Customer Reviews for VELUX White Manually Operated Blackout Skylight Blind for FCM/QPF 3030 Models

Bit of an extravagance (price-wise) and I can only hope that it serves its purpose when those bright, sunny days of Summer return. The directions are in "picture form", not written, so pay close attention to the detailed drawings when installing this shade onto the skylight. IMPORTANT: One end of both side rails must be installed correctly into the top head rail so that the flexible shade will slide smoothly along a slot molded in each rail (Step #3). Remember to predrill the pilot holes for any mounting screws and don't over tighten them. Finally, when closing the retractable shade, be sure to slide it parallel with the skylight - avoid pulling it towards you or the shade could pull out of the side rails track. Take your time, be observant and you won't have any problem.

I loved this skylight blind for 3 days, when the small loop used for opening and closing the blind snapped right off. I'd opened it no more than 3 times when this happened. Maybe I just got a bad one? I hope it was just a fluke that I got a poor quality one, because I wanted to recommend this. Aside from the durability factor, it's actually a cool product. It's very streamlined so it doesn't bulk up the skylight when opened or closed. It also works seamlessly with the other Velux products (installation tray and hook) which is nice. (You do need the tray in order to install the blind). I was worried the blackout blind might look cheap (as some blackout material does), but it's really sleek while also being effective at blocking out the light. As a point of reference, the blind is similar in material to the vinyl roller blinds you can buy at Home Depot for regular windows. (Thicker and more opaque) Good to know: Install the blind (and tray) when you're installing the skylight for easiest installation. I'd already installed the skylight when I decided to put this in (I hadn't realized how much direct sun I'd be getting). Because it was installed after, it was a bit more involved- required my contractor access the skylight from the roof, etc. It wasn't incredibly difficult to do just a little more involved than if we'd installed it with the skylight itself. I'm annoyed I now have to take it down and return it because of the flaw, but I will likely get another one because the fit was so good with the Velux skylight.