The short answer
Fitting blinds with the window is usually the easier route: the installer is already in the room, the frame is exposed, and the blind can be matched to the window's size code from the start. Blinds can be added to an older window later, provided the right type is chosen for that window.
Why the fitting day suits blinds
A roof window brings in more daylight than a wall window of equal size, and it lets in light from a steeper angle, so the question of shade comes up quickly. A bedroom with a new rooflight needs something to darken it, and a south facing room in the roof can need something to cut the sun.
On the fitting day the lining is open, the ladder is already in the room and the electrician, where there is one, is already on site. A blind that needs a mains supply is easier to plan before the plasterboard goes up than after. Ordering it with the window also means it arrives in the right size and colour for that frame.
A blind added later can still be fitted to a sound window. The difference is the extra visit and the need to match what is already there.
The types, side by side
| Item | Blackout | Pleated | Heat-reducing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Darkens a bedroom | Softens and diffuses light | Cuts solar heat and glare |
| Where it sits | Inside, on the frame | Inside, on the frame | Inside, or outside on the glass |
| Light left | Very little | A soft glow | Daylight kept, heat reduced |
| Cost | Middle | Usually lower | Usually higher |
| Best room | Bedrooms and nurseries | Studies and landings | South and west facing rooms |
Blackout blinds close tight against the frame so the room can be properly dark. A pleated blind gives privacy and softens the light, and a double pleated blind traps a pocket of air, which can take the edge off cold or heat. Heat-reducing blinds work on the sun before it comes through the glass if they sit outside, or on the glare if they sit inside.
Our VELUX installation cost answer explains how a blind line sits beside the window price on a quote.
Fitting to an older window
A blind for an older window must match its size code and its generation. Each VELUX window has a size code such as MK04, where the first letter marks the width and the two digits mark the height, and the blind is ordered by that same code. The label on the frame gives the code, and where the label has worn away the survey measures the frame.
Some older windows were made for a different blind system than current ones, so a blind that fits a new window may not clip to an old frame. When a window has little life left in it, replacing it can give better value than spending on blinds for a unit that will soon come out. Our answer on replacing an old VELUX window covers that decision.
Asked at the survey
Do I have to buy the blind from the same maker as the window?
Blinds made for a window by its own maker clip to the frame without drilling. Other blinds exist, and where the roof allows we can compare them on the quote.
Hand, solar or mains operation
Blinds on a roof window are often out of arm's reach, so the way they are operated matters. A hand-operated blind uses a pole or a handle on the sash, and it costs least. A solar-powered blind has a small panel that charges a battery, so no cable is needed. A mains-powered blind needs a cable run to the frame, which is the one job that is far easier before the lining is closed.
Powered blinds suit a window set high above a stair or a bed, and where several windows should close together from one switch. If a window is within easy reach, a manual blind is often all the room needs, and the quote shows each type so the difference in cost is clear.
What to decide before the survey
Think about which rooms matter first. A bedroom needs blackout, a landing or a bathroom may want privacy and soft light, and a sunny loft room may want heat control. The orientation of the slope and the use of the room tell us most of what we need.
- Room use and orientation noted
- Size code checked for blinds to fit
- Mains supply planned before lining
A roof window that opens needs clear space for the blind to run, so the blind type and the way the window opens are checked together. We price the window and the blinds on the same written quote, so the choice is made once. Book a free survey and the options will be brought to the room for you to look at.
Related questions
Are blinds included in the price of the window?
They are priced as separate lines on the quote, so you can add them, change them or leave them for later.
Which blind is best for a bedroom roof window?
A blackout blind darkens the room most. A blackout with a heat-reducing outer blind is a combination worth pricing on a sunny slope.
Can I fit the blind myself later?
Inside blinds made for the window usually clip to the frame, and the instructions are straightforward. A blind that needs power is easier to plan at fitting, so ask us before the lining goes up.
Do blinds affect how well the window works in winter?
A closed pleated blind adds a layer of still air at night. It supplements the glazing, and the window itself is specified to meet current Building Regulations.