Skylight blinds: A guide to the different types

Everything you need to know before buying

Like many household product, blinds for skylight windows come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Some are designed with a tangible purpose in mind, while others are more for show. One thing’s for sure - buying any type of skylight blind for your roof window will add something, be it aesthetic or in practicality.

What to Consider When Buying

Budget:

When browsing in-store or online for skylight window blinds, there are a few things to bear in mind. Of course, your primary concern will be budget. Skylight blinds come in a huge range of prices, from cheaper options at around £20 to high-tech automatic rollers that cost upwards of £300-400. It all depends on the purpose of the flat roof skylight blinds, and how much you’re willing to spend. Don’t forget to factor in installation costs. If you can do it yourself, all the better, but not everyone’s handy with a toolbox and stepladder.

Style:

For most people, style is also a key consideration when buying flat roof skylight blinds. Don’t underestimate the power a skylight blind can have on your room. Think of it like this - a nice, cream coloured venetian blind probably isn’t ideal for a kids room with spaceships on the walls, and in reverse, a bright purple skylight blind won’t fit in the lounge. The style of your blinds can also impact the lighting of the room, another factor that can have a key say in its atmosphere. It’s well worth spending some time on figuring out exactly what you want from your skylight window blinds.

Use:

Next up, what sort of use do you want from your flat roof skylight blinds? It’s something lots of buyers don’t realise, but your blinds can actually serve a purpose if you want or need them to. Maybe your room is the victim of too much sun at certain times of day. There’s a blind for that. Plenty of lines offer blackout blinds that can shelter you and your room from glare and heat, creating a shaded, tranquil atmosphere that’s perfect for home offices or lounges.

Different rooms call for different blinds and features. For example, if your skylight is in the attic, the right blind can offer better insulation, keeping more heat in during the cold of winter. People often ask us “which blinds are best for bathrooms?” - it’s a good question, given the levels of moisture present in any bathroom. Blinds made from synthetic materials like PVC or aluminium offer an easy to clean, easy to care for solution for your bathroom or kitchen, one where the blinds won’t crack or warp.

Types of Skylight Blinds

Blackout - As the name suggests, these skylight blinds are designed to block out the sun and its UV rays. Generally, owners can flick between full blackout - staving off heat as much as light - and fully open, meaning you can bask in the sun’s rays whenever you like.
Take a look at our Duratech Multi Fit Blackout Blind - Designed to fit multiple different makes of Roof Window in a range of sizes.

Cellular/Pleated - These skylight blinds pleats allow slivers of sunlight to sneak through, giving you lighting that’s more muted and diffused. Pleated blinds are great for setting an atmosphere, and can also keep out much of the heat and UV rays shining through the window.

Venetian - People who like full and immediate control over their blinds like Venetian. These are popular with normal windows in UK homes, especially with nosy neighbours! You can rotate the blind slats, giving you a full range between open and closed. That means you can diffuse the light as much or as little as you like.

Added Features - As we alluded to above, as the cost of skylight blinds rises, so do the number of features that come with them. Special blinds can be purchased for high humidity/moisture rooms, offering highly durable, easy to maintain materials that last. Plenty of types of blinds can also be controlled via an electronic system, making opening and closing easy, fast, and safe.

How to Install Skylight Blinds

If you lack the confidence or physical ability to install skylight blinds yourself, don’t feel bad. Most people aren’t well versed in DIY to such a degree that they can take on these types of projects. Particularly when installing larger or more complex blind systems, it’s better left to an experienced professional, and most suppliers will offer an installation service for a small fee.

If you do decide to take on installing your own skylight blinds, here’s the way to do it:

1. Measure twice, order once - Ordering the wrong size of blinds will set you back time, effort, and money. Make sure you accurately measure the window box, and a set of blinds and brackets that fit to perfection.
2. Do some research, then place the order - Make sure the company you buy from has a clearly explained returns policy, and that their delivery features instructions.
3. Inventory your delivery - Nothing’s worse than starting an installation and realising you’re missing parts. Cross-check everything in the box with the instructions, and make sure nothing’s missing.
4. Drill/Screw the side tracks into the window box - Make sure the tracks are the right way up, i.e. the thicker portion is closer to the ground. This ensures the blinds don’t fall out. It’s always worth marking the spots for drilling with a pencil - that way, you’ll hold yourself to a set position that’s right.
5. Place the top brackets - This is where things start to differ based on the type of flat roof skylight blinds you elect to buy. Each instruction pack will be different, but generally, you can install them with a Phillips head screw driver with little effort.
6. Follow the instructions on how to place the blind itself - Again, it’s tough to offer standardised advice here, because most blinds are slightly different from each other. Read, then reread the instructions, then connect the blinds to the top brackets.

If your flat roof skylight blinds have extra features, for example, electronic controls, they may be a little more complex to install. That said, many companies will offer a low cost or free installation based on the higher cost of the blinds themselves.

If you’re ready to start on a skylight blinds project, we’re on hand to help.

Click here to browse our range of high quality blinds in a range of styles.