Rooflight Windows - What's New in Roof Light Windows?

Summer brings lovely long days of warm weather, but we all know the feeling when excessive heat makes us hot and bothered, making us wish for a way to cool down.

Whether you're worried about your little ones, struggling to sleep or just trying to relax, we have a simple solution - exterior blinds and shutters that help keep your indoor climate cool and comfortable.

Everyone is different, which is why we have three different heat protection systems so you can choose the option that best suits your needs; anti-heat blinds, anti-heat blackout blinds and anti-heat blackout shutters. With the comfort from our various options, staying cool this summer is effortless.

So here we are in summer and the heat is on. Velux windows has three solutions to help you control the temperature in your home. All fit on the outside of your Velux window to protect your living space from excessive heat, heat and glare or heat, glare and security threats.

Anti-heat blinds reduce heat and ensure a comfortable temperature in your room. At the same time, anti-heat blinds soften incoming light and make it possible to maintain a view to the outdoors.

• Effective heat protection
• Easy installation
• Transparent fabric that lets in natural light to retain a view to the outdoors
• Manual, solar or electric-powered operation

• Better heat protection
• Effective blackout
• Easy and wireless installation
• Remote control and solar-powered operation

• Best heat protection
• Total blackout
• Insulation and rain noise reduction
• Solar or electric-powered operation

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Brand new for spring 2022 is the VELUX GGLS 3-in-1 INTEGRA® solar variant. The new product is solar powered and combines with three windows in one frame. The solar-powered VELUX 3-in-1 gives full flexibility for ultimate control and convenience. You can control each individual sash, blind, and heat protection product manually, remotely or with a VELUX intelligent home control system.

• Increase daylight - VELUX 3-in-1's roof window design invites in an abundance of light
• Control - With individual control of each window, blind or head shield, you get the perfect lighting conditions
• Panoramic view - Enjoy an extensive view to the outside with extra slim frame profiles
• Value for money - Get three windows at the same price as a standard combination of two windows
• Flexible - Suitable for roof pitches between 15° and 90°

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Spring seems to have finally put in an appearance. With the better weather, now is a good time to be getting those bigger jobs done around the home. Jobs that involve breaking out of the exterior walls. Jobs like that extension that has been in planning for ages, waiting for such an opportunity.

When extending, don't forget extra light for your additional space. This is a great opportunity to let the sunshine in. With the new ranges of flat roof and pitched roof windows, VELUX® is the perfect choice to brighten up even the potentially darkest corner.

This month, the VELUX® catalogue features recommendations for people extending their home. By using their daylight calculator, the area of glass ratio to the additional floor space gives you the optimum installation to give perfect lighting, a great airy feeling, adding comfort and value to your home with the most efficient combination of windows and blinds. Perfect lighting conditions for any time of day with super efficient glazing to help keep energy use under control.

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This week we take a look at the flat roof window blinds options from VELUX®. These include blinds specifically for their new generation of flat roof windows with greatly increased ratio of glass to frame, giving you even more control over the light in your home.

The VELUX anti-heat blind for flat roof windows provides light dimming and heat protection. This makes it perfect for bedrooms and living rooms with activity during the day. It is easy to install from the inside.

The VELUX blackout energy pleated blind for flat roof windows darkens the room and protects against cold. This makes it the ideal choice for bedrooms and living rooms.

The VELUX pleated blind for flat roof windows delivers soft daylight control in a decorative folding design. This is the perfect choice for living rooms with activity during the day.

The VELUX anti-heat blind for glass rooflights provides light dimming and heat protection so your room temperature stays cool and comfortable. This blind is discreetly placed inside the rooflight. It is installed from the roof, which can be done easily when installing the window.

The VELUX blackout blind for glass rooflights blocks outside light for total darkness, anytime. It is discreetly placed inside the rooflight and is perfect for bedrooms. It is installed from the roof, which can be done easily when installing the window.

Take a look at the gallery pages for more information:

• Translucent Flat Roof Window Blinds
• Anti-Heat Flat Roof Window Blinds
• Blackout Flat Roof Window Blinds
• Pleated Flat Roof Window Blinds

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In last week's look at the blinds on offer from VELUX®, we looked at the options for controlling light fitted to the inside of the window. This week we are stepping outside to look at options for blinds and shutters fitted to the outside of your rooflight window.

Exterior blinds can help you control not only the levels of light in your home, but can also be used to reduce the heat inside from solar gain. Exterior blinds can also help to enhance the security of your home.

First, the anti-heat blind. When the sun beats down, the temperature inside a building can rise quickly. Rather than cutting down the temperature with fans or air conditioning, which can be costly to run, with anti-heat blinds, you can take the prevention is better than cure route by reducing the rate of increase of temperature instead of artificially removing the excess heat. This can be good for your wallet and your carbon footprint.

The anti-heat blackout blind, as its name implies, controls not only solar gain, but also the level of light enering your living space. With the choice between manual and electric/solar powered versions, you can install just the level of control over incoming heat and light that you want.

For additional protection from the elements, from noise and from security risks, the VELUX range of exterior roller shutters combines all those aspects of physical protection with flexible light control. They are perfect for keeping out noise too, from traffic or from hailstones beating on your windows. As with all VELUX products, these blinds are designed, built and tested to the same rigorous standards as the windows themselves.

Take a look at the gallery pages for more information:

• Exterior Anti-Heat Blinds
• Exterior Anti-Heat Blackout Blinds
• Exterior Anti-Heat Blackout Roller Shutters

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• Interior Blackout Blinds
• Interior Duo Blackout Roller Blinds
• Interior Energy Pleated Blackout Roller Blinds
• Interior Translucent Roller Blinds
• Interior Translucent Pleated Blinds
• Venetian Blinds
• Insect Screen

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VELUX INTEGRA® electric and solar powered roof windows

Energy saving for the good of the planet as well as the good of the family budget is very much in the public eye, and rightly so. With VELUX, you can enjoy the convenience of electrically operated windows, powered by the sun. This is another example of how VELUX is working towards an energy conscious future and can be applied to the majority of the company's top hung and centre pivot roof lights.

Operated by a wall switch or from your phone with VELUX ACTIVE, windows can be controlled individually or for convenience, all at once. It's a great boon if you are going out to be able to close all the windows with a single control. Similarly, if it rains, you don't have to worry. The built in rain sensor will shut all your VELUX INTEGRA windows at once to keep your home interior nice and dry.

Giving you easy, energy efficient access to fresh air on demand, helping to keep your home fresh and comfortable, and with easy security closing, the windows are suitable for roof pitches between 15° and 90°. Call us for more information about bringing motorised light and air to your home, powered either from the mains or by the sun, or just click in the header of any page to send an email and we will be delighted to call back and talk over your needs.

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With the great interest that our last couple of articles, relating to the Cabrio range have enjoyed, this week we are having a look at taking the merger of indoors and outdoors one step further.

The VELUX® Roof Terrace gives you access to an outside area, made to match the window sizes, blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors even more, so you can have a beautifully private roof garden area, share the space with friends and family, or if it is too cold to go out, just enjoy the light and airy feeling that VELUX7reg; windows bring.

VELUX® Roof Terraces are available in a range of sizes to suit a wide range of installations and budgets. Talking of which, you will probably be surprised by how affordable a VELUX® Roof Terrace for your home can be. Likewise with the company's commitment to becoming carbon negative, you can literally avoid it costing the earth…

Call us now or click in the header of any page to send an email and we will be delighted to visit and quote for the VELUX® Roof Terrace options that best suit your home and lifestyle.

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"Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!" When William Shakespeare wrote those words for King Lear to speak to a fool with whom he was standing in a storm, he could have been looking forward to 21st century Britain, where storm Malik has reminded us that with storms already responsible for massive damage, Nasim, Olwen and Pol are likely to bustle along, bringing more at any time.

The massive force of wind has been our friend and our enemy for centuries, helping us to move thousands of tonnes of precious goods all around the world in sailing ships, then in the next breath, destroying communitites.

Under this kind of pressure, the tiniest vulnerability in your roof can be turned into a gaping hole in the blink of an eye with collateral damage of water ingress to follow. Take a good look at your roof and the flashing around any roof lights or dormer windows on your property. Could these be the weak link that costs you thousands?

Better still, get us to look for you. Our experts have been fitting and maintaining such windows for over 35 years now and can quickly point to any vulnerabilities and suggest restorative action before the wind exposes any weakness. Call us for an appointment, or click in the header of any page to send us an email. Once you know your roof is in sound condition, you can relax, even if storms Nasim through Willemien decide that it's their turn to crack their cheeks and blow.

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Choosing VELUX today can contribute towards leaving a better world for generations to come. The philosophy of VELUX has always been to create a better environment in the homes and offices of customers by bringing in light and air. Now the company has a much more ambitious plan to help improve the world we live in.

By implementing energy saving methods, using sustainable products and packaging as well as helping to maintain forests, VELUX is determined to become a lifetime carbon neutral manufacturer by the company's 100^th anniversary in 2041.

What does this mean? What's the difference between just 'Carbon Neutral' and 'Lifetime Carbon Neutral'? It's quite simple really. By working towards 'Lifetime Carbon Neutral', VELUX is not only committed to reducing its carbon footprint in the future, but also to look back over the years and capture the carbon footprint of the company to date. In collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, VELUX has developed new models for calculating this and the aim is to provide forestry and biodiversity to capture 56M tonnes of carbon. As far as we know, VELUX is the first company in the construction industry, and certainly one of the first companies of any kind to take responsibility for not only its present and future carbon footprint, but to take responsibility for its historical carbon too.

The VELUX Group's Lifetime Carbon Neutral pledge and partnership with WWF have been recognised by the United Nations as a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) success story and therefore accredited as an SDG Good Practices initiative.

If you are considering rooflights as a way to bring light and air to the environment of your home, talk to us about how this can also help maintain our shared environment for the future, not only by cutting emissions now but also by restoring forests to capture historic emissions too.

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VELUX® windows have always been recognised as the most flexible way to share the light and air from outside with the inside of your home or office.

Now, the Cabrio® range lets you make that share work both ways. With a built in balcony, each window gives you the chance to meet Spring half way and step outside into the glorious sunshine.

Even the small members of your household can enjoy the weather securely thanks to the built in side rails and safety glass lower section as standard.

The VELUX CABRIO® balcony opens in seconds to give your loft space a place in the sun. The innovative balcony adds air, light and a great view to your home. For added convenience, the VELUX CABRIO® balcony fits flush with the roof when closed.

The Cabrio Difference

• Enjoy a balcony instantly - VELUX CABRIO® goes from roof window to balcony in seconds
• Bring the outside in - let in more natural daylight and fresh air
• Roof window or balcony - your choice - the top half opens like a traditional roof window
• Suitable for roof pitches between 35° and 53°
• Finished in white or natural pine
• Flashings available for tiled or slate roofs.

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VELUX recommends that for any given floor area, a room needs 15-25% of that area in glass to get optimum natgural lighting.

Ideals are all well and good but in the real world in which we live, it is sometimes difficult to envisage the position of windows to achieve that relationship. Particularly with attic conversions under pitched roofs, the opportunities to fit windows can seem limited by the size of wall, angles and corners.

Luckily, with the huge variety of sizes and aspect ratios available from VELUX, even relatively small, awkward areas can be fitted with your choice of top hinged, centre hinged or electrically operated roof lights, making a great difference to the look and feel of any space.

If you have your own "Mission Impossible" space and would like more light, give us a call, we may well be able to surprise you.

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Sometimes, as good as they are, standard products are just not the right thing. For example, this dormer window frame in a charming old cottage near our Sussex base had reached the end of its life and was in need of replacing.

To ensure a perfect fit while keeping in character with the building, the most practical way was to make a new, bespoke window frame in our joinery workshop. The finished frame is shown in the photo, ready to glaze and install.

The customer loved their new window, reckoning that it offered the best of both worlds; period appearance in harmony with their home, plus modern glazing panels to help them keep more warmth in.

If you want something different for your home, or have an older property for which modern fittings would be inappropriate, give us a call or click in the header of any page to send an email.

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Change "We stayed at Granny's over Christmas and had to sleep in the loft" to "Wow! We went to Granny's at Christmas and she let us stay in the loft!" Take a look at the picture and ask yourself as a kid, if you could think of a better vantage point from which to stare into the night sky, wishing for Santa to put in an appearance.

Christmas is coming and that always means… Visitors! Spare rooms will be dusted and vacuumed all over the country soon. While you are at it, how about taking a look at the light levels? A room that is too dim during the day and too light at night can really take the gloss off the Christmas pudding!

If your room is a converted loft, or a dormer room, give your guests the gift of controlled natural light this year. With a VELUX® window and blind combination, they can let in just the right amount of light during the day and keep out as much as they like at night.

Even better than that, you will have a room with a much more useful level of natural illumination when your guests have gone home and probably added some value to your property into the bargain.

Give us a call or click in the header of any page to send us an email about our pre-Christmas deals, then introduce your guests to their light and airy accommodation.

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The new generation of VELUX glass rooflights for flat roofs bring in more daylight than ever before via a minimalistic glass-to-edge design.

The rooflights increase the daylight area by up to 52 percent, compared to the previous generation, providing homeowners with a view of nothing but glass and sky. The new design is so seamless that the flat glass vented variant won this year's Red Dot Award in the category Product Design.

Furthermore, the unique construction of the rooflight, with two or three layers of glazing, also improves energy efficiency.

"We've designed the new glass rooflights to give people more of what they love in their homes: daylight, indoor comfort and fresh air. They are value-adding products for flat-roofed homes, giving indoor spaces a lift, by making them bright and airy and by providing a beautiful view of the sky."

Martin Pors Jepsen, Vice President Global Product Management.

The latest VELUX® edge to edge glass rooflights are now available from Rooflight Windows. Call us or click in the header of any page to send an email and get more information.

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This bungalow close to our base in Sussex has a spacious loft that could be put to so many uses, if only there was more light available. The pitched roof over the entrance porch ate into the roof space somewhat but luckily, Velux windows come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes so we were able to make up for the lack of height by using a centre pivoted window with a wide aspect ratio to maximise the glazed area.

On the adjacent roof panel, there was no such problem, so a larger window overall with a top hinge was chosen to give the best view and ventilation. Unlike the smaller window, which is overlooked, so required obscured glass, this window faced the front of the property with an unobserved aspect and uninterrupted view, so high efficiency clear glazing was the choice.

Velux's standard EDW flashing finished the job outside, making sure that while the maximum light is being let in, the weather is kept well and truly out. If you have a space that could be more useful with more light, give us a call or click in the header of any page to email us. We are always happy to advise on the best Velux installation to suit any application.

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This attic bathroom in Chichester had a makeover to bring a feeling of space and light into the room. As this side of the building gets some strong sun at times, the owners wanted to strike a balance between letting in the lovely daylight and controlling it when it gets too strong.

It was this aspect of control that prompted them to choose to have a genuine VELUX blind installed at the same time as their roof light window. VELUX blinds are available in a wide variety of shades and densities from mild attenuation of the light to full black-out, so there is a blind to suit every need.

If you are thinking about adding light to your living space, but want to make sure the level is just right at all times, give us a call to talk about the range of VELUX windows and blinds, or click in the header of any page to send us an email.

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This extension to a Sussex home has a section of flat roof, already fitted with a skylight. However, the convoluted plastic sheets covering the area had discoloured over the years to a point where they were letting in very little light at all.

By fitting three VELUX flat roof curved glass windows the space inside has been transformed into a pool of natural daylight with a feeling of air and space. The outside has also benefitted from this fitment, with a great new modern look. The curved glass allows rainwater to run off easily and lets in more daylight than flat glass.

The frames are insulated PVC and the glazing is high thermal efficiency two layer, low energy panes to keep the heat loss to an absolute minimum. For summer comfort, there is a VELUX INTEGRA electrically controlled ventillated base and a wide choice of VELUX blinds allow you to let in just the perfect amount of sunlight.

Available in sizes from 600mm square up to 1 x 1.5 metres, there is a skylight to suit every flat roof and as five star accredited fitters, you can be sure that we will fit them for you with minimal fuss and disruption. Call us for a quote, or click in the header of any page to send an email.

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It may not look like it but today is midsummer's day, the Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year when we are expected to receive some 17 hours of daylight. That is all lovely free energy and light of great benefit to our mental and physical well being.

Let the sun shine in! Even though the days get shorter for the next six months until the Winter Solstice brings us the shortest daylight session of the year, you can still benefit from the feeling of freedom, being surrounded by light and air that installing VELUX roof lights brings to even the darkest corners of a home.

If you need to cut down the light for any reason, don't worry. Every VELUX window we install comes with the offer of a great deal on fitting VELUX blinds while we are at it. From character blinds to bring a touch of fun to a child's bedroom to blackout blinds for complete control of illumination, there are blinds to suit all needs, as well as great deals to suit all budgets.

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This substantial, older property needed all of its ageing skylights replaced.

The customer chose VELUX because of the company's reputation for making the most thermally efficient, easy to operate rooflights. More than just that though, they were very keen to keep the new installation in keeping with the style and character of their family home.

The end result can clearly be seen in the series of photographs, some of which are taken while the job was work in progress, this was achieved using the Conservation range of VELUX windows.

The customers were delighted with the result and said that they would call us back in another 90 years when the windows need replacing again…

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Perhaps you are planning an extension to your home? And why not? As families grow and their needs change, extending the family home is a popular means of getting additional space and functionality without the huge cost and disruption of moving.

Creating extra space is a great thing to do in helping to promote a relaxed home and feeling of well being, but sometimes, the provision of extra daylight to make that space even more welcoming gets overlooked.

If your extension plans include an area of flat roofing or sloping roof over a space that may lack natural light, the inclusion of VELUX windows can make a world of difference to the overall ambience of the newly created space.

The photographs shown here are all taken from the extensions gallery in the VELUX website, showing how the company's rooflights, skylights and flat roof products can help transform a new extension into a magnificent space, full of light and air, with the most thermally efficient glazing systems to make sure you keep warm at the same time.

We would be delighted to look at plans with you and discuss options for adding light as well as space to your home. Simply call us on the number shown, or click in the header of any page to send us an email. We will then arrange a meeting at a time convenient to you for an assessment of the daylight possibilities.

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Following on from a piece in our blog a couple of weeks ago, here are some more pictures of Velux windows from the Conservation range. This particular project involved the replacement of 12 existing cast-iron framed roof lights with new, more energy-efficient Velux units. A major part of the brief was to keep the external appearance of the building as close to the original as possible.

To demonstrate how closely the windows match, the photographs show one each of original and replacement units. Without the help of the Velux label, could you tell the difference?

The change is much easier to spot from the inside where there is now more light, less condensation and smooth operation of all catches and hinges. In the inaccessible locations where these are out of reach, Velux Active on Integra systems give remote control and optional solar power. These can also be integrated with a smart home system for control via your mobile phone.

For classic appearance and modern efficiency, talk to us about the Velux Conservation range, you can phone or click in the header of any page to send us an email.

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In 1880 when Thomas Edison patented the incandescent light bulb, our current 24/7 society was born. Prior to that, human activity was to a much greater extent limited by the rising and setting of the sun. Our own circadian rhythms had evolved over countless generations to set our sleeping and waking patterns in harmony.

With the coming of artificial light, these restrictions were lifted and we could extend the periods of work or play to our heart's content. At the time nobody gave much thought to the quality of the light we were bathing in, simply that there was enough to do what we wanted to do.

However, as time went on and we started to spend our daylight hours under artificial light in offices and factories, scientists began to observe some adverse effects on health, both mental and physical from this. For many years now, the scientists have understood the functions of rods and cones in our eyes to render colour vision and make the most of what intensity there is.

In the late 1990s, it became clear to some that there was another factor that affected well being based on quality of light. This was later identified as a group of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). Work across a number of universities worldwide identified the wavelengths that caused the greatest suppression of hormones that regulate the circadian clock. Simply put, daylight helps us stay awake and alert while shorter wavelengths cause us to shut down. The wrong kind of light can not only affect our daytime performance but can also lead to broken sleep patterns.

A number of large corporations worldwide are also comparing the performance, attitude, absenteeism and well being of workers in offices with different lighting conditions and finding a powerful link between daylight from windows and efficiency.

So what? You may say… Well, for the great number of people now working at home instead of an office, investing in additional windows to let in all that glorious sunlight can not only help you achieve more in the day, but also feel better at night. It could also benefit your overall health as many epidemiological studies indicate that Seasonal Adjustment Disorder is only one of a wide range of health issues arising from artificial light, some others include depression, metabolic disorders, immune and cardiac diseases, even cancer.

If you feel like spending more time at home in natural light, just give us a call or click in the header of any page to send an email.

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With an older, character property, customers often find that their original rooflights can bring problems of their own. In this example, the room in question was being used as a shower room with the roof light directly above the shower.

The original, top-hung cast-iron window was a little awkward to use, but worse than that, it was a condensation trap. Condensation is an enemy in a house of any age, but in older homes, it can lead to uncomfortable damp, with associated damage to the fabric of the building.

In order to offer this customer the best possible results while making sure the appearance of their roof light was in keeping with the character of the building, we fitted this VELUX polyurethane centre pivot, solar powered window from the Conservation range. They are now delighted with the new-found ease of use, and superior ventilation that this window gives them.

The Conservation range is just one series of windows made by VELUX. No matter what the style of shape of your home, there is one that suits the application perfectly. To help you identify the most appropriate installation for you, simply give us a call or click in the header of any page to send us an email. As Five Star Approved VELUX installers with over a generation of experience, you can be sure that you will be getting the best possible advice.

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Natural light is good for body and mind, and when working, having a clear mind makes the task seem easier and helps us all to apply the very best of our abilities and make a great job of it. Just a few of the benefits of good quality, daylight driven ambient lighting can be summed up as:

• Improved concentration and productivity
• Enhanced mood and overall wellbeing
• Improved sleep pattern, which is vital for good performance at work.
• In winter, getting more natural light can help combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) too, making it easier to motivate ourselves, especially when access to colleagues is limited.

Converting an otherwise unused space to make a workplace is a solution now being explored by many people. While it is possible to work in a small, left over area, it is not always comfortable or enjoyable. If this rings a bell with you, talk to us about the many ways that Velux windows can help you throw some light on the matter. Many small spaces, or otherwise dingy corners can be turned into enjoyable workspaces with the addition of a Velux window.

With our many years of experience with this manufacturer, you can be sure that the advice you receive will help you make the most of even the darkest small corner of your home, and that you will be surprised at how cost effective the transformation can be. So, if you are one of the new band of workers at home, and would like to open up your workspace to light and air, give us a call or click in the header of any page to send an email.

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You can be sure that when you specify a Velux product, whether it is a flat roof window, pitched roof window or dormer, hinged at the top or in the middle, with or without blinds, it will fit perfectly first time and open up a new vista of light and air to make your under-roof space more useful, comfortable and enjoyable.

Now, with operations in over 40 countries worldwide, millions of homes and workplaces have invested in Velux products to increase the usefulness of attic and flat roofed spaces. To join them in enjoying more light, air and value in your home, simply call us for a quote, or click in the header of any page to send an email.

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