A Product Comparison - The Three Choices

There are 3 main choices for conservatory roof blinds:

• Roller Roof
• Pleated Roof
• Pinoleum Roof

Should you require “side” blinds, there are far more options (see “Window Blinds” section), but it is far easier to select your preferred ROOF blinds first, & THEN choose sides.

Often, consumers know if they want Pinoleum blinds because they desire a natural wood product that compliments their timber conservatory; they may have seen them in the monthly Lifestyle magazines; and they accept that, thermally, they are not the best, but will do “a job” whilst providing a dappled light effect in their conservatory which is unique to Pinoleum.

Most suppliers “push” pleated

However many people choose pleated roof blinds because they are simply unaware of any alternatives. Also, largely due to the fact that there are literally hundreds of pleated fabric colours and types available suppliers can offer a tremendous choice & improve their chances of winning a sale.

Roof Rollers need to be hi-tech, surprisingly!

Compare this to availability of roof roller fabrics, which is very limited to literally 1 or 2 ranges. Whilst there are thousands of standard (window) roller fabrics on the market, and many stunning ones, none of these are suitable for conservatory roofs which require an exceedingly high specification. Without the specialised aluminium foil backing, other fabrics curl badly at the edges and sag to unacceptable levels, do not have the requisite thermal efficiency ratings, and do not have the stability necessary for shaped blinds in particular.

Specially designed for roofs?

Originally, pleated blinds, like roller blinds, were designed for standard windows, not roof windows which require truly thermal blinds. However it was soon realised that the pleated system could be adapted for roof applications.

However the Prestige Roof Roller system has been genuinely & specifically designed for complex roof applications, with:

• Patented adjustable bracket technology to compensate for conservatory fascia’s that are not 100% square (very common).
• Specially designed, neat pulley systems for easy operation.
• Clip in backing plates that allow accurate fitting & minimal drilling of the facia.
• Continuous and mitred “cassettes” (up to 3 metres long) that “hide” the rollers and make them look “built-in” to the conservatory.
• Highly Energy Efficient fabrics that are ultra stable due to a separate aluminium backing that is either stitched to the polyester face fabric.

No room for error, they must be right

Furthermore, high quality roof rollers require a greater degree of survey, manufacturing (expensive laser cutting is necessary) and installation accuracy, with little room for error unlike pleated where there is more tolerance, and blinds are still hand cut, without the need for extremely costly laser cutting tables. So most suppliers push pleated.

However, does this mean that they are the best solution to heat and glare issues in conservatories? Technically no.

Aesthetically, this is debatable. It depends on your preference:

• for plain and simple – choose roller
• for cleanliness – choose roller
• for pretty and tight – choose pleated

....simple really!