Skylight blinds & solar control in Portslade: what is involved?
Our skylight blinds & solar control service in Portslade covers electric blinds, blackout and solar-control upgrades for rooflights. Every job starts with a survey of the opening, the roof covering and the room below, and a fixed written price.
Across the South East, single-storey kitchen extensions on 1930s semis and post-war detached houses are where most flat rooflights and lanterns go. Typical uses for skylight blinds & solar control include rooflights that let in glare, heat or early light.
We work across East Sussex, including Portslade, and in neighbouring towns such as Hove and Brighton. Access, parking and how the glass reaches the roof are all checked at the survey.
Options we can specify in Portslade
- Solar-control glass replacement
- Insect screens on opening units
- Blackout blinds
- Solar-powered remote blinds
- Integral blinds within the glass
- Retrofit to most rooflights
- Glare control over workspaces
Before you order: points to check
- Retrofit blinds depend on reveal depth and access
- Integral blinds are specified with a new glass unit
Planning, building control and Portslade
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. Replacing a rooflight or roof window can be self-certified by an installer registered with an authorised competent person scheme; otherwise building control approval is needed.
See our building regulations guide for U-values, glazing limits and self-certification.
Guide prices for Portslade
Guide prices for skylight blinds & solar control in Portslade are the same as anywhere we work — what changes the price is the job: access, structure, scaffold and finishing.
| 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 |
What happens next
- Send the details. Postcode, rough size and a photo of the roof and room.
- Survey. We measure the opening, check the roof build-up and agree the options.
- Fixed quote. Product, work and price in writing — nothing is ordered until you agree.
- Fitting and handover. We install, clean down and leave product and warranty documents.
Neighbouring towns
Related work in Portslade
Questions about skylight blinds & solar control in Portslade
Are electric blinds worth it?
For high rooflights you cannot reach, yes. Solar-powered models avoid new wiring.
Do blinds work on roof lanterns?
Lantern blinds exist but are complex; solar-control glass is often the better answer.
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 I need to be at home for the survey in Portslade?
Yes — someone needs to let us into the room below and, where possible, show us how the roof is reached.
Will I need planning permission in Portslade?
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.
