Am I speaking a foreign language? That might be the question that occurs to you when ordering custom rawhide lamp shades or replacement lamp shades. It can be very exasperating because various people measure lampshades quite differently.

The whole ordering process is compounded by telephone discussions and web ordering. If you know how you can best measure a lamp shade to get the right fit and also communicate the proper size, you will avoid problems and receive the lamp shade you thought you would.

The type of material the shade is made of doesn't matter, there are important tips you should understand to correctly measure and order a lamp shade and also the proper description that will help you insure that the specialist receiving your order is on the same track. We produce custom rawhide lamp shades for rustic
western lamps and southwestern home decor. Because we come across this this problem nearly everyday we have some tips that we use to insure the proper look for a lamp, even without seeing the lamp and shade and lamp together.

How to measure:
1. You will need to have three exact measurements, the bottom diameter, top diameter and height. The bottom diameter is the measurement across the bottom of the lamp shade. The top diameter is always measured across the top opening of the shade. The height of a lampshade must be measured straight up and down vertically, never up the slant.

This is where the confusion can begin. When communicating the measurements various individuals and companies will use the three dimensions in various order, it's not uniform, so be careful that you are not confusing the bottom and height measurements for example.

2. The height has to be measured straight up and down, but some companies will measure along the slant. These two measurements can vary or be quite different and may make the finished shade to be made wrong if confused. You should always explain how the height has been measured. It's worth noting that most people who measure the slant rather than the shade height refer to it as the shade's length rather than height.

vital Tip On Height Measurement:
The reason you must measure height up and down, vertically, is that the height measurement of your lamp from bulb socket base to top of harp is always the minimum vertical height you will want to cover the electrical parts with the shade.

vital Adjusting Height Tip:
When considering a stock replacement shade, the lamp's overall height and look can be adjusted. The wire harp that holds the shade above the bulb is simple to replace. That is great news if a standard shade is say an inch to short. In stead of having to order a custom shade you could possibly change the harp causing the shade to sit lower on the lamp to give you the proper look.

lamp shade Mounting Type:
The standard shade mount has a center bar across the top with a hole for the harp mount or a washer centered by three supports that attach to the top rim of the shade. Both designs allow the shade to be secured to the harp. Some types of lamps and chandeliers don't use a harp but rather use a bulb adapter clip to attach directly to the bulb. A bulb clip is simply two wire loops that are attached to the shade's center bar and grip the bulb.

A bulb clip adapter can be added to any stock shade to allow it to be placed over the bulb. Chandelier lamp shades almost always have built-in bulb clips made for the small flame or candelabra type bulbs. Lamp shades used as hanging lamps can use an uno mount which has a center ring large enough for the bulb socket to pass through. These also appear on some table lamps. You can use a bulb clip on a replacement shade instead of an uno mount.

You find these tips useful on your future rawhide lamp shade or replacement lampshade project and you will certainly to measure, order and receive the right size lamp shade the without any trouble for fabric or rawhide lamp shades.