Blinds in South-Facing Conservatories

Posted: 14 Feb 2018

If you have a conservatory or orangery with a south-facing roof; then the need for blinds to help control heat and glare can be vital. This is because, the room will be getting the sun throughout the entire day. Even during the colder months, glare from the sun can be a big problem.

However, because of the large amount of heat that enters a south-facing roof; it does mean that you have to be extra-careful with what blinds you choose. This is to make sure they are able to manage the heat properly. This is the reason some companies will recommend against using specific blind types in a south-facing roof.

Conservatory Blinds

In reality, there’s actually quite a wide range of blinds that are suitable for south-facing conservatories. Our pure™ Pleated and Pinoleum Blinds have both been designed to be used in conservatory roofs, with our solar reflective fabrics being suitable for the amount of sunlight a south-facing conservatory can get. Standard Duette^® fabrics are also suitable in most cases when they have been fitted correctly.

The only time you really have to worry about Duette^® fabrics in a south-facing roof; is when they are offered as dim-out blinds. In cases like this, the dim-out fabric can cause heat build-up that can potentially damage the glass. It’s for this reason that we strongly advise against using dim-out fabrics in any conservatory roof, especially south-facing ones.

Controlling Heat

In some cases, depending on the make of the conservatory and the type of glass used in the roof. We may need to leave a small air gap (around 15mm) to let the heat dissipate properly. As we generally recommend an individual blind layout this is not a problem, however this may not be possible for some companies that only recommend a doubled-up layout (due to the fact that is it usually cheaper), which does not always give enough space for heat to escape properly.

We’ve been making and fitting blinds for conservatories for well over two decades, and in that time have fitted a lot of blinds into different south-facing roofs. Our sales and installation teams have the experience to know what fabrics will work and how to install the blinds so they keep the roof safe, and we will always recommend the best blinds and fabrics for your specific conservatory.