I Stopped Fighting Crooked Windows With Select Blinds Outside Mount

I spent three hours trying to convince a laser level that my 1926 bungalow wasn't actually melting into the ground. It failed. Every window frame in this house is a unique, four-sided tragedy where '90 degrees' is merely a suggestion. After wasting a weekend trying to shim a set of smart shades into a frame that looked more like a trapezoid than a rectangle, I finally gave in and ordered a select blinds outside mount setup.

• Outside mounts hide crooked window trim by covering the entire frame.
• They provide necessary clearance for bulky motorized cassettes and battery wands.
• Mounting 'High and Wide' makes small, dated windows look significantly larger.
• Wall mounting is often more secure in old homes than drilling into thin, brittle window stops.

The Brutal Reality of 1920s Window Frames

When you live in a house that has survived a century of tectonic shifts and foundation settling, taking a measurement is an exercise in humility. I pulled out my Bosch laser level to prep for new smart shades and watched the red line reveal a devastating truth: the top of my living room window frame dips by over half an inch from left to right. If I had gone with an inside mount, that gap would have been glaringly obvious every time the sun hit the glass.

Modern smart tech thrives on precision. Motorized rollers need to be perfectly level to prevent the fabric from 'telescoping'—that annoying phenomenon where the shade rolls unevenly and eventually jams. In a house where nothing is level, trying to achieve that precision inside a crooked wooden box is a recipe for a migraine. I realized that fighting the architecture was a losing battle; I needed to hide it instead.

Giving Up the 'Inside Mount' Fantasy

We all want that sleek, flush-mount look we see in architectural digests. But forcing an inside mount on a parallelogram-shaped window is a disaster. If you size the shade to fit the narrowest part of the frame, you end up with massive light gaps on the sides. If you size it for the widest part, the fabric rubs against the wood trim every time the motor activates, eventually fraying the edges of your expensive custom shades.

By switching to a select blinds outside mount, I bypassed the internal geometry of the window entirely. Instead of cramming hardware into a tight, uneven space, I mounted the brackets to the flat wall surface above the window. This allowed me to level the headrail perfectly without the window frame dictating the angle. The result? A shade that rolls straight as an arrow, covering all the architectural sins lurking underneath.

Bonus: Room for the Motor Cassette

One thing nobody tells you about motorized shades is that the cassettes are often chunkier than manual ones. You've got a motor, a thicker roller tube to prevent bowing, and often a battery wand tucked inside. In my shallow 1920s frames, an inside mount would have resulted in the headrail protruding two inches into the room, looking like a total afterthought.

Mounting on the wall gave me all the depth I needed. I didn't have to worry about the battery pack hitting the glass or the fabric catching on the window crank. It also gave the motor more 'breathing room'—which might sound silly until you've heard a motor laboring because it's squeezed too tightly against a frame.

Pausing YouTube: What the Tutorials Missed

I watched the official select blinds installation video outside mount about five times before picking up the drill. The video makes it look easy because they are drilling into fresh drywall and pine studs. My reality involved crumbling plaster and lath. When you're mounting to the wall, you can't always guarantee a stud is exactly where your bracket needs to be.

I had to pivot from the standard instructions and use heavy-duty toggle bolts to ensure the weight of the motorized unit wouldn't rip the plaster out. I also learned that you should always pre-drill your holes. Old growth wood behind that plaster is basically petrified; if you try to drive a screw in cold, you'll either snap the head off the screw or crack your trim. I treated the video as a baseline but adapted my hardware to the 'character' of my walls.

The 'High and Wide' Measurement Trick

If you want to make your room look like it was designed by a pro, don't just cover the window. When I measured for the outside mount, I followed the how to install shades best practice of adding four inches to the width and three inches to the height. By mounting the brackets higher than the actual window opening, I created the illusion of a much taller ceiling.

Going wider also serves a functional purpose for smart homes. When the shades are fully retracted, the fabric sits mostly above the glass, maximizing the natural light coming in. This is a huge win for those of us who use 'Sunrise' automations to wake up. You get the full effect of the sun rather than having two inches of rolled-up fabric blocking the top of your view.

Six Months Later: Smooth Rolling and Hidden Flaws

I've been living with this setup for half a year now, and I haven't regretted the outside mount for a second. My 'Alexa, movie mode' routine drops the shades to 100% opacity, and because they overlap the frame, there is zero light leakage. It’s a total blackout experience that an inside mount simply couldn't achieve on these wonky frames.

The Zigbee motors have been rock solid, and I haven't had a single snag. If I had gone with a smart zebra blinds outside mount, I imagine the effect would be even more dramatic with the light filtering, but for my bedroom, the solid rollers are king. The best part? When people visit, they compliment the 'perfect' windows. They have no idea that behind those level, motorized shades lies a 1926 frame that is currently trying to lean toward the neighbor's yard.

FAQ

Do outside mount blinds block more light?

Yes. Because the fabric overlaps the entire window casing, you eliminate the 'halo' effect of light leaking through the sides. It's the superior choice for bedrooms or media rooms where light control is the priority.

Will an outside mount work if I have decorative trim?

It depends on the depth of the trim. Most outside mount brackets include spacers or are deep enough to clear standard casing. If your trim is exceptionally chunky, you might need 'extension brackets' to push the shade further out from the wall.

Is it harder to install than an inside mount?

In some ways, it's easier because you aren't cramped for space. However, you do need to be more precise with your leveling, as any tilt will be visible against the horizon of your ceiling or floor.