Keylite-Compatible Blackout Blinds: A Buying Guide

Keylite roof windows are fitted in a great many Irish homes, from new estates to attic conversions in older houses. If you have one, you can fit a blackout blind built specifically for it, without measuring the glass. This guide covers what you need to know before ordering.

Finding the Keylite label

Open the window. On Keylite windows the identification label is on the upper part of the opening sash. It shows the window type and a size code. Our window code guide includes a Keylite diagram showing exactly where to look.

Copy both parts exactly as printed, or take a clear photo. When you choose Keylite in our shop, you then pick the window type first and the size code second, and only options made for that combination are shown.

Keylite also publishes visible-glass measurements for its windows, and you may see these mentioned online. They can be a useful cross-check, but always order by the code on your label. Two windows with similar glass dimensions can still need different blinds.

Why blackout is popular for Keylite windows

Roof windows face the sky, so they bring in more light per square metre than a vertical window of the same size. In a bedroom that can mean a bright room long before you want to wake, particularly in Irish summers when it gets light very early. A blackout fabric is designed to block most of that daylight.

Blackout blinds that run in side channels sit close to the glass, which helps keep the room darker than a loose curtain or a generic roller would. As with any roof window blind, a small amount of light may still show at the edges depending on the window, so think of it as making the room properly dark for sleep rather than completely sealed.

Choosing a blackout fabric

We list each fabric under its own exact code. Two fabrics with similar colour names can be different products, so always check the code on the product page. A few practical pointers:

• Plain colours such as whites, creams, greys and deeper shades are the most flexible choice and are usually the quickest to make. Blossom White Blackout and Light Grey Blackout are two examples.
• Light shades look softer from inside the room. Darker shades can feel cosier and make the window less noticeable at night.
• Patterned and printed designs suit children's rooms and nurseries. They usually take a little longer to make than plain blackouts.

You can browse and filter every fabric on our all blinds page, then open a fabric to see which Keylite window types and sizes it is available for.

Frame colour and operation

Each blind has either a brushed aluminium (silver) frame or a white painted aluminium frame. White suits a bright white window lining; silver suits most others. White frames are available with manual operation only.

Manual blinds are moved with a handle on the bottom bar, or a telescopic pole for windows that are out of reach. Solar motorised blinds are operated by remote and charge from daylight, which is useful for high windows. Solar blinds use the silver frame and need a compatible remote; one remote can operate up to 10 blinds. Read our manual vs solar guide for more.

Compatible, not original

The blinds we sell for Keylite windows are made by our supplier to fit Keylite windows using their type and size codes. They are not made by Keylite. On our site the brand is simply listed as Keylite to help you find the right window type quickly.

Before you order

• Check the label on every window; do not assume two Keylite windows are the same size.
• Choose your fabric, then check the estimated delivery date shown for your chosen operation and frame.
• If your window type or size does not appear in the shop, contact us with a photo of the label rather than picking the closest match.

Blinds are made to order for your window, so it is worth taking two minutes to double-check the code. Our terms explain your rights, including what happens if something arrives faulty.