uyers Guide...Many blinds are prone to catch on handles and cover window ledges. In fact some, such as roller blinds, can be quite noisy clattering against the window, if a summer

Buyer’s Guide

Here at “Conservatory Blinds Buyer’s Guide” we have

worked with one of our key partners, Thomas Sanderson, to

be able to provide our customers with a comprehensive

buying guide to conservatory blinds. This guide seeks to

help you understand the process of buying conservatory

blinds and which products are available to you, in a simple

and easy to read manner.

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www.conservatoryblinds-buyersguide.co.uk

Introduction

If you are planning to build a conservatory or already have

one, you may not have given conservatory blinds a second

thought, especially if you have lived with your conservatory

through the summer. However, with so much choice available

you may not know where to start.

This report looks at conservatory blinds, and provides useful

hints and tips to help you decide what kind to choose, and

how to find a reputable company to make and fit your

bespoke blinds for your conservatory.

Conservatories have always been affected by the extremes of

the British summer or winter climate - after all they are

predominately made of glass. Even so, it is not difficult to

ensure that your conservatory can be used all year round and

blinds can help you to do this.

Conservatory Blinds - Buyer’s Guide

Conservatory Blinds

Probably the single most important consideration when

putting the finishing touches to your conservatory, will be the

difference of having a functional extra room transformed into

a room that feels like a part of your home. Blinds will provide

the backdrop and the colour you need to furnish your

conservatory - whatever its function.

They provide the personality and individuality in the same

way that you would use paint or wallpaper in other areas of

your home. As well as this - they will help you to maximise

the usage of your new room, due to the fact that as they can

reduce heat and glare in the summer months, while retaining

warmth in the winter.

“Blinds will be the difference from having an extra room, to

having a room that feels like a part of your home.”

Blinds will also protect your belongings from the fading

effects of the sun.

To do this, they need to be made from a fabric which is

resistant to the heat and glare of the sun. In addition, to get

the best possible performance from your blinds it is very

important that your conservatory is well ventilated.

Ventilation allows the heat to escape rather than build-up

behind the blind, and by doing so it allows you to control not

only the glare but the heat levels inside your conservatory.

Your conservatory company or the blinds supplier should be

able to help you with any questions you have regarding

ventilation.

Putting blinds in your conservatory need not ruin your view,

hide your conservatory structure or be bulky.

In fact, if you opt for a bespoke pleated conservatory blind

for instance, they can sit snugly into the recess of your

window. This means you will hardly notice them when they

are retracted, offering the perfect solution for conservatory

windows, roofs and doors.

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Which Blinds?

In this section, we focus on blinds and how they can help you

get the most from your conservatory - whatever you use it

for.

Blinds are available in a number of different styles: you may

even have some of them in your home already. They are

increasingly becoming a more popular choice of window

coverings as people opt for less fussy and more sophisticated

soft furnishings. There is also a good deal of choice, with

many different types of blinds available. But can you use the

same blinds that you use in the windows of your home in

your conservatory?

Of course it is possible, but in most cases it would not be

recommended. Domestic blinds are totally unsuitable for the

roof, and many cannot stand up to long periods of exposure

to heat and light radiation. They are easily damaged and

degrade in a conservatory environment. So how do you as a

consumer know which blinds will stand up to the rigours of

this environment?

The first option is to use a specialist conservatory blind

company, more about that later. The second is to use a blind

that has been tried and tested in conservatories for many

years. One good example is the pleated conservatory blind,

another option that became popular in Victorian England is

pinoleum or as it was originally called, French pinoleum.

Many blinds are prone to catch on handles and cover window

ledges. In fact some, such as roller blinds, can be quite noisy

clattering against the window, if a summer breeze is coming

through an open window or door.

Where good ventilation is achieved using fanlight windows,

the majority of conservatory owners choose pleated blinds

over other alternatives because they provide the best

solution for the conservatory environment.

Of conservatory owners choosing blinds for their

conservatory, 59% said pleated blinds were their preferred

choice.


Blind Types

With so much glass in a conservatory, levels of heat, infrared

and UV radiation can be very extreme, so the blinds chosen

need to stand up to this.

Pleated blinds are one of the best choices for these

conditions, and in fact many conservatory companies will

only recommend suppliers of pleated blinds to their

customers - they know these are the best choice and will

enhance their conservatories beautifully. But there are other

types of blinds available.

Although you will find that some companies will sell normal

domestic window blinds as being suitable for a conservatory.

You should be wary and make sure you are happy with the

level of heat and glare protection, as well as the way they will

fit and be operated.

In many cases you can be left with a forest of cords hanging

everywhere. This can be unsightly as well as a safety hazard.

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Pleated Blinds

We have already mentioned that pleated blinds are a popular

choice for use in a conservatory but why are they so popular?

Pleated blinds are ideal for use in a conservatory. The pleats

that form this type of blind allow the blind manufacturer to

create specialist shapes and angles that are often found in

conservatories but are usually difficult to cover with more

common types of blinds.

They are also extremely discreet when retracted and as they

are recessed, in many cases you won't lose the use of your

window sills. You can even open windows and allow

ventilation with the blinds fully extended.

Pleated blinds are usually available in a range of reflective

fabrics that really help reduce the heat and glare in the

summer, but also help to keep your conservatory nice and

warm during the winter months too.


Pleated blinds offer:

Exceptional performance

Stylish finish

Sun and glare protection

Robust and well-designed systems

Choice of fabric/colour

Easy operation

Easily motorised

Good choice for roof applications

Flexibility - they can fit in windows and doors of

all shapes

100% application across the individual panels allows

complete privacy

Discreet when closed

Things to avoid when buying pleated conservatory blinds:

Blinds systems where it is not possible to remove and

refit for cleaning

Fabrics that cannot be cleaned and maintained

Non-reflective fabrics behind glass and polycarbonate

(reflective fabrics should not be used under PVC roofs

such as Ultralite or Everlite roofs - the high heat

intensity generated by the sun and fabric could

potentially damage the roof and could invalidate your

conservatory's guarantee)

Dark colours - these fade far quicker. Look for fabrics

that achieve a colour fastness of 6+ on the grey scale

White fabrics in the roof - they will

cause a lot of unnecessary glare


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Pinoleum Blinds

If pleated blinds aren't suitable for your conservatory, or you

simply don't like them, pinoleum is a popular alternative.

Pinoleum offers the opportunity to allow light to filter

through while still providing shading.

Although pinoleum became popular in the conservatories and

orangeries of Victorian England and still remain very

traditional in feel, they can look good in almost any type of

conservatory.

Even in modern UPVc conservatories, Pinoleum brings classic

design to the urban home with great effect.

Although Pinoleum has traditionally been unable to offer

some of the heat reduction benefits that blinds such as

pleated are able to, this is changing. Technology and design

has improved, and now sophisticated Pinoleum blinds with

solar reflective coatings that help deflect heat and help

control the temperature of your conservatory are available.


Pinoleum blinds for both window and roof applications by

their nature can be heavy to operate, so thankfully they can

be motorized. If you are considered motorized Pinoleum

blinds especially for your roof, it is imperative that you use a

good supplier with experience of this type of installation.

Pinoleum Blinds offer:

Stunning and stylish

Conservatory finish

Traditional colonial feel

Softens the effect of the sun allowing

soft flecks of light to shine through


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Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds can be a great option to use in the

conservatory, and tend to be a very popular solution to

control how much light spills into the room. These blinds

really are a great all round versatile blind.


Here are some points to highlight its versatility:

Available in wood or metal, with a variety of colours and

finishes

A cord system is the typical way to open and close

these blinds, to adjust where you want the blind to sit

simply pull on the cord and lock it into position

This style of blind is fantastic for choosing exactly how

much light you want exposed into the room

You can ensure you aren’t in the suns glare by tilting the

slats to the desired position whilst still letting in light

This style of blind can still give you maximum amount of

privacy whilst still being able to see onto the outside, all

with the simple turn of the slats! This has to be the best

advantage of this style of blind

When fully pulled up to the top, maximum light can be

let in and the blinds are seemingly discrete

For thermal advantages, venetians can often be

combined with aluminium backing for heat reflective

and insulation purposes

These blinds are also easily cleaned


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Roller Blinds

Roller Blinds are a convenient solution for basically any

conservatory, and are extremely versatile in design and

utility. Roller Blinds can each be fitted to different windows,

so dependent on the position of the sun, you can roll up

different blinds allow light to flood through the conservatory

whilst keeping the glare of the sun at bay.

Here are some tips on roller blinds:

Strong, stiff type of material

They are very easily cleaned as you can fully extend the

blind and easily wipe clean

One of the cheaper types of blind on the market

Best suited to larger timber conservatories with

standard shapes

Available in a range of colours and styles to suit the

style of your home

Some manufacturers offer a solar solution to these

blinds, whereby an aluminium coating is applied to the

back of the blind, providing an excellent energy

saving system

Some manufacturers also offer black out options

Offer increased amount of privacy from

neighbouring houses

Be careful when choosing the type of fabric/material for

this type of blind, as some can be prone to fade in the

sun leaving a less attractive look to the blinds when

rolled out www.conservatoryblinds-buyersguide.co.uk


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Roof Blinds

Fitting window blinds to your conservatory should pose few

problems but roof blinds are a different story.

You may have not even considered the need for roof blinds.

Although some conservatory suppliers will claim that their

roof and window glass can reduce or eliminate glare and heat

build-up in your conservatory, which is true, blinds are still

important. Blinds will work with this specialist glazing to

improve the overall performance of the glass and help create

the best possible environment for you.

Having made a wise investment in the type of glass you have

chosen you will be pleased to know that it is still worth

considering roof blinds which will add to the performance of

your glass and help to try and eliminate these problems

entirely. South facing conservatories are especially prone to

heat and glare problems and can benefit from roof blinds.

There are very few types of blinds that work well in the roof

of a conservatory. Although some companies offer a roller

blind option - these are not the most attractive solution and

often have gaps that reduce the overall effectiveness of the

blinds. By far the best option for the roof area is a pleated or

pinoleum blind system.

Pleated blinds are particularly versatile and can be

manufactured to fit the exact shape of a particular window.

They are especially good for gable ends and other areas

where other types of blind simply could not be used.

Roof blinds are prone to sagging and good quality blinds will

have a system called pleat equalization. This is a system

where extra thread is used in the blind cord and stops any

sagging across the width, and in conjunction with a wire

support structure, allows any close fitting blinds to be

adjusted to take in bows, twists and warps.


On the other hand, pinoleum can achieve a softer look and is

ideal for a less complicated roof.

Both systems are available in manual and motorised options.

To get the best out of your blinds you will want to operate

regularly. In reality this will only happen in you invest in

motorisation. You may also find that after a certain height,

opening and closing your roof blinds manually isn’t an option,

and motorised blinds need to be considered.


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Motorised Blinds

Motorisation is becoming more popular and is certainly a

must for those hard to reach areas.

Motorisation affords a level of convenience that manual

blinds are unable to fully allow. Motorised blinds are often

'zoned' (i.e. groups of blinds work from one remote control)

giving the user the flexibility to manage the shading required

as the sun tracks through the sky during the course of the

day and year.

Ideally, a good motorised blind system will be controlled by

means of radio control rather than infrared systems. These

systems work better where there is a high intensity of light

present and require less hard wiring than the infrared option.

To complement the motorised option, timers can be used and

these will send blinds and zones up or down according to pre-

set times. Blinds can also act as a security deterrent, a good

quality timer can simulate occupancy by programming preset

times to open and close.

“Motorised blinds can also act as an effective security

deterrent.”

If you are thinking about motorisation as an option for the

windows and roof of your conservatory, both pinoleum and

pleated blinds are easily motorised.


Choosing a Supplier

It's therefore very important that you get the right blinds for

the job - to avoid an expensive mistake!

So with this in mind it is advisable to speak to a reputable,

specialist conservatory blind company that understands

that no two conservatories are ever the same.

Such a company will:

Be able to provide a bespoke range of blinds for the

roof and windows of your conservatory

Send a trained designer/ representative who will be able

to provide you with a quotation, along with advice on

colour and any interior decor questions you may have

Provide design appointments free of charge and without

any obligation

Give you the opportunity of—speaking to a specialist

in the comfort of your own home and at your

own convenience

Employ a local team of surveyors who will attend your

home and take final technical measurements before the

blinds are finally fitted

Every conservatory is different, so it's definitely worth

inviting a company to visit you so they can give you an

accurate quote after being able to see your conservatory and

understand your needs.

A good supplier will enforce stringent testing processes to

their fabric to make sure it is colour fast, and offer good

reflective properties.

If you opt for pinoleum, the supplier should be able to offer

you a good choice of colours, styles and edge tapes so that

you get the most of this beautiful product. Also look for those

suppliers that provide sun-reflective or coated pinoleum.


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If you opt for fabric blinds, the fabric should be tested to

ensure its integrity and to make sure that during manufacture

the fabric has all the required properties to withstand life in a

conservatory. An established company will have looked at all

the best possible materials and techniques and already done

all of the hard work for you. You will only need to choose the

style and colour of your blinds!

Talk to your designer regarding colour and what will work

aesthetically for your conservatory. A blinds designer

shouldn't be viewed as a sales representative. Reputable

companies invest considerable time and effort to ensure their

designers know their products inside out, so they can advise

you on the best blinds and colour options. Take advantage of

their advice and know-how. If you choose a good supplier

this will be free of charge and could make the difference

between getting something that ‘will do’ or something that

gives you a stunning finish to your conservatory.

You may even consider mixing the colours used between

your roof and window blinds - talk to your designer so you

can find the colours that go together.

As well as the actual product and its guarantee, a reputable

blind company should be able to provide you with a wide

range of support, including:

A competent and reliable customer services team

Comprehensive maintenance and after care packages

A range of finance options and packages


Some suppliers are even able to provide a range of products

to complement your blinds—furniture, home ware, and

flooring - although not a prerequisite of a good supplier,

these things could make your life a little bit easier:

Rigorously test fabrics, components and products

before they make their way into your home

Check that new fabrics and materials can withstand

opening and closing many times and are suitable, as well

as remaining neat looking

Make sure all new products go through 10-year lifecycle

testing to make sure they are up to the job required -

fabric will be punched, cut, stacked, stretched and

exposed to extremes of temperature to make sure it is

suitable for a conservatory environment

Ask your supplier if they take time to test their products

in this way. Also ask them how the fabric is made and

what from

We are proud to be able say that all our manufacturers hold

reputable status in their field of conservatory blind design

and installation, so you can rest assured that you are dealing

with a trustworthy company.

Documents

uyers Guide...Many blinds are prone to catch on handles and cover window ledges. In fact some, such as roller blinds, can be quite noisy clattering against the window, if a summer