A beautiful room deserves beautiful windows. You’ve put a lot of thought and effort into making your conservatory a showpiece, with windows that bring in the beauties of the sky and gardens. Sometimes, though, the sun and heat are just a little too strong, or you’d like a little privacy. Conservatory blinds are the answer – but not just any blinds to block out the heat and sun. With the wide variety of conservatory blinds to choose from, your choice can enhance the qualities in your room that are most important to you.

When choosing conservatory blinds, you need to give thought to two very different kinds of construction – the windows of your roof, and the conservatory wall windows. Because every conservatory style is different, you can’t simply walk into a shop and bring home an armload of window blinds. Your conservatory blinds will need to be custom fitted and created to fit your windows and suit the style of your room. A company that specializes in conservatory window treatments can show you all the different options for providing privacy and light control in your haven of serenity without destroying the ambience that you’ve worked so hard to create.

Experience shows that the main reasons that people choose to add conservatory blinds to their rooms are

- To reduce glare and heat

The industry term for a south-facing conservatory is ‘oven’ – because that’s what it feels like mid-afternoon on a hot summer day. Conservatory blinds or window coatings can help reduce the heat build-up and glare that can make even the most beautifully designed room uncomfortable.

- To provide privacy

Those lovely expanses of glass that allow you to see out also allow others to see in. Conservatory blinds provide privacy when you want it.

- Decoration/furnishing

Roman blinds, pleated blinds, the natural beauty of wooden blinds – the conservatory blinds that you choose are a part of the room’s décor. The right choice can add drama, subtly blend into the natural surroundings or play off the colors and textures of other furnishings in the room for a coordinated style.

- To protect furnishings and floors

The UV rays of the sun can damage the fine wood and fabrics of your carpets, wood floors and upholstered furniture. Conservatory blinds provide a protection for the investment you’ve made in floors and furnishings for your conservatory.

Roof blinds are available as either exterior or interior conservatory blinds, in a wide variety of styles and colors. Both styles are custom-fitted to your windows for a perfect fit to reduce the glare and heat from the sun. Exterior conservatory blinds are a bit more expensive, but offer superior heat reduction. They’re usually fitted with a motorized control to make drawing the blinds a simple matter of pushing a button or pulling a cord.

Conservatory blinds for your windows come in nearly all the same varieties as regular window blinds. You can choose from pleated Roman conservatory blinds, pinoleum blinds with the natural beauty of wood, cellular conservatory blinds in a stunning array of colors and fabrics or simple roller blinds with beautiful bottom and casing treatments to enhance the beauty of your conservatory.

Whatever styles and types of conservatory blinds you choose, you’ll be investing in a quality product that will add to the beauty and comfort of your conservatory.

Garry John is a regular contributor to websites such as conservatory blinds.

Post from: Double Glazing Hull

Conservatory Blinds Revisited

A conservatory is more than just an extension to your house. It can be somewhere to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the garden no matter what the weather is doing, a place to entertain or much needed extra space for the children to play. But whatever your reason for adding a conservatory to your home, it is a significant investment, and choosing the right glass will only add to its value.

Self-Cleaning clear and blue glass – a world first from Pilkington.

Pilkington Activ™ is the world’s first self-cleaning glass. It’s basically the same as conventional glass, except for a unique dual action coating. It works in two ways: first it uses daylight to break down organic dirt (such as bird droppings) and then it uses rain to wash the dirt away.

Pilkington Activ™ also dries off faster leaving the glass clean and with reduced streaks, which gives you beautifully clear views and makes it ideal for all the windows in the conservatory. Pilkington Activ™ Blue combines the benefits of self-cleaning with solar control performance, making it the perfect choice for hard to reach places that are difficult to clean and areas that need thermal control, such as conservatory roofs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is self-cleaning glass?

Pilkington Activ™ is an optifloat glass with a special coating on the outside that has a unique dual action. Once exposed to daylight, the coating breaks down any organic dirt and then causes rain water to ‘sheet’ down the glass to wash the dirt away. The coating has been designed to last as long as the glass itself. The coating is permanent and will not need reapplying.

Where can Pilkington Activ™ be used?

Almost any exterior application, such as windows, conservatories, facades and glass roofs. It is especially useful for inaccessible windows where organic dirt normally collects, such as skylights. Pilkington Activ™ is less effective in locations where sun or rain cannot reach e.g. overhangs. The minimum recommended angle is 10 degrees from horizontal, so that rain water can flow over the glass properly.

Will my windows ever need cleaning?

We cannot say that your windows will never need cleaning – that depends on the amount of dirt and the amount of rain the glass in your windows receives. Pilkington Activ™ reduces the amount of maintenance required. If cleaning is necessary – such as during long dry spells or if your windows are heavily soiled – it will be much less frequent and much easier than with conventional glass, either by hosing to replicate rainfall or using a soft cloth and warm soapy water.

Does it work on cloudy days and at night?

Pilkington Activ™ needs only a small amount of UV radiation to activate the coating – so it works on even overcast days and throughout.

Pilkington is revolutionising the world with self-cleaning glass. Self-cleaning glass has been long described as an impossible dream.

Post from: Double Glazing Hull

Conservatories: How to Maintain A Comfortable Temperature Throughout The Year In Hull