Out of reach windows - help please

Jays

Hi can anyone offer a solution please?

We have a large hall which has a high, out of reach window, I would like to put a blind or something up to conserve the heat in the hall but cannot come up with a solution.

Has anyone had a similar problem and solved it?

Does anyone know of a battery operated curtain rail or blind operating device (we cannot get electrity up there)?

Thanks for any advice.

Jays

adaze

I think velux do a solar powered one...? Not much use if its not a velux though...

Ebe_Scrooge

How about an ordinary roller blind with an old-fashioned "pole-with-a-hook-on-the-end" like they used to use in the assembly hall when I was a kid at school ( many, many, many years ago ! ) ?

WestonDave

How high are you talking - if you could reach the top with a broom handle then you just need a window opening hook like this one http://www.screwfix.com/prods/91939/Ironmongery/Window-Fittings/Window-Accessories/Fanlight-Pole-Hook-Polished-Brass-110-x-70mm to stick on it. You can then pull the blind down and if you get one which is spring loaded (i.e. to get it up you pull down slightly and then release) you are sorted.

Alternatively if you got one of the "chain" side control ones, maybe you could extend the chain to a reachable position.

27col

Ebe Scrooge has got the right idea. As usual, quite often it's the simplest idea is the best.

dander

I don't think a roller blind would actually help very much in terms of heat conservation, if that's your aim you really need to be thinking curtains.

Just the standard pulley operated curtain rails usually come with pretty long cords, you could probably get the pully low enough down to be reachable, although it may not look hugely pretty to have a cord coming down.

If you're climbing up a ladder to install the curtains/blind it would be worth thinking about getting some secondary glazing across the window area while you're up there.

Jays

Thanks for all your replies.

I am thinking about heat conservation, and have been trying to find the best solution for some time now. We have already had the double glazing installed which helped greatly.

The window is too high to reach with a broom handle safely, especially as the stairs descend under it, so you tend to lean dangerously into the void...

We had a well known blind company come to measure up and make some suggestions but all he could do was exclaim how ridulous the window was and put me off any of his suggestions anyway. We had asked him to research how long the beaded/chain operated blinds' chain was, but he did not think they would be long enough.

From a heat conservation point of view, we wondered it there were any heat conserving blinds available, that my reflect heat back into the room etc. I think velux did them, but do not know it they fit non-velux windows or it there are cheaper versions available. We may possible be able to extend the pull down cord on a simple blind. Or does anyone know of a chain type which can be extended?

Curtains may be possible, I had not thought about the one that have a pulley at the side, I wonder it they can be extended. My reservation on curtains, is I could like to keep as much light at possible through the window and as it is a dormer window, the curtains would hang over the window not wall on either side of the window. Complicated, isn't it!

Any more advice out there?

Many thanks for all your help
Jays

Jays

bump bump bump

whatatwit

I'm sure that I've seen conservatory roof blinds that operate with a little motor and presumably a remote control.

If you would prefer vertical blinds, then have a look for an independant firm, ideally one who makes their own. I can't see any reason why the chain & cord could not be made longer.

Google electric curtains and there are electrically operated curtain poles (at a price)