Thursday 18 January 2018

A beginner's guide to DIY conservatory blinds

If you've been considering blinds for your conservatory, you may be surprised to know that you don't have to spend a fortune on bespoke design or professional installation. With a little patience – and perhaps the aid of an online video tutorial – you can DIY a decent set of blinds for your conservatory.

We hope that this quick guide will help you get started.

The basics

You can find DIY conservatory blinds at most builders’ supplies or DIY stores. These kits include everything that you'll need to install your own blinds, including material, fittings and hardware. All you need to do is measure your conservatory windows correctly.

There are four main types of conservatory blinds for you to consider:

·         Venetian blinds.
·         Vertical blinds.
·         Roller blinds.
·         Roman blinds.

There are pros and cons to each of these types of conservatory blinds, sodo some research to help you decide which is best for your space. Keep in mind colour and style, durability, practicality and energy efficiency.


Measuring correctly

The key to a successful DIY installation of conservatory roof blinds is to measure your windows properly.Take your time with this step as it's critical to ensure a good fit.

If you want your conservatory blinds to cover just the glass pane itself, measure only the inside recess of each window at the top, middle and bottom for height, and the left, middle and right for width. Write down each measurement, and then take only the smallest number for both height and width as the true measurement.

If you want the blinds to cover the whole window, frame and all, measure the outside recess of each window. Again, take measurements in three positions – top, middle and bottom for height, and left, middle and right for width.


Fitting your conservatory blinds

The proper fitting method will depend on your DIY kit manufacturer, the type of blinds you've chosen, and how your conservatory is built, but the basic principles are generally the same.

It’s important to make sure that you're installing your conservatory blinds straight and level to avoid the sloppy look of crooked window coverings.

Next, you'll have to decide if you want to fix your blinds to the window frame or to the lintel. The instructions included with your DIY kit should recommend the best method for the type of blindsyou've chosen.

Take care when drilling. Be sure tohave a good drill and sharp, new drill bits at hand as drilling into a lintel can be difficult and drilling into UPVC is a bit tricky. However, if you go slowly and measure precisely, you shouldn't have much trouble.

Conclusion

Installing conservatory roof blinds is a project for experienced DIY-ers. If this isn't you, consider a more effective solution with an insulated conservatory roof. You'll get dramatically improved temperature regulation and energy efficiency without sacrificing everything you love about having a conservatory for a lovely, comfortable space you can enjoy all year round.

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