Anyone make remote control insulated skylight blinds?

[DeanBrown3D]

Because I need two of them and either a 12 foot step ladder or a long pole otherwise! Specifically I want the honeycomb style insulated air-gap type.

Thanks!

Dean

 

[scfa99]

velux

 

[HarryBack]

Andersen AND Velux AND Roto, but they dont retrofit into other brands...so if you have the Mom&Pop skylight, likely, no.

 

[MrGriz]

Hunter Douglas and Kathy Ireland Home by Alta both make motorized, remote control honeycomb shades for skylights. Check your local phone book for a dealer or fabricator in your area.

 

[Mike Wilson]

Hunter Douglas. Check their web page.

-- Mike

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Great thanks a lot everyone, you are quite right.

$404 for a (HD) skylight blind seems a bit steep (a bit too steep really) so I think I need to reconsider (since I have 2, that would be $808). Unfortunately I can't reach them, even with a pole.

Dean

 

[Mike Wilson]

Great thanks a lot everyone, you are quite right.

$404 for a (HD) skylight blind seems a bit steep (a bit too steep really) so I think I need to reconsider (since I have 2, that would be $808). Unfortunately I can't reach them, even with a pole.

Dean

I have 4 skylights, and each used to have a Hunter Douglas cellular shade on a motorized mount. Yes, it probably saved a little heat, BUT, what really screwed them up was the constant condensation that dripped on the upper side of the cells in the morning... they looked horrible and were ruined in short order. They are now removed, the motorized units sitting in the basement for use as spare parts on the other motors I have on regular windows.

End assessment, a great idea in theory that won't work in practice.

-- Mike

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Mike,

My skylight blinds would be around 6" from the actual window. Do you still think this will be a problem?

Dean

 

[Mike Wilson]

Dean,

Mine were about 6" from the skylights as well. The problem is this... they insulate too well. When you close them, the air in between the shades and the window cools down, and it cools down on the window side first. That causes water to condense on the actual glass itself. Then, as nightfall progresses, that water freezes. When you wake up, you'll do one of 2 things... you'll either open the shades, or you'll leave them closed. If you open them, the warm air from your room hits the glass, melts the ice, and the water drips down the lower side of the box, and across your ceiling. If you leave the blinds closed, the sun eventually hits the skylight, melts the ice, and it drips on the shades. Trust me on this one, I spent some cash buying these things, and have opened and closed them during the process to learn what was going on. Now, if you only use them when it is "cool" outside, and not like 15 degrees out, they work fine. Its when the temperature difference is great enough that the problem arises. Also, I don't keep my home very humid in the winter, I can't with the insert going. If anything, its on the dry side. I do have cathedral ceilings though, which may be different from your house. My main ceiling is 35' high, 2 others are 29' high, and one is about 24' high. There are fans up there, so the air is pretty well circulated, but still, its something to consider... my situation may be different from yours.

Let me know if you have any other questions, no problem giving my experiences here...

-- Mike

 

[DeanBrown3D]

Ok Mike, I'm hearing what you're saying. I have one other skylight in the house that already has a blind (a plasticky/foil blind, looks waterproof), which I leave closed all winter. I'll take a look at it this winter and see how it handles being opened.

Thanks for the heads-up, it does sound like a PITA for you.

-Dean