Blinds Buying Guide

So.. you have your stunning new roof window installed and you’re enjoying the refreshing ventilation and natural daylight on offer, but something is missing. Maybe the sunrise wakes you up far too early, disrupting your sleep or maybe the sunlight is a little too bright when you are trying to work in your home office.

The next logical step for a lot of people is to purchase a new blind for your roof window. You go to a website to be greeted by a wide range of blinds and you just don’t know which blind is best suited for you and your requirements.

Well fear no more, because we have put together an extensive buying guide that we feel will help you make that all important decision and choose the right blind for your home.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Whilst we would love to be able to supply just one blind that would cover every single roof window regardless of brand or size, this simply isn’t the case, but that doesn’t mean you should give up hope of uninterrupted sleep or being able to concentrate whilst working. This section has been put together so you can choose the right size for your window.

With most standard blinds for your standard windows, you would measure the size of your window opening, purchase the next size up and cut it down. For this occasion, only, we would like you to take that information, screw it up in a ball and boot it out your shiny new roof window. Why? Because the method of choosing a blind that is compatible with your roof window size, doesn’t even require you to open your toolbox and take out your tape measure.

When it comes to roof windows, an extremely large portion of them is manufactured to set sizes; 55 x 78 cm, 78 x 98 cm and 134 x 140 cm are just a few of the set sizes available from RoofLITE+ and VELUX respectively. This makes them different to standard windows as these are usually bespoke made for your home or set of homes on your street. Therefore, you can purchase standard blinds and cut them down to your desired size in these instances.

With roof windows, the process is much different and will cause several issues if you buy a larger blind and cut it down, such as spending more money than you need to and voiding any warranty or guarantee that comes with the blind itself and most importantly, if any modifications were made to your roof window to accommodate the modified blind, you could also void the guarantee of your roof window.

So here is how you do it. Simply open your roof window so that the top of the sash is at eye height. At the top of the sash, you will see some serial numbers. It is worth taking a photo of these if you can, so you don’t need to keep going back and forth. Amongst these serial numbers, you will find all the information you need to order whichever blind you like.

For example, most standard VELUX roof windows will display a code that begins with either GGL, GGU, GPL or GPU. It is the characters just after this that are most important. Below is a table of all VELUX sizes.

Once you have identified what that segment of your code means and what size it relates to, you can now choose the correct blind size for your roof window. The most difficult section of the blind buying process is done.

Don’t Choose Blindly

The next stage is down to your personal needs and preferences for your blind because now is the time to choose the blind you require.

This can be a daunting task, especially when you consider that some blinds aren’t suitable for some rooms, but a little saying here at AC Supplies is INHAWD; (If No Humidity, Any Will Do). What we mean by this is that the main consideration for choosing a blind for your room is whether that room experiences high humidity such as a bathroom or kitchen. If it does, then your best option is a Venetian Blind, available for VELUX.

However, if it is a room such as a bedroom, home office and living room then it is ultimately down to personal preference and what you need from your blind. For example, if you don’t wish to be woken by the sunrise, then a Blackout Blind is a good option. If you want basic privacy in your home office along with diffusing light so you can concentrate, then a Roller Blind may be best for you.

We carry various blinds that offer various benefits to your home and ultimately you and once it is established what the purpose of the blind needs to be, selecting one becomes so much easier.

Unlike Coldplay, It Doesn’t Need To Be Yellow

Whilst yellow isn’t an option for our range of blinds, we do offer an extensive range of colour options and you may come to realise that blinds can be just as stylish as they are useful.

There is no colour that fits all styles of homes, but it is fair to say that a blind colour is one of the first things on our mind. After all, we realise that they can offer stunning finishes to our roof windows and in essence, our home. Neutral colours are available as standard with our roof window blinds such as blue, beige, white and grey, but if you want something that pops, we can also supply colours such as golden beige and orange and even darker colours such as brown and black.

It is worth noting that a common misconception with blackout blinds is that the overall colour affects the effectiveness of the blackout characteristics. This isn’t the case as it is the material that is blackout, not the colour itself. For example, a white blackout blind carries the same blackout effect as a black blackout blind.

Colour choice is down to your own personal preference, and it is entirely up to you how you wish to incorporate which colour into your home. Whether you would like to incorporate neutral and clean colours into your home or go for an extremely vibrant look with mis-match colours, it is entirely up to you.

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

So, you’ve decided the type of blind you want, you’ve chosen the colour and the size that is suitable for both your roof window and your home. The next question. Is there anything else?

It might be overwhelming to have more choices thrown at you, but this guide has been put together so you can understand those options and make a decision. For example, did you know that we also supply Electric and Solar Blinds for VELUX roof windows?

These have been primarily designed to be used alongside the VELUX INTEGRA range of roof windows, but can be installed into manual roof windows, if you wanted something a little snazzier. Purchase a VELUX KUX Motor Control Unit alongside your electric blind, and you can install it on a VELUX manual roof window. However, if you want to be eco-friendly, a solar powered blind can be installed into a manual or solar powered VELUX roof window with no additional components required.

The only exceptions are that you can’t install a solar or manual blind on a VELUX electric roof window or an electric blind on a VELUX solar roof window.

If you have a roof window installed out-of-reach, any of these options will do. However, it is likely that you may have purchased a VELUX Telescopic Pole, if you have purchased a manual VELUX roof window, so if your budget is a little constraint, a VELUX Pole Adaptor will sit at the bottom of any VELUX internal blind and allow you to operate your blind with your telescopic pole.

You’re Not On Your Own

If you ever feel you need assistance with purchasing a blind for your roof window, then please don’t worry or struggle. Our helpful sales team is always on hand to help you through the blind buying process. Contact us via telephone, e-mail or live chat and we will be more than happy to help.