SHY explains to Blinds & Shutters that roof glazing presents its own set of challenges, but with the company’s experience, SHY says it has all the solutions

Roof glazing provides its own unique challenges for effective solar shading. Obviously access is an issue both in terms of measuring and installation but also for the operation of the blind – often meaning that motorisation is the only option.

Typically roof glazing tends to be large and often angled with the pitch of the roof and of course the light and heat ingress tends to be greater than windows as the sun is at its strongest when it is overhead.

All of SHY’s commercial roller blind systems can be supplied in roof blind formats and all are ‘tried and tested’ solutions which are manufactured at the company’s factory in Hertfordshire. So let’s look at the challenges of shading roof glazing.

Difficult access means you need to use a system with a proven pedigree so you can be sure that when it is correctly installed and commissioned it will run like clockwork. Motorisation is a simple solution for high level blinds although depending on the height of the installation and the size, manual operation may still be possible. However, once you get to large blinds motorisation becomes a necessity and often involves a motor at either end of the blind to ensure the fabric remains taut. SHY roof blinds can be operated manually up to 8m² but with a motor the blind can cover a massive 70m².

Controlling light and heat gain is becoming increasingly important and therefore the choice of fabric must be considered carefully. SHY have an extensive range of materials available for virtually every situation. And when it comes to achieving a complete black-out this is simple with SHY’s Zip Screen system as the clever zip holds the fabric in the channels, no matter what the pitch or angle.

Given that the environment in which the blinds are installed can be quite hostile in terms of working temperatures, dust and dirt, airflows and possibly moisture through condensation, it is important to use a system which has been specifically designed with these challenges in mind. SHY’s in-house design capabilities, test programme and over ten years of UK installations show their systems to be ideal for roof glazing.

“Over the years we have helped dealers screen angled roof glazing, cupolas, barrel vaulted roofs as well as bespoke shapes and very large areas. With our in-house welding facilities we have even welded screen and black-out cloths together so different light levels can be achieved in the run of the blind. Given that we make everything we sell we know what can and cannot be achieved – and we don’t like to say ‘no’!” Explained Martin Dibben, managing director of SHY UK.

• www.shy.co.uk