As all Uni-Blinds ® integral blind units are made to order, with a wide variety of different control systems, colours, styles and glass options to choose from, it is a range that provides individually-tailored shading and privacy solutions to suit all types of windows and doors, home décor and homeowner tastes.

Just like any standard IGU( insulating glass unit), integral blind units have to be made to fit the exact dimensions of the windows and doors. That means cutting the glass to the required width and height, and the overall thickness of the IGU must be suitable for the frames – usually 24mm or 28mm. But it also means ensuring the blind system is manufactured to fit perfectly within the IGU’ s cavity, and that needs every blind unit to be made to order – it is never an off-the-shelf, standard sized system.

The reason why this is important, and why it is a huge selling point for installers, is because making every integral blind unit to order means that we can ensure the product fits most closely with the customer’ s needs from a practical, styling and performance perspective. The days of integral blinds being a niche product are long gone – today they can be applied to anything from a single, small PVCu casement window to a complete set of premium, wide-spanning aluminium bi-fold doors.

Great variety of control systems

With Uni-Blinds ®, there are up to five different types of control systems available, depending on the type of blind. These range from the manual C-System cordpull operated blind and cordless magnetic slider systems, SV and SV +, to the W Smart battery-operated and smart-home compatible MB motorised systems.

This means installers can offer homeowners a choice of how to control the blinds to best suit their personal preferences, the practicalities presented by their windows and doors and their budget.

Styles and colours

Most integral blinds manufactured by Morley Glass are Venetian blinds, a classic style characterised by its horizontal slats attached to vertical cords which facilitate the raising, lowering and

tilting. The narrow slats, designed to fit within the IGU cavity, come in a choice of colours depending on the type of blind specified.

In addition to Venetian blinds, we also manufacture pleated fabric integral blinds, including a blackout option. These are raised and lowered using a cordless magnetic slider positioned on the footer rail of the blind in what is called the S System.

Venetian blind slats for most systems in a 28mm IGU are available in 14 colours, several of which are exclusive to the UK market and include a dual coloured slat which is White on the inside and Anthracite on the externally-facing side.

The slimmer SL16 system slats used within 24mm IGUs are now available in 9 colours, pleated vanity integral blinds come in 12 colours, and 8 colour options are available for the pleated blackout.

Suitability for many different types of frames

Integral blinds are suitable for all kinds of PVCu, aluminium and timber window and door frames, with IGU thicknesses of 32, 28 and 24mm available.

The latter – a 24mm IGU – is particularly important for retrofitting, where the homeowner wishes to retain their existing window or door frames but replace the double glazed unit with an integral blind upgrade. This comes in the form of the SL16 slimline Venetian blind system.

Remember also that integral blinds can be integrated within triple glazed units. This means homeowners and developers who are seeking to achieve the highest thermal performance can also benefit from integral blinds.

Optimise the glass

A final way to tailor the integral blind unit to meet the exacting needs of the homeowner is to choose the most appropriate type of glass at the quotation stage. Morley Glass offers a choice including low-e glass which will suit most standard requirements, as well as Planitherm One, an advanced type of glass providing enhanced thermal performance.

There is also a premium glass option which combines higher levels of thermal insulation with greater solar control, meaning it reflects more excess heat in strong sunshine. This comes in the form of COOL-LITE SKN 176 II, a fantastic product for reducing overheating risks in summer, without compromising heat insulation during the winter or impacting aesthetics.

www. morleyglass. co. uk