Velux solar skylight and blind installation in Esher, Surrey

A homeowner in Esher, Surrey asked us to bring their flat-roof skylights up to date. The two existing units let daylight in but did nothing else: no ventilation on warm days and no shade when the sun was overhead. Our brief was to swap them for two Velux solar-powered windows with matching solar blinds, all controlled by remote and with no mains wiring.

The brief

The two flat-glass skylights sat proud of the flat roof. They had been fitted as fixed, sealed panels, which meant no fresh air on warm afternoons, no way to let trapped heat out in summer and no shade when the sunlight turned to glare.

The homeowner wanted a full upgrade: two Velux solar-powered windows with matching solar blinds. Both are motorised yet wireless, because Velux’s solar range runs on a battery charged by a small solar panel, so there is no mains cable to run through ceilings or walls.

Out with the old, in with the new

Each old unit had to come out without disturbing the roof covering around it. We cut back the existing sealant, released the glass from the kerb and lifted the old unit clear, leaving the timber kerb exposed and checked, ready for the new Velux frame.

The new unit was then offered up to the opening. The flashing has to sit exactly right against the roof covering so water drains around the frame, never under it. Once positioned, each window was fixed down through the kerb, the flashing dressed into the felt and a fresh weatherproof seal run around the edge.

Smart skylights in use

With both windows fitted and set up, either one opens at the press of a remote to let fresh air in, and closes just as easily. The built-in rain sensor takes care of sudden weather: when it detects rain, the window closes itself.

The matching Velux solar blinds give shade and privacy on demand. Each draws its power from its own small solar cell, so no wiring was needed inside the ceiling. A separate remote works the blinds, so the homeowner can shade the room without touching the windows.

The finished result

Two fixed skylights are now a pair of motorised roof windows with their own shading. The homeowner has ventilation, shade and automatic closing in the rain, with no visible cables, and the flat roof is sealed around both.

See our flat glass skylights and roof window blinds, including the Velux blinds we fit in Esher.