Conservatory Blinds and Awnings

Some people find that a conservatory can be too hot in extreme summer heat and uninviting on cold winter days, even though they have made provision for good conservatory heating and ventilation.

Both problems can be overcome if conservatory blinds and awnings are installed. One or the other may solve your problem.  Blinds can help cut winter heating bills by reducing the volume of warm air escaping through un-insulated glass and with blinds and/or an awning, the conservatory will stay cooler in the summer as the build-up of heat will be reduced.

Choosing a period blind such as a pinoleum blind if you have a traditional conservatory will make the conservatory a more attractive place to while away the hours. And conservatory blinds will also reduce damage to conservatory furniture and furnishings by giving UV light protection.

Modern solar blinds such as conservatory pleated blinds will reflect summer heat and retain the heat inside the conservatory in winter, so they do help energy conservation.

Venetian blinds may look attractive in conservatory windows, but it is difficult to find a matching finish for a conservatory roof as in this position Venetian blinds just sag. A better alternative is a conservatory roller blind housed in a cassette.

Vertical blinds on the other hand can cause difficulties with windows and doors that open inward.

In very weather and particularly in south-facing conservatories, a conservatory awning is the only solution.

Conservatory Blinds and Awnings

Pinoleum Blinds

There are a number of businesses making pinoleum blinds, but the French company Ballauff are the original pinoleum blind makers. They started in 1872 and still make blinds today using the same traditional materials.

The blinds are made by horizontally weaving thin wooden strips, or reeds or bamboo and when installed they gently filter and diffuse the sunlight.

Ballauff tell us that their pinoleum blinds are made from either hardwoods from sustainable forests or bamboo and reeds that come from managed and certified sources in Vietnam where the crop is carefully harvested to ensure the minimum environmental impact.

Traditionally pinoleum was left in its natural finish or stained or varnished. By using different shades and thicknesses of material together with different weaving patterns, the finished pinoleum could be close-weaved to almost make a blackout blind, or open-weaved for a light and airy finish that is very popular today.

Pinoleum blinds can be colour co-ordinated to the interior of the conservatory using water-based emulsion paint together with matching or complementary fabric edging tapes.

Although they are a traditional blind and one loved by the late-Victorians, they are not as efficient solar fabric blinds available today and you may need a more effective blind particularly in a south-facing conservatory. However, today there is more than one pinoleum blind maker and some back the blinds with a reflective surface although this loses the lovely light that traditional pinoleum provides.

Pinoleum blinds come in Roman or roll-up style and unlike Venetian blinds or fabric blinds, are ideal as a roof blind as they will not sag. They can be open and closed manually or via an electrically operated system.

Conservatory Pleated Blinds

Concertina pleated conservatory blinds are a popular choice for roofs and windows. They are attractive and many are made with solar reflective materials making them an economic solution to conservatory shading.

Pleated blinds are made in various levels of translucency so you can choose how much light you wish to filter from the conservatory.

Like Pinoleum they can be operated manually or via an electrically operated system.

Conservatory Roller Blinds

Compared to pinoleum and pleated blinds, roller blinds provide a simple flat finish to the conservatory roof and windows. They are made in a variety of solar-proof materials that will protect you and your furnishings from sun in the summer and help reduce winter heating bills by preventing heat loss from the interior of the conservatory.

Choose a roller blind supplier who will guarantee that the edges will not fray; otherwise the blinds will look tatty very quickly. Look for blinds that are stored in a cassette system where the blinds are hidden from view when not in use. The cassette will protect the outer roll of the blind from fading from the sun when the blind is rolled away.

An advantage that roller conservatory blinds have over both the pinoleum and pleated alternatives is that they do not get as dusty as quickly and are easier to clean and maintain. Like pinoleum and pleated blinds they can be operated manually or remotely via an electrically operated system.

Conservatory Awnings

Interior conservatory blinds can make a big difference to the rate at which your conservatory will heat up especially when using solar reflective fabrics. But for superior heat reflection, particularly in south-facing conservatories in the hottest summer months the best solution is an exterior conservatory blind or awning.

Awnings are easiest to fit on a lean to conservatory. The headbox of the awning is attached to the wall of the property and then runs flush with the sloping glazing. An awning can also be fitted to gabled conservatories if well planned in advance.

Conservatory awnings are manufactured in a variety of materials including a mesh fabric that will allow some light into the conservatory while reflecting heat. The traditional fabric awnings are considered by many to be more decorative but they are less efficient at reflecting heat. The fabric will also fade in the sun more quickly and thus need replacement after a number of years. The mechanism usually outlasts several fabric changes.

You can open and close the awning manually or use a motorised system that will automatically retract and extend even when you’re not at home. These systems can include a wind speed sensor so that if the wind gets too strong, the awning can be automatically retracted to prevent wind damage.

A sensor can also be included to switch on the motor to retract the awning if it starts to rain. This is useful if you are not at home when it starts to rain, and if you are at home prevents you from getting wet while manually closing the awning.