Window measurements in France

October 2010  We bought a window for the laundry room. It was 45cm by 45cm and is an opening and closing window to seal the gaping window hole which was more like a gap that archers would have fired through only wider, into what is called The Atelier.  Captain Sensible did whatever was necessary to make it fit the hole which is wider internally than externally, and above it leave a gap for the ventilation grid, as in this room there is a central heating boiler!  It looks really nice painted Lead White.  We were pleased.
Then we move to the second window which already has brique verre on the outside wall. We removed the nasty yucky badly fitted gungy secondary glass on the inside.  Captain S managed to improve this rather badly installed window attending to it from the exterior as well as interior.   The required window had to be ordered because the dearly beloved Brico shop was out of stock. We waited because we are in France!  We didn't want to travel there and back for almost 2 hours just for a window.  In order "to get on" the window area including the beautifully place wooden sill was finished off.
Later, holding the window to the hole, we couldn't understand why it was too big!   
The reason???  It is advertised as a window 75cm high and 60cm wide so we assumed that is the size of the hole.   Mais NON!!! This is France.... please read the small print at the bottom of the window chart.... each window is actually 3 cm wider and 5 cm higher or vice versa, than the actual measurements advertised in large print at the top of the chart!!!
Our research tells us that this is the norm in Bricodepot and in Le Roy Merlin.
Does this happen in England?Therefore our hole is too small.  Captain S is going to have to undo the neat work. We will have to return to the shop and purchase another window because we returned the one we had bought.


The moral of the tale is to scan and read everything not just what one wants to read!