Roller Blinds Made to Measure in Cornwall and Devon
Aquarius Range
An extensive collection of roller blind fabrics spanning plains, blackouts, fire-retardant and screen options.
Louvolite Range
Premium roller blind fabrics from one of the UK's leading blind fabric manufacturers.
choosing a roller blind
A roller blind is a single length of fabric wound round a tube at the top of the window, raised and lowered by a side chain or a motor. It is the plainest blind there is, and that is its strength: it tucks neatly into a recess, leaves the glass clear when it is up, and takes almost any fabric. We work from the Louvolite and Aquarius fabric ranges.
Blackout, dim-out and screen fabrics
The fabric decides what the blind does. A blackout has a coated backing that stops light passing through the cloth; Louvolite blackouts such as Acacia carry the maker's top darkening rating and block all UV. A dim-out gives privacy and takes the glare off, but a soft glow still comes through, which suits most living rooms. Screen fabrics such as Panama Pro in the Aquarius range are an open weave, so a 3% screen cuts glare while you still see out by day.
One honest point: even a fully opaque blackout leaves light creeping round the edges, because a blind inside the recess needs a small clearance each side. Fixing it on the face of the wall, overlapping the reveal, cuts that down.
Kitchens, bathrooms and holiday lets
Steam is hard on ordinary fabric. Louvolite marks which cloths are moisture resistant and which carry Ultra-Fresh, an antimicrobial treatment, while in the Aquarius range coated fabrics such as Atlantex ASC are recommended for moist rooms and wipe clean with a damp sponge. Those suit a bathroom, or a damp cottage room that never quite dries out. Collections marked FR are flame retardant; Banlight Duo FR is a common pick where a fire rating is asked for, such as B&Bs and some holiday lets, so check what your insurer or agent needs.
Chain or motor, and how wide a roller can go
Most rollers are worked by a looped side chain, and under EN 13120 that loop has to be held taut by a child safety device fixed to the wall or frame. Every blind we fit meets EN 13120 and BBSA Make It Safe. Motorised options are available on the Louvolite range, and as authorised Somfy installers we can take the chain away altogether, which is worth it in a child's room or on a high window.
Because a roller is one piece of cloth, its width is set by the roll it comes on; several Louvolite blackouts are 2 metres wide, so a very wide opening often becomes two or three blinds side by side.
common questions
Should I choose a roller or a vertical blind for patio doors?
A roller looks cleaner, but it has to go all the way up before anyone can use the door. A vertical draws sideways, the same way the door slides, and tilts to control light without being opened. For a door you use all day, verticals are usually more practical.
Can roller blinds be washed?
Most can't. Many roller fabrics, the Louvolite blackouts included, are listed as neither machine nor hand washable. Run a soft brush attachment over them now and then and dab marks with a barely damp cloth. For somewhere steamy or grubby, choose a moisture-resistant or coated fabric at the start.
Will a roller blind fit in a deep stone window reveal?
Usually very well. A roller only needs a sound surface at the top of the recess and a little depth for the brackets. Old lintels vary, from slate to timber to crumbly render, and that is what the survey is for: we check what's there and fix into something that will hold.
Are roller blinds safe with young children?
They are when fitted properly. Any blind with a looped chain must have a safety device that holds the loop tight to the wall or frame so a child can't get caught in it. All our blinds comply with EN 13120 and BBSA Make It Safe, and a motorised roller removes the chain entirely.