Thanks for the replies...grandma: I've thought about the curtain idea, but decided against it because of the way that shower curtains sometimes wrap themselves around people while showering. Ok, an exaggeration, I know, but imagine that from both sides. Shivers. Terriks: I saw the instructions on on the Terrell Design site and thought that I could do something like that with goretex or other water proof fabric. I might just do it...

The manufacturer will have a maximum width that they will make which may very well be less than 9'. When I was getting my wood blinds for my 5' window, I think I just came in under the wire for max width. Otherwise, I would have had to get 3 separate sections. Cell shades don't weigh so much, so that helps, but I suspect 9' may not be available. The mechanism -- top-down-bottom-up or just bottom-up -- may limit your choices as well at that width. I think my 5' limit was also because I wanted cordless.

And squirrels look so cute.... You Tube is your friend, check it out for step by step instruction videos for restringing roman shades. ML

I'd be weary, even if they're a good brand like Hunter Douglas. we have two different brands of cellular blinds. one cordless, one with a single loop cord. they each had totally different problems. the cordless ones were fine at first but went slightly slack on one side, making them crooked. the corded ones are not slack at all, but the strings seem off balance so they're also crooked. The reps told us there is no way to fix them. I can fix old school mini blinds by pulling different strings, but when it comes to these newer shades, the string winding mechanisms are contained inside the header and I couldn't find a way to access them. granted my brand was cheaper, so maybe Hunter Douglas will not do that. but be sure to ask your rep what to do if they go crooked. will they fix them? (if they say that they can't be fixed but they'll replace them, run away. do you want to ask for new sets of replacement blinds every couple of years, and then toss the old ones in the landfill?) as far as cordless -- I wouldn't recommend that for really wide shades. it's easier for one hand to go up higher and make them crooked, and then you have to stand there and adjust. imagine how annoying that would be on super wide shades. the loop cord is easier to operate.