Solutions
Skylight Window Solutions by Solar Shield Blinds
The skylight over the kitchen table pours light in all day, and by mid afternoon that light is heat and glare on everything under it. Our Solar Shield Blinds Skylight Shades keep the light and take out the rest.
Elevated Comfort
Skylight Windows
Overhead glass is the one window you can't reach and can't ignore. Here is what a skylight does to a room, and what our shades do about it.
Skylight windows are a great way to let light pour into a room, but along with the light comes a lot of negatives. The harsh direct sunlight bakes surfaces and can damage and fade flooring and furniture. The heat that builds up from that direct sunlight can make it hard for HVAC systems to keep up and keep the room temperature regulated. And, the direct sunlight can be blinding at times. Our Solar Shield Blinds Skylight Shades are a great option for bringing elevated comfort to your home. The harsh light is now able to glow into the room, without causing damage to surfaces, and without all of the heat build up. The HVAC system of your home can work less and help keep things more comfortable. And you won't be blinded by the sun!
Worth Knowing
Automated shades on a glass roof
This sunroom has a whole roof of glass over the seating, and there's no reaching any of it. The shades here are motorized, so they close from a remote before the afternoon sun gets going, and the battery in each motor is recharged by a solar panel that sits up in the sun it's already getting. Nothing gets wired through the ceiling, which is the usual answer in a house that's already built, and the fabric reads white from outside no matter what color you pick for the room.
Worth Knowing
Three ways to cover a skylight
Every one of these is measured on site and built to the opening. The right pick comes down to how high the glass is and how dark you want the room.
Honeycomb Skylight Shades
Our go to for overhead glass. The air pocket between the two layers of fabric is what takes the heat out of a skylight, and it gives the strongest insulation of any single layer treatment we sell. Light filtering softens the sun, room darkening is for the skylight over a bed, and the classic version runs with manual operation where you can reach it.
Honeycomb Shades
Motorized, with solar recharge
Anything higher than arm's reach wants a motor. Remote control comes with it, and a solar panel mounted at the skylight recharges the battery from the sun coming through the glass, so there's no wiring to run and no ladder on the stairs. Add the app, a wall switch or a voice command through our Smart Shades, and put the whole ceiling on a schedule.
Automation
Plantation Shutters
A built in feature for a skylight, and the choice when the ceiling is wood. The louvers tilt to cut the glare and stay put in the frame, and the shutter is built to the shape of the opening, whatever that shape is. They have no lift system, so plan on shutters where a tilt is all you need, and allow 8 to 10 weeks.
Plantation ShuttersIt's worth knowing that room darkening fabric still shows a small line of light down each side of a skylight, and that the white room darkening fabrics read a little gray in the room. We'll show you both on the fabric samples we bring, in the light your skylight actually throws.
Our Process
Planned, measured, and installed by our team
- Free ConsultationWe bring our shop to your home or office. We'll listen to what you're wanting to accomplish with your windows, take a good look at every opening, and explain the options that will actually work for them.
- On the spot quoteWe take the time to make sure you know exactly what you're getting, and you'll have a complete and exact quote before we leave, so there are no surprises on install day.
- Installed by our teamYour shades are custom built to the exact measurements of your windows, and when ready, professionally installed by our full time installers. Most projects are installed in less than a day.
The longer version
Our process is very thorough and designed to give you the best experience possible. When we meet with you during your initial consultation we'll discuss your specific needs. We'll listen to your concerns and make sure we understand exactly what you're wanting to accomplish with your window coverings. Then we'll help educate you on the product options available to you and offer our best recommendation based on our assessment of your windows.
We take time making sure you understand exactly what you're going to get, and we make sure there won't be any surprises at the time of install. You get a complete and exact quote on the spot, so you can be sure we're working within your budget before you commit to anything.
This simple, yet very effective in-home service has proven to save our clients time, money, and the energy not spent running from store to store. Once the order is placed, sit back and let us handle all of the details while you get to enjoy your new window coverings!
Installed Projects
Skylight Solutions Installed by Solar Shield Blinds
Straight Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The classic skylight shade runs with manual operation, and it's the right call where the glass is low enough to reach. Above that, a manual shade gets set once and never touched again, so we motorize it with a remote and a solar panel that keeps the battery charged. Your Design Specialist will tell you which applies to your ceiling before anything is quoted.
No. Rechargeable motors are the usual answer in a house that's already built, and on a skylight the panel does the recharging from the sun coming through the glass. Hardwired motors are for new builds or large installs where the wiring goes in before the drywall. Either way, none of it is your job on install day.
Yes, and Honeycomb Shades are the ones to do it. The air pocket between the two layers of fabric gives them the strongest insulation of any single layer treatment, so the heat that used to build up under the glass stays out of the room. Your HVAC system works less, the flooring and furniture under the skylight stop fading, and the light still comes through.
Yes. Room darkening Honeycomb Shades are the answer for a skylight over a bedroom, and light filtering and room darkening can combine in one shade. It's worth knowing that room darkening still leaves a small line of light down each side, and the white room darkening fabrics read a little gray. We bring both to your consultation so you can see them under your own skylight.
Yes. A shutter in a skylight tilts to cut the glare and stays in the frame, which is why it suits a wood ceiling or a sunroom. Shutters are built to any shape or size, so an angled or odd sized skylight is not a problem. They have no lift system, and the lead time runs 8 to 10 weeks instead of the 4 to 6 for shades.
Yes. Every Honeycomb Shade has a white exterior regardless of the color you choose for the room, so the skylight looks clean from the roof and from the yard. That matters more on a skylight than on a wall window, since the fabric faces the sky all day.
Yes. Solar Shield Blinds Smart Shades run from a remote, the app on your phone or tablet, a wall switch, or a voice command like "Alexa, open my shades", and you can put the skylights on a schedule so they drop before the afternoon sun arrives. Every product we sell can be motorized, so the skylights and the windows below them can share one setup.
They are. The quote holds for 180 days, defects are fixed free for five years, one unintentional damage event within five years is covered at no charge, and the product is guaranteed free from defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the home. Coverage follows the address if you sell, and lifetime inspections are free.