What are skylight blinds & solar control?
Our skylight blinds & solar control service in County Antrim covers electric blinds, blackout and solar-control upgrades for rooflights. We survey every job before fixing the price.
Bungalows are widespread in Northern Ireland, and sun tunnels or roof windows are an easy way to brighten internal hallways. Conservation areas and listed buildings in Northern Ireland are excluded from householder permitted development, so we check before quoting.
Towns in County Antrim
Specification options in County Antrim
- Solar-powered remote blinds
- Blackout blinds
- Solar-control glass replacement
- Insect screens on opening units
- Integral blinds within the glass
- Glare control over workspaces
- Electric or solar-powered operation
Planning and building rules in Northern Ireland
Most rooflights on houses in Northern Ireland are permitted development under Class B, but not in a conservation area or on a listed building's curtilage. A side-facing window within 15 m of a neighbouring boundary must be obscure-glazed, and non-opening unless the opening part is more than 1.7 m above the floor.
Northern Ireland's energy rules assess rooflight U-values in the vertical position — unlike England and Wales — and expect 1.6 W/m²K or Band C for replacements. Extensions follow a 25% glazing allowance in Technical Booklet F1.
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 I get full blackout?
Blackout fabrics in side channels give near-total darkness.
What is an integral blind?
A blind sealed between the panes of the glass unit. It never gets dusty or damaged, but is ordered with the unit.
Do blinds work on roof lanterns?
Lantern blinds exist but are complex; solar-control glass is often the better answer.
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.
Will I need planning permission in County Antrim?
In Northern Ireland, roof alterations come under Class B of the 2015 order: a rooflight facing a road must not project more than 15 cm and must sit at least 0.5 m from the ridge, eaves, verge and party wall.
