Stack Height: The distance from the bottom of the bottom rail to the top of the headrail of a window treatment that is fully raised up to the top of the window.
Knowing Stack Height Helps to:
- Determine where you should hang your shade above doors or window frames.
- Envision how much space at the top of the window will be blocked by the shade.
- Decide which type of shade to get in the first place!
Shade Thickness Factors:
We use the most compact materials available for the insulation and ease-of-use our insulating shades provide. Three factors determine the stack height, which includes the bottom rail, the fabric, and the headrail, when the shade is fully raised up at the top of the window opening.
Length
Not surprisingly, the length of your shade dictates the overall stack height. What is surprising is that for every two feet of length, you only add about ½” to the stack height!
A nifty tool we offer on each product page is a table that shows the stack height by length. There are different stack heights for every single type of shade, so when you’re shopping, be sure to check out the “Measuring & Install” tab to see the stack heights:
Control Mechanism
The top rail of your shade that snaps into the installation bracket is called the headrail. We have two different types of headrail: one for our cordless, Smoothy, and motorized shades, and one for our standard shades.
The cordless, Smoothy, and motorized headrail is the big one. It houses the winding mechanisms, rods, and so forth. The height of this headrail is 1 ½”, and if you upgrade to top down/bottom up, it’s another ½” higher because of the moveable middle rail at the top of the fabric. Still, 2” isn’t so bad, even on short windows!
The standard headrail is only ½” tall! If you go for standard top down/bottom up, it’s another ½”.
Fabric Choice
We have four different types of fabric: double cell light filtering, double cell blackout, single cell light filtering, and single cell blackout. Our double cell fabric features 3/8” pleats, meaning there is 3/8” from one crease to the next. Our single cell fabric features ½” pleats. Therefore, single cell fabric creates a thicker stack height. There is more fabric being used to reach the necessary length.
Use your knowledge of stack heights to shop wisely and get your perfect shade!