Can blinds be added to a VELUX window?

A blind on a vertical window hangs from the wall above and falls straight down. A roof window is sloped, and often it is above head height. A blind that simply hung would sag away from the glass, let light around the edges and be awkward to reach.

Roof window blinds therefore run in side channels or guides fixed to the frame, which hold the fabric close to the glass whatever the angle. The blind is pulled up or down along them with a handle or a pole, or moved by a small motor. Because the channels attach to the frame, the blind has to be made for that frame, and the size code on the data plate is what tells a supplier which blind to send. Our guide to VELUX size codes explains the code, and our answer on finding your VELUX window size says where to read it.

The series matters as well as the size. Two windows with the same size code but from different generations may need different blind fixings. A photo of the plate and of the frame is the surest way to be matched with the right blind.

There are four broad choices, and they do different jobs.

• Blackout blinds block almost all light. They suit bedrooms and nurseries where a bright summer morning or a street light is the problem.
• Light-filtering blinds soften the daylight without cutting it. Pleated and plain roller types in a pale fabric keep a room bright and take the glare off.
• Insulating or honeycomb blinds trap a layer of air at the glass. In winter they reduce heat loss through the window on cold nights.
• External blinds and shutters sit outside the glass and stop sun heating the room before it comes in. They are for hot weather, and they are fitted to the outside of the sash.

Many rooms end up with two layers. A light-filtering blind for the day and a blackout for the night, each running in its own channels. A roof window that fills a loft bedroom with light in June can be too bright at five in the morning, and the same window on a grey November afternoon may need no blind at all.

Most blind advice is about keeping the sun out. In Nottingham, the problem for much of the year is the opposite. From October to March the sky is overcast for long spells, the sun is low and the room can be dim with the window uncovered. A heavy dark blind left down in those months makes it worse.

For living rooms, kitchens and landings, a light-filtering blind in a pale colour is usually the better choice. It cuts glare on the odd bright day and, when pulled up or left open, gives you the full sky. For bedrooms, a blackout blind earns its place for the summer evenings and stays open through the winter days.

An insulating blind is worth thinking about if the room feels cold at night. It does not replace the glazing, which does the main work in keeping heat in, but a layer of trapped air at the glass takes the edge off a cold pane. If you see condensation on the window in the mornings, a blind alone will not cure it. That points to ventilation or a gap in the insulation around the frame, and we look at it on the survey.

Our page on daylight for grey days sets out the thinking behind choices like these.

A blind on a window you can reach is simple to run by hand. A blind on a window set high in a sloped ceiling is not. Poles help, but a powered blind is easier to live with.

Powered blinds come in two types. A mains-wired one needs a supply run to the window, which is a job best planned when the ceiling is open or the lining is being replaced. A battery type is fed by a small solar panel on the blind itself, and needs no cable, though it relies on daylight to charge, which is a consideration in a dim room in December. Both can be operated with a remote, and some can be grouped to run several blinds together.

If you want power, mention it at the survey. Any electrical work must meet the Building Regulations, and the supply route is far easier to arrange at the same time as the window than afterwards. We can allow for the route in the quote, and a written total is fixed after the visit.

Blinds that are added later still work well. Fixing is to the window frame, with no need to touch the glass or the roof covering, so adding one does not put the weatherproofing at risk.

The steps are straightforward. Read the data plate, note the code and series, choose the type, order the matching blind and fix it to the frame. If you are replacing a window, say that you want blinds at the survey, so that the new unit is specified with its fixings in mind. Tell us whether you are after light control, darkness or insulation, and we will talk through what suits the room.

A photo of the plate and the whole window is all we need to begin; the quote form on this page takes it, as does WhatsApp on 07880 284133. The survey costs nothing, and a written quote follows with a fixed total. More about the job itself is on our VELUX window installation and replacement page, and a ten-year workmanship guarantee is given in writing.