What to Consider When Retrofitting Exterior Blinds

With temperatures breaking records this summer it’s no wonder that homeowners are seeking to keep their homes cooler by installing external blinds to block solar glare.

External blinds will stop your home from overheating, slashing temperatures inside by an average of five to seven degrees Celsius – which can make the difference between stifling and comfortable.

In addition, they are highly sustainable compared to expensive, energy-intensive air conditioning units.

But before you go ahead, here are some key points you will want to consider.

Reveal depth

This is the space between the window and the wall and is an important consideration when fitting external blinds.

If you have a deep reveal, then we can easily fit the external blinds into the recess of the window where they will sit flush over the windowpane.

But if the window has a shallow reveal, we may need to fit a mount for the external blinds on the outside wall, which can make the window look slightly larger.

However, this can add to the aesthetic appeal of a home, making the house look more attractive.

Availability of power

External blinds are powered by hardwired motors, allowing you to control them remotely via a smartphone or household app.

The electric function allows you to control how much or little solar glare comes into the house remotely and gives you options to set timers.

This isn’t only great for keeping electricity costs down in the winter but also for privacy and security, especially if you are away from your home for several nights.

Installing a motor obviously depends on having a reliable power source nearby.

If there isn’t a constant source of electricity, then our external blinds can be battery or solar-operated up to a certain size, but controls may be more limited than electrical ones.

So, if the external blinds coverage is very large, you may want to consider having a power supply put in if it’s not feasible for the external blinds to be battery-operated.

Overall appearance

External blinds aren’t just practical for keeping homes cool in the summer; they also look very sleek and stylish, enhancing the aesthetic of your home.

Once fitted, they become a design feature of the house, whether your home is modern or heritage, adding to its appeal and property value.

We have a great deal of experience in fitting external blinds to many different types of homes, from heritage and historic buildings to modern extensions and orangeries, all reflected in our case studies.

Light levels inside the building

Another important consideration is light levels inside your home.

While external blinds won’t block light coming into your home, if your house is naturally dark inside, it is better to choose lighter fabrics for your external blinds.

Our external blinds come in a wide range of textures, colours and finishes to create spaces that allow as much light to come in as possible whilst blocking solar glare.

The special weave of the fabric allows the light to come into the room and for occupants to continue to enjoy the view outside, whilst providing privacy.

Controls & Automation

The effectiveness of outdoor blinds is significantly enhanced by incorporating sensors and automation, allowing the blinds to operate automatically in response to weather conditions and temperatures.

For example, the exterior blinds at High Bannerdown are operated automatically by a solar sensor. This enables the blinds to raise and lower automatically at certain times of day, preventing overheating without requiring homeowner input. Lorraine, the homeowner in this case study, loves that she can now come home to a cool and comfortable house.

Your unique style

In the same way, the wide variety we offer means you can choose external blinds that will fit in with your own unique style and personality.

Our team of experts has over 40 years of experience in fitting external blinds and are always very happy to answer any queries to help you on your journey to a cooler home.