Why the blind is ordered with the window
A VELUX blind is cut for one window size. The size code (MK04, for instance) tells the maker the width and the height, so a blind for a CK04 will not hang in an MK04. When the window is measured and ordered, the blind is ordered against the same code, and both arrive together.
That matters more than it sounds. Ordering a blind later means finding the code on the window's type sign, which on a VELUX sits in the right-hand corner behind the ventilation flap and can be hard to reach on a high window. At installation the code is written on the survey sheet we hand you, so the blind order is a copy of a number already on paper.
If you are choosing a window at the same time, the guide to VELUX size codes explains how to read the letter and digits on a label.
Where the blind goes in the visit
Blinds are the last item to go up. The window has to be fixed, flashed and tested first, and the lining around the opening has to be finished, because the blind clips onto brackets pre-fitted in the window and its side rails run down the inside of the frame, against the lining.
- The window is fitted and the flashing dressed into the roof covering.
- The inside lining is finished and any dust is cleared.
- The blind is unboxed and clicked onto the pre-fitted brackets.
- The side rails are added and the blind is run through its full travel.
- The window is opened and closed with the blind up and down, to check nothing catches.
On a job where the lining needs plaster to dry, the blind may be fitted on a short second visit instead. The quote says which applies.
Allow a clear wall or sloping ceiling beside the window. A blind that is pulled down needs room for your hand at the bottom edge, and furniture pushed tight under the window can get in the way.
Choosing between the types
The types differ in what they do to the room, so the room is what picks the blind.
| Type | What it does | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Blackout | Shuts out nearly all daylight | Bedrooms, nurseries |
| Roller | Plain screen, dims the light | Studies, landings |
| Pleated | Soft light, holds at any height | Living rooms, kitchens |
| Venetian | Slats tilt to angle the light | Bathrooms, kitchens |
| External | Fitted on the outside of the glass | Sunny south-facing slopes |
A bedroom roof window is the usual reason people ask about a blackout blind. A roof slope has no curtain to draw across it, and the window sits above the bed, so early light arrives directly. A blackout blind with side channels keeps the gap around the edges small.
Light, glare and heat in a roof room
A roof window lets in more light than a wall window of the same area, because it faces the open sky. In a loft bedroom that can mean a bright room before six on a summer morning. In a home office it can mean glare across a screen at midday.
Fabric choice changes the result. A pale pleated blind softens the light and keeps the room bright. A dark blackout fabric takes the room close to dark. A venetian blind lets you angle the slats so the light goes to the ceiling and not onto the desk.
Heat follows the same logic. An internal blind sits inside the glass, so it screens the light but the pane has already warmed by then. If a slope gets hard sun, the survey notes its direction and we can talk through whether an external type is worth fitting while the roof is open. Opening windows also help to let warm air out of a loft room, and the opening rooflight options show what is available.
Manual or electric blinds
Most blinds are pulled by hand with a handle at the bottom edge, and this suits a window you can reach. On a high window, or a pair of windows over a stair, a powered blind can be easier to live with, because it is raised and lowered from a remote or a wall control.
A powered blind needs a power source. VELUX solar blinds charge themselves from sunlight and come with a remote, so no wiring is needed; electric blinds take power from the house, on VELUX through the electric window's control system. The wired ones are those that need to be planned before the plaster goes on, so the supply can be routed. If you are weighing this up with an electric opening window, the electric and opening rooflight installation page covers the wiring side.
Decide on a powered blind before the lining is finished, while a cable can still be routed to it.
External blinds and awnings
An external blind sits outside the glass, so it stops sun reaching the pane at all. VELUX states that its manual anti-heat blind is fitted from inside the room on windows 78 cm wide or more: the sash is opened, turned right round, and the blind is fixed to two hooks on the outside of the bottom of the sash. Ordering it with the window keeps it to the same size code.
VELUX suggests awning blinds for south-facing rooms that overheat in summer, since an internal blind has already let the heat through the glass. For a slope in shade for most of the day the benefit is smaller, and an internal blind is enough.
The survey notes the direction each slope faces, so the choice is made with that in front of you.
faq
blind questions
Can I add a blind to a window fitted years ago?
Often yes. The size code on the window's type sign tells you which blind fits, so the order is placed against that code.
Do blinds have to match the window colour?
Colour is your choice. The size code has to match; the fabric and the frame finish do not.
Is a blackout blind the same as a roller blind?
No. A blackout blind has a lined fabric and side channels to keep light out. A plain roller only dims it.
Will a blind stop the window opening fully?
No. A blind made for the window code folds or rolls clear of the sash, so the window opens through its normal range with the blind raised.