Choosing Skylight Blinds in Ireland: A Practical Guide for Attic Rooms

Attic conversions are one of the most common ways Irish homeowners add space, and roof windows are what make those rooms usable. The trouble is that a sloping window lets in a lot of light at awkward angles: early summer sunrise in a bedroom, glare on a laptop screen in a home office, or simply a room that is visible from neighbouring houses at night. A blind built for the window solves most of that. This guide walks through the decisions in the order you will actually make them.

Step 1: identify the window, not the opening

Roof window blinds are made for a specific window model. Rather than measuring the glass, you read the type and size code from the plate on the window's sash. VELUX, Fakro, Keylite, Roto and Rooflite all use their own code formats. Our window code guide shows where each brand puts its label, and our article on finding a VELUX code goes into more detail for the most common brand.

If you have several roof windows, check each one. In many Dublin attic conversions, two windows that look the same from below turn out to be different sizes, especially where one was added later.

Step 2: decide how much light you want to block

This is the decision that most affects how the room feels.

• Blackout fabrics are the usual choice for bedrooms, nurseries and any room used for sleeping or screens. They are designed to stop most daylight passing through the fabric.
• Translucent fabrics soften and spread daylight. They suit landings, bathrooms, kitchens and living spaces where you want privacy and less glare but still want the room to feel bright.

Our blackout vs translucent guide goes room by room. Remember that even a blackout fabric fitted in side channels can let a little light around the edges on some windows; it will make a room much darker, not lightproof like a cinema.

Step 3: choose how you will open and close it

Most blinds are manual: you move them with a handle on the bottom bar, or with a telescopic pole if the window is out of reach. Manual blinds are simple, have no parts to charge, and are the quickest to make.

Solar motorised blinds are operated by remote control and charge from daylight through a small solar panel, so no wiring is needed. They are worth considering for windows high above stairs, over a bath, or anywhere you would otherwise need a pole every day. A compatible remote is needed, and one remote can operate up to 10 blinds. Solar blinds take longer to make. Our manual vs solar guide compares them in detail.

Step 4: pick a frame colour

Blinds come with either a brushed aluminium (silver) frame or a white painted aluminium frame. Silver suits most modern window interiors; white blends with white-painted or uPVC-look window linings. White frames are available with manual operation only, and solar blinds come in the silver frame. See silver vs white frames for help deciding.

Step 5: check delivery timing

Every blind is made to order. As a guide, plain blackout fabrics with manual operation are usually the quickest, other fabrics take a little longer, and solar motorised blinds take longest. The product page shows an estimated delivery date for the exact combination you choose, and our delivery page explains how delivery works. Delivery is a single flat charge per order, shown before you pay.

A note for attic conversions in progress

If your attic is still being built, wait until the roof windows are installed before ordering, then read the codes from the windows themselves. Plans and quotes sometimes change between design and installation, and the window that arrives may not be the one on the drawing. Once the window is in, a blind can usually be fitted in minutes; our installation page has videos for manual and solar blinds.

Who we are

SkylightBlinds.ie is an online supplier based in Lusk, County Dublin, delivering roof window blinds across Ireland. We do not have a showroom; you can order online, call us, or send photos through our contact page if you want a second pair of eyes on a window code before ordering.