What are skylight blinds & solar control?
Our skylight blinds & solar control service in Cheshire covers electric blinds, blackout and solar-control upgrades for rooflights. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Rear kitchen extensions on North West semis often have small domes from decades ago that leak or have yellowed. Converted mills and warehouses in the North West often have large rooflights or glass roofs that need specialist replacement.
Towns in Cheshire
Options we can specify
- Insect screens on opening units
- Solar-powered remote blinds
- Blackout blinds
- Electric pleated or roller blinds
- Solar-control glass replacement
- Electric or solar-powered operation
- Cuts summer heat gain
Planning and building rules in England
English householder permitted development (Class C) normally covers rooflights that stand no more than 0.15 m proud of the roof plane and stay below the highest part of the roof. A rooflight on a side-facing slope must be obscure-glazed, and fixed shut unless the opening part is more than 1.7 m above the floor.
Building Regulations Approved Document L sets a limiting U-value of 2.2 W/m²K for new or replacement rooflights in existing homes, measured in the horizontal plane; roof windows need 1.4 W/m²K or a Band B energy rating. In an extension, glazing including rooflights is normally limited to 25% of the new floor area plus any windows or doors the extension covers, unless a whole-house calculation shows otherwise.
Guide prices
The ranges below are typical for straightforward jobs; your fixed price follows a survey of your roof.
| Option | Guide price inc VAT | Ex VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Integral blind in a new glass unit | £715 – £1,435 | £595 – £1,195 |
| Electric or solar blind Typical | £595 – £1,075 | £495 – £895 |
| Manual pleated or blackout blind | £355 – £595 | £295 – £495 |
How the job runs
- Tell us about the roof. Send the postcode, rough sizes and a photo or two through the form, WhatsApp or the guide-price tool.
- Free survey. For new installations a surveyor measures the opening, checks the roof build-up and talks through glass and options.
- Fixed written quote. You get the product, the work and the price in writing. Nothing is ordered or paid for until you agree.
- Fitting and handover. We fit, seal and make good, then hand over product data, warranties and any certificate paperwork.
Blinds & solar control in nearby areas
Common questions
Can you fit a blind to my existing rooflight?
Usually, yes — if there is enough depth in the reveal for the cassette and rails. We measure first.
Can I get full blackout?
Blackout fabrics in side channels give near-total darkness.
Will a blind stop a rooflight getting hot?
An internal blind helps with glare but some heat still gets in behind it. Solar-control glass or an external shade does more for heat.
Are electric blinds worth it?
For high rooflights you cannot reach, yes. Solar-powered models avoid new wiring.
Will I need planning permission in Cheshire?
Most rooflights on English houses do not need planning permission, provided they keep within 150 mm of the roof surface and below the ridge line.
