drag on the floor or gape at the sides. Ten slow minutes with a tape before production starts is the cheapest insurance you'll buy.

Measuring tools: a steel tape, never a cloth one

You'll want a steel tape, because cloth tapes stretch, plus a notebook or the notes app on your phone and a step stool or steady ladder for high openings. Keep your phone camera handy to photograph each window and anything in the way, such as AC units, grills or deep reveals.

Write in millimetres if you can. Centimetres work too, as long as every line has its unit written next to it.

Inside mount, outside mount and the Dhaka recess

For blackout curtains we usually suggest an outside mount, because the fabric can overlap the glass on every side.

A lot of Dhaka apartments have shallow recesses that are slightly out of square, with a window handle or an AC indoor unit sitting right where a track would go. In those rooms outside mount is usually the safer call. Your consultant confirms it during the measure.

Measuring curtain width at three heights

1. Measure across the opening near the top, again at the middle, and once more near the bottom. For outside mount, measure along the line where the track will go.

2. Write all three down.

3. If they differ, order from the smallest width. Fabric won't stretch to cover a wider gap lower down.

In a bedroom or any blackout room, plan side overlap past the frame on an outside mount. Industry practice often sits somewhere around 50 to 150 mm each side. Take that as a starting point only. We settle the real figure on site once we see what the wall and furniture allow.

Measuring the drop from track to hem

Decide where the track or pole will sit, then measure down to where you want the curtain to stop.

A sill length ends at the sill or just under it. An apron length runs a short way past the sill. A floor length clears the floor by a little, or just touches it, depending on how you like it to hang.

Take the drop on the left, in the centre and on the right. Floors and ceilings in Dhaka flats are often a little out of level, so keep the smallest usable figure and write down any slope you notice.

In a Dhaka flat, photograph and measure around split AC indoor units, window grills, deep concrete reveals, ceiling beams, and any furniture under the window. Each one changes where a track can go and how far a panel can travel.

Fullness and how much fabric to allow

A curtain needs more fabric than the width of the glass, or it looks flat when it is closed. A common rule in the trade is roughly 1.5× to 2× the measured width. A light fabric on a soft wave sits near the low end, and a fuller pleat needs more.

Read that as general guidance. We set fullness after you choose a fabric, and the written quote you get after the measure is the number that counts.

Bay windows get measured one opening at a time

Measure each opening on its own and never average them. Note corners and shared mullions, and decide whether panels should meet, overlap, or stack back clear of a door swing.

The measuring mistakes we see on site

The usual ones are a soft sewing tape that stretches, a single reading at mid-height and nothing else, and no side overlap on a blackout outside mount. AC units and grills get forgotten until install day, cm and mm end up mixed on the same page, and some people order from a photo with no tape check at all.

Tall and blackout windows need a professional measure

Tall or very wide windows deserve a professional measure. So do motorised, acoustic and blackout jobs where a gap would bother you every night. Our process goes from consultation and fabric choice to the measure, then production and install.

How Hello Sun does it

Our process goes from consultation and fabric choice to the measure, then production and install, all by our own team.

1. You start with a consultation at our Gulshan 2 flagship or the Elephant Road atelier, both listed on our contact page. Our studio experience page explains how a visit works.

2. You choose fabrics from our sheer curtains and blackout curtains, and we set the fullness.

3. Our technicians measure every window on site, including the AC units, grills and beams around it.

4. We make the curtains to that measure, and our own team installs them.

Finished rooms are in Hello Sun projects, and more answers are in our curtain FAQs. If you're still choosing fabrics, read blackout vs sheer curtains for Dhaka apartments.

Next step

Bring your notes and photos, and book an on-site measure through our contact page.