Conservatory blinds are among the most delicate and difficult to choose home improvement accessories, because they have more than a decorative role, their functionality being vital for making the conservatory a comfortable living space, regardless the outside weather conditions and temperatures.

First of all, if you don't know what is a conservatory, please find out that it's just another room in a house, which has glass windows instead of walls and roof. With so much glass around, your privacy would suffer if you didn't take care of buying appropriate window treatments for both the side glass walls and for the roof. On the other hand, the conservatory window treatments you choose have to allow you to enjoy the landscape around your home whenever you want it, so they have to be flexible and easy to operate.

Not all types of blinds are suitable for a conservatory, so you may need to ask a specialist for advice prior to purchasing anything. Here's a brief guide to help you started:
 

Conservatory Roof Blinds

The roof is exposed to direct sunlight for the whole period when the sun is shining, therefore an excellent thermal insulation is one of the top priorities for its coverings. Even if your windows feature a very good R-value, you still have to take care what material you choose for the roof blinds.

Among the best options there are the cellular pleated blinds. Being also very elegant and available in a wide range of colors, light-filtering degrees and patterns, cellular shades provide a very good value for money. However, they aren't the cheapest of all, so you need to check if you can afford them. Keep in mind that there's a lot of glass surface to be covered, so even a small difference in the price per unit can make a huge difference for your wallet.

Pinoleum Roman blinds can also be a good choice for your roof. They fit very well in place, because they are manufactured especially to serve conservatory roofs. They are very efficient in reducing glare, while allowing the light to enter the room. Their thermal insulation is very efficient. However, you should be aware that Pinoleum blinds darken the room a bit too much. If you want more light, you could opt for Roman blinds made of other types of fabrics.

As the main rule of choosing blinds for the roof, you have to make sure they are UV resistant, otherwise they would fade very quickly. Don't underestimate the power of the glowing sun which can turn your brand new blinds into vintage ones in as little as three months of summer.

When it comes to the operation type, electric blinds are the best solution, because of the height where they are placed. This is one of the cases when paying extra for having a remote control operated motor to move your blinds is worth every penny. Manual solutions can also be used, but only think what happens in case something gets stuck and you have to climb on a huge stair to fix it.
 

Conservatory Side Blinds

The side walls aren't so exposed to direct sunlight, so insulation isn't the main priority when choosing their coverings. Of course, many homeowners and interior decorators will want the sides to match the roof, but that's not compulsory. For instance, you can have pleated blinds for the roof and Venetian blinds or roller blinds for the sides, in either matching or contrasting colors and in various materials such as wood, bamboo or matchsticks. Side window treatments can also be motorized. This could be considered especially if you have small children or pets, because cords are a serious danger for them. If that's your case, going cordless is strongly recommended for all windows in your home, not only for the conservatory.

When it comes to fitting, conservatory blinds can be either surface-mounted or recessed friction-controlled. Price quotations for any of the variants can be obtained by request from most of the manufacturers such as Hillary's, Reynolds, Thomas Sanderson or Hunter Douglas. All you have to do is ask. Keep in mind that more quotes are always better than one, so be sure to get as many as you can, in order to settle for the best deal for your conservatory blinds.