Whereas Freehanging Roller Blinds fall to their correct down position using gravity, Rooflight Roller Blind need to follow the slope of the window installed into the roof or ceiling. There are a number of ways with which this can be achieved.
Freehanging Blinds are operated by one of three basic roller mechanisms. Either a tension spring that is controlled with a ratchet, a clutch drive that is controlled with a gear chain, or an electric motor that is controlled with a remote limit setting. We can adapt all three of these methods to suit the slope of a Rooflight window, with the most suitable method depending on certain critical factors such as the width of the blind, the drop required, the specific degree of slope involved and the weight of the fabric to be used, as well, of course, as the budget allowed for the project. By removing the ratchet from a spring roller and running the pull cord through a pulley at the bottom of the window and securing it to a cleat, we can operate the Rooflight Blind under constant tension. By installing vertical guide wires we can allow a gear and clutch operated blind to slide down the slope under gravity, providing the slope is relatively steep and the fabric is relatively light. And by using a combination of an electric roller at the top and a spring tension roller at the bottom, we can create a fully remote control Rooflight Roller Blind system, simply perfect for those totally inaccessible roof windows high above the floor of the orangery.