Tall Window Shades & Blinds

Tall windows are a height problem, and height is the dimension where our systems run out first. A two-storey entry, a vaulted great room or a stairwell window can carry 10 or 12 feet of glass, and what decides your order is not the product you like but the lift system you pick, because every control has a different ceiling. The second problem is reach: a shade you cannot get to from the floor has to either stay where you put it or move on a motor. Everything here is made to the size you measure and ships direct to you.

Which shades and blinds reach a tall window

Cellular shades go highest. On a bead chain, cellular reaches 157 inches of drop at every cell size, more height than anything else we build, and it earns its place for a second reason: a two-storey wall of glass is usually the biggest single heat loss in the house. Light filtering cellular is the general purpose choice and blackout cellular the one for a tall bedroom.

Roller shades cover the rest. Light filtering roller reaches 137 3/4 inches high on our squared cassette, while blackout and sunscreen goods stop at 118 inches on the same hardware. Woven wood reaches 118 inches on clutch loop, wand and motorized systems, and its valance scales with the drop: 6 inches up to 59 inches of shade height, 8 inches to 86 5/8 inches, and 12 inches from there to 118 inches.

The control you choose sets the height limit

On cellular, bead chain is the only control that reaches full height on any cell size. Cordless cellular caps at 94 inches high, because the spring has to balance the stack weight. Motorized cellular at 38 mm and 45 mm caps at 79 inches, which is the combination most likely to fail on a tall window. If you want a motor and real height in cellular, 25 mm reaches 98 inches motorized.

The same pattern runs through the other products. Cordless woven wood caps at 106 inches while clutch loop, wand and motor all reach 118 inches, since a spring cannot hold position across that much travel where a clutch or motor holds it mechanically. On roller, any shade over 100 inches high moves to the 43 mm tube and the large cassette, reaching 118 inches wide and 120 inches high. That is not a preference, a 38 mm tube will not carry that drop.

For a window you cannot reach, a motor is the sensible answer, and our base RF433 motor can be solar-powered, which is the right call for high glass you would rather not take down twice a year to charge. Lithium motors otherwise want a six hour charge every six months even when unused. On Apple devices choose the Matter motor, which talks to HomePod directly; Zigbee reaches five specific Echo devices without a hub, and everything else needs an RF hub.

Measuring and installing at height

Measure the drop in two places and use the longer figure, since a tall opening is more likely to be out of plumb. For an inside mount, take 1/4 inch off the measured width. For an outside mount, add about 3 7/8 inches to width and height so the shade overlaps the opening and closes the light gap. Woven wood needs 1 5/8 inches of depth inside mounted and 2 1/8 to 2 5/8 inches for a flush headrail.

Fitting needs a 6 mm drill bit, and the brackets mark at 1.1 inch screw spacing. Two anchor types ship in the box, so match the anchor to your wall. Two screws on opposite sides hold fine on a sound wall, but each bracket has four pre-drilled holes and a tall shade, or any install above a stairwell or door, should use all four. Hook the valance groove onto the bracket latch, press until it clicks, and confirm top and rear have locked.

Order samples first, since a fabric reads differently across 10 feet of drop than it does in your hand. Everything here carries a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, with motors and controls covered for five years.