Who Should Not Buy Roof Lantern Blinds

Motorised roof lantern blinds are one of the most popular things we fit. After the summer we have just had, the enquiries have not stopped.

But they are not the right answer for every rooflight, every room, or every household. We would rather tell you that today than have you find out after the survey.

Here are the situations where we would steer you away, and what we would suggest instead.

If your budget is a few hundred pounds

We will be direct about this, because there is no kindness in letting you find out later.

Based on the quotations we have prepared recently, a single motorised roof lantern blind, with site measure, delivery, fitting and VAT all included, typically falls between around £1,200 and £1,700. A large single blind, or a step up to a premium room-darkening fabric, can take one past £2,000. Rooms with several rooflights run higher again.

That is what a made-to-measure, motorised, overhead blind costs to do properly. If your budget is a couple of hundred pounds, no supplier is going to bridge that gap, and you should be suspicious of anyone who says they can.

What we would suggest instead: look at the glass rather than the blind. Solar-control glazing or an applied film tackles heat at the point it enters the room, and for some rooflights it is the more sensible spend. Our guide to choosing glass for overheating rooms covers what actually works.

If nobody will recharge a battery

These blinds are motorised, because a cord or a pole is not a sensible answer for something fitted overhead. Power comes from a rechargeable battery built into the head of the blind, and in a typical home it needs recharging every three to six months. It charges in place, so nothing has to come down, but somebody has to remember to do it.

If the rooflight is in a holiday let, a rental, or a room nobody visits for months at a time, that is a job waiting to be forgotten.

What we would suggest instead: for larger or commercial openings the blind can run from a mains connection instead. If a mains feed is possible, take it. Tell us at survey stage rather than afterwards, because it affects how the head is specified.

If your opening is longer than about five metres

A single blind suits an opening from around 400mm to 3,000mm wide and up to 3,600mm long. Beyond that we fit a twin system, two blinds meeting neatly in the middle, which covers lengths up to around 5,000mm.

If your rooflight is longer than that, one blind is not going to cover it and we will say so.

What we would suggest instead: most very long rooflights are better treated as more than one opening, with the blinds meeting at a structural bar. Send us photographs and rough sizes and we will tell you honestly whether it divides sensibly or not.

If you want the room genuinely dark

This is the expectation we correct most often. A room-darkening fabric blocks most of the light, and in a snug or a media room it makes a real difference. It is not the same as total darkness.

An overhead blind sits inside the opening, and light finds the edges. On a bright June morning at four o’clock, a rooflight with a room-darkening blind is dimmed, not blacked out.

What we would suggest instead: if the rooflight is over a bedroom and you need proper darkness to sleep, be honest with yourself about that before you spend the money. A translucent fabric that softens glare and helps with heat may serve you better, and cost less, than a premium fabric bought in the hope of an effect it cannot deliver.

If you need it fitted next month

Typical lead time is around eight to ten weeks from your confirmed measurements. These are made to measure for your exact opening, so there is no shelf to take one off.

If you are working to a party, a house move or a completion date inside that window, we will not pretend otherwise.

If you expect a blind alone to fix an overheating room

A roof lantern blind makes a substantial difference. The honeycomb fabric traps a layer of air, and fitting it at the ceiling line leaves a pocket between fabric and glass that slows heat coming down in summer and warmth escaping in winter.

But a glazed room that overheats badly is usually doing so for more than one reason, and getting the hot air out matters as much as stopping it coming in. On a hot, still day we suggest leaving a gap of around 30mm at the centre so the air in that pocket can rise and circulate away.

What we would suggest instead: read why glazed rooms overheat first. If the room has no ventilation at high level, address that alongside the blind rather than expecting the blind to carry the whole job.

Key things to remember

• A single fitted blind typically runs between around £1,200 and £1,700, and that is what doing it properly costs
• Somebody has to recharge a battery every three to six months, unless a mains feed is available
• One blind covers up to 3,000mm wide and 3,600mm long, with a twin system to around 5,000mm
• Room-darkening fabric dims a room, it does not black it out
• Allow eight to ten weeks from confirmed measurements
• Ventilation and glazing matter alongside the blind, not instead of it

Still think it is right for you?

If none of the above rules you out, a roof lantern blind is very likely the right answer, and we would be glad to help.

The simplest next step costs nothing. Send us a few photographs of your rooflight with some rough sizes, and we will prepare a written quotation. If it suits you, we will arrange a site visit to measure precisely before anything is ordered. You can also get an indicative figure yourself with our roof lantern blind price calculator, or browse our roof lantern blinds first.

No pressure and no hard sell, just clear advice from a company that has been fitting shading across Scotland since 1987.

Frequently asked questions

How much do roof lantern blinds cost? Based on our recent quotations, a single fitted motorised blind typically costs between around £1,200 and £1,700 including VAT, measuring and installation. A large single blind or a premium room-darkening fabric can exceed £2,000, and rooms with several openings cost more in line with their size.

Do roof lantern blinds make a room completely dark? No. A room-darkening fabric blocks most of the light and noticeably dims the room, but light still finds the edges of an overhead opening. If you need genuine darkness for sleeping, discuss that with us before choosing a fabric.

How often do roof lantern blinds need recharging? In a typical home the built-in battery needs recharging every three to six months, depending on use. It charges in place using the supplied charger, so the blind does not need to be taken down. Larger or commercial openings can run from a mains connection instead.

What is the largest rooflight a blind can cover? A single blind suits an opening from around 400mm to 3,000mm wide and up to 3,600mm long. For longer openings a twin system, with one blind at each end meeting in the middle, covers lengths up to around 5,000mm.

How long do roof lantern blinds take to arrive? The typical lead time is around eight to ten weeks from confirmed measurements, because each blind is made to measure for your exact opening. Fitting is carried out by our own installation team.

Will a roof lantern blind stop my glazed room overheating? It will make a substantial difference, because the honeycomb fabric and the air pocket above it slow heat gain. A badly overheating room usually needs ventilation at high level as well, so the blind works best as part of the answer rather than the whole of it.