Getting the measurement right is the whole ballgame when you order a custom shadecloth rollup kit. I've been sewing these for 25 years, and the single biggest thing that turns a happy customer into an unhappy one isn't the fabric or the color, it's a measurement that was off by an inch or two. So before you order anything, let's walk through exactly how to measure a deck for a shadecloth rollup kit, the same way I'd walk a customer through it standing at my counter.
Why Measuring Right Matters More Than You'd Think
A shadecloth rollup screen isn't like a curtain you can just fudge into place. It's built to a specific opening, with the attachment points spaced out evenly and the bottom pipe sized to fit inside a sewn pocket. If the measurement is wrong, even by a little, the screen either won't reach the posts on both sides or it'll be too big and overlap the posts on either side so the turn buttons won't attach. There's no adjusting it after the fact, not without redoing the whole panel. So this is the step where taking your time actually saves you money and a headache later.
What You'll Need Before You Start
You don't need anything fancy for this. A steel tape measure works better than a cloth one because it won't stretch or sag on you. You'll also want a pencil and paper, or your phone, to write numbers down as you go, because trying to remember four or five measurements in your head is how mistakes happen. If you've got a helper, grab them, a second set of hands makes holding the tape steady on a wide opening a lot easier. And do this on a day when the deck or porch is dry and you're not rushed, because rushing is the other way people get numbers wrong.
Step One: Identify Your Opening
Before you pull the tape measure out, look at the space where the screen is actually going to hang. This is usually between two porch posts, across a covered deck opening, along a boat dock support, or spanning a barn door frame. Whatever it is, that's your opening, and it's the space the finished screen needs to fill. I bring this up because a lot of folks measure the whole porch length instead of just the section between the two attachment posts, and that's a different number.
Measuring Between Posts or Support Beams
If your shadecloth is going to attach to two vertical posts, measure from the outside edge of one post to the outside edge of the other if you're doing a turn button style screen, since that screen is built to overlap each post by about an inch and a half on both sides. That overlap is intentional, it's what keeps the screen from gapping open at the edges when the wind picks up. So don't measure inside-to-inside if you're going turn button style, you'll come up short.
If you're doing a grommet or ball bungee attachment instead, the measurement works the opposite way. For that style you measure inside-to-inside, meaning from the inner face of one post to the inner face of the other. That's because the grommets or bungees sit just inside the post line rather than wrapping around it. Getting the overlap direction right for your attachment style is probably the single most common mix-up I see, so double check which style you're ordering before you commit to a number.
Step Two: Measure the Width
Once you know your opening and your attachment style, measure the width straight across, keeping the tape level and pulled snug but not stretched. Measure at the top, the middle, and the bottom of the opening, because a lot of decks and porches aren't perfectly square, especially older ones that have settled some over the years. If those three numbers come out different, use the smallest one for a grommet style screen so the finished panel isn't too wide to sit right, and use the largest one for a turn button style since that one needs the extra material for the overlap. When in doubt, write down all three numbers and let me know all three when you order, it helps me build the screen to actually fit your space instead of an average.
What to Do With an Uneven Opening
If your posts lean, your deck has settled, or one side is a couple inches off from the other, that's not unusual, and it doesn't mean you can't get a custom fit. Just measure it honestly instead of rounding to what you think it should be. I'd rather know the truth about a wonky opening up front and build to it than have a customer forcing a screen that was made for a perfectly square space into one that isn't.
Step Three: Measure the Height
Height matters just as much as width. The maximum height for a custom shadecloth rollup kit without adding on another piece of material is 86 inches, or 7 feet 2 inches. That's not an arbitrary number, it's tied to how wide the roll of fabric is. If your opening is taller than that, we can sew on an additional piece of fabric to make it the required height. There will be a seam running horizontally across the screen.
To measure height, run your tape from where the top mounting hardware will sit down to where you want the bottom edge of the screen to land, usually just above the deck or porch floor, or wherever the bottom pipe will hang when it's rolled down. Measure this on both the left and right sides of the opening, not just once in the middle, again because uneven structures are more common than people expect. You don't want the rollup resting on the floor, since movement of the screen will wear through the pullup ropes over time. It's best to leave at least an inch of gap at the bottom.
Leaving Room for the Bottom Pipe
Keep in mind the bottom edge of every rollup screen has a pipe slid into a pocket with set screws holding it in place. That pipe adds a little bit of weight and bulk at the bottom, so when you're deciding where you want the screen to land, give yourself a little clearance rather than measuring to the exact inch of the floor. An inch or so of breathing room at the bottom keeps the screen from dragging or catching when it's rolled all the way down.
Step Four: Note the Spacing for Attachment Points
Whether you're going with turn buttons or grommets, the hardware gets spaced out roughly 20 inches apart on the sides of the screen. You don't need to calculate this yourself, that spacing is something I figure out once I have your finished height, but it helps to know it going in so the number of turn buttons or grommets on your finished screen makes sense to you when it shows up.
A Few Things That Trip People Up
I want to be upfront about some of the mistakes I see most, because knowing them ahead of time will save you a phone call and a wait on a remake.
The first is measuring with a cloth tape that's stretched out from age. Cloth tapes can be off by half an inch or more over a long span without you ever knowing it, so stick with a metal one if you've got it.
The second is not accounting for shrinkage. Shadecloth, like most outdoor fabric, will shrink somewhat over its life, typically in the 2 to 3 percent range, and that's just the nature of the material sitting out in the heat and weather year after year. It's not covered under warranty because it's expected behavior, not a defect. I mention it here because it means your screen may shrink some, and if you're mounting it with turn buttons it's best to mount it a little loose so it doesn't end up too tight. I do make turn button screens slightly bigger to account for this. If it's attached with grommets, it doesn't matter, since the bungee absorbs the shrinkage on its own. Don't pad your numbers trying to account for it yourself, give me the real measurement and I'll adjust if needed and let the fabric do what fabric does.
The third mistake is confusing overlap style and inside measurement, which I already covered above, but it's worth repeating because it's the single most common reason a remake gets requested. Turn button style overlaps the post by an inch and a half on each side, so you measure outside-to-outside. Grommet and ball bungee style sits inside the post line, so you measure inside-to-inside. If you're not sure which one you're ordering, stop and ask before you send me a number.
Double-Check Before You Order
Once you've got your width and height measurements, along with notes on any unevenness in the opening, go back through them one more time. Measure twice, is the old saying, and it holds up here better than almost anywhere. A five-minute recheck now costs you nothing. A remake because the first screen was cut to the wrong number costs you both time and money, and honestly, it's the kind of mistake that's completely avoidable if you just take that second pass with the tape measure.
When to Just Ask Me Directly
If you've got an opening that's not a simple rectangle, posts that aren't parallel, or you're just not sure which measurement method applies to your setup, send me a message before you order rather than after. I'd rather answer a few questions up front and get your custom shadecloth rollup kit built right the first time than have you guess and end up with something that doesn't fit your deck or porch the way it should. That's the whole point of custom, it's built around your actual space, not a standard size that's close enough.
Thanks, Tracy
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