Which Fabrics Are Best for Rooflight Blinds?
Rooflight blinds, whether electric or manual, are highly tensioned blind systems that require a stable fabric that can withstand the force it’s put under, and still look aesthetically pleasing.
Some of the most popular rooflight blind systems also have zip-retention technology that keeps the fabric held within the side channels, which can cause some wrinkling down the edges of your blind because of the zip welded onto the fabric. It’s important to choose a fabric that disguises this rather than exaggerates it.
What fabrics should you avoid?
Some fabrics just don’t work well on rooflights. Thin, lightweight fabrics that look beautiful on free-hanging roller blinds are usually not strong enough to withstand the tension of a rooflight blind.
These fabrics are usually made from polyester, which is known to stretch, and can even tear, under tension. Polyester fabrics also don’t work very well as there isn’t a lot of stability in the material so it has a tendency to sag when it’s horizontal on a rooflight blind.
A few examples of lightweight or polyester-based fabrics we don’t recommend for rooflight blinds are Banlight Duo, Palette, Crescent, Neptune or any voile fabrics.
PVC blackout fabrics are also not an ideal fabric for rooflight blinds. While they are usually strong enough to cope with the tension and tend to be stable enough for minimal sagging on small rooflight blinds, their shiny appearance can accentuate fabric ripples. A fabric with a more matte appearance will do a better job at hiding any wrinkles than a shiny one as lights aren’t reflecting off of it so much, so highlights and shadows within the ripples aren’t as obvious.
Fabrics with a laminated blackout backing, such as Spectrum 1050, tend to sit well on rooflight blinds and don’t tear under the tension, but some fabrics that use this backing method can delaminate and peel away from the front face of the fabric. On a fabric with zip welded to the edges, this will cause the blind to stop working as it won’t be able to run in the side channels anymore. The entire fabric panel will need to be taken out and replaced which can be expensive. For this reason, we always recommend using a fabric that has already been extensively tested by us.
So what type of fabric should I be using?
A screen-blackout fabric, meaning a fabric that looks like a woven screen fabric from the front and has a blackout backing, is our recommended type of BO fabric for rooflights. This is different to a polyester blackout fabric with a laminated backing, these are not recommended for use under tension. They tend to be very strong and stable, and usually have a matte appearance that disguises wrinkles in the fabric well. There are many different options for screen blackout fabrics in a variety of widths, colours and weave patterns so there’s one to suit any blind.
A few of our favourite screen blackout fabrics that we regularly recommend and use on our rooflight blinds are Meridian, Flocke, Kibo 8500, Blockout Deco N203 and Spectrum 1050.
If you’re still wanting to let some light through and don’t want total blackout, we recommend screen fabrics instead of dim-out fabrics. Screen fabrics tend to be stronger and more rigid than dim-out fabrics, which means they look much better on a rooflight blind.
There are a huge selection of screen fabrics to choose from, with options for openness, colour, width and pattern so it’s easy to find one that suits your blind and your decor.
The best performing fabrics tend to have a fibreglass core. Fabrics made from acrylic, polyester and PVC, or usually a combination of these can also be suitable for use. A lot of the strength and stability of screen fabrics comes from weaving together multiple types of fabric.
Some of our favourite screen fabrics for rooflights are Diffusion, Spectrum 5010 3%, Uniview 1100/3100, M-Screen, Soltis 92 and Sunshadow 3000.
Check out our fabrics page for more information on the fabrics we mentioned, and to request samples!
Still not sure which fabric is best for your project? Get in touch with a member of our sales team who can answer your questions!