IntegralBlindsFittedInsidetheGlassinPoole&Bournemouth
The blind sits sealed between the two panes, not hanging in front of them. Nothing to dust, no cords, and nothing in the way when the doors fold back.
- 5.0★from 25 Google reviews
- CertifiedAssure Insurance-backed
- 10+ YearsExperience
- GuaranteedFor 10 Years
Our own installations, at four different settings
The same idea in each: the blind is inside the sealed unit. Tap any photo to see it up close.
Every photograph on this page is one of our own installations. Some were taken mid-fit, before the site was cleared.
Blinds in glass, integrated blinds, blinds between the panes
A blind that lives inside the sealed unit
A double-glazed unit is two panes of glass with a sealed gap between them. An integral blind is built into that gap, so it is inside the window rather than hanging in front of it. You still raise it, lower it and tilt the slats exactly as you would an ordinary venetian blind, but the blind itself is behind glass on both sides. That is the whole idea, and everything people like about it follows from it: the blind cannot get dusty, cannot be pulled at by a child or a cat, and cannot catch on a door as it folds back.
- Sealed inside the glazed unit, so it is never exposed to the room
- Raise, lower and tilt it like any venetian blind
- It goes in when the unit is made, so the window or door arrives with it already fitted
Why people choose them over ordinary blinds
Most of it comes back to the same thing: the blind is behind glass.
Nothing to clean
The blind is sealed in, so it never gathers dust, cooking grease or cobwebs. There is nothing to take down, wash or put back up.
No cords in the room
Nothing hangs loose, which matters in a house with young children or pets, and is the reason a lot of people ask about them in the first place.
Nothing in the way of the doors
On a bifold or a slider, an ordinary blind has to be pulled clear before the doors open. An integral blind stays with the panel, wherever the panel goes.
Made to fit exactly
The blind is built into the unit at the factory, so it matches the glass to the millimetre. No gaps down the sides, no blind that is slightly too short.
Good in a kitchen or bathroom
Steam, splashes and condensation never reach it, which is where ordinary blinds in those rooms usually give up first.
It looks like part of the window
No brackets, no headrail on the wall, no fixings into the reveal. The frame stays clean, which is usually the point of choosing slim frames to begin with.
Decided when the unit is ordered, not afterwards
Magnetic or motorised, and why it is worth knowing the difference
There are two ways to work an integral blind. A magnetic control is a slider on the frame that you move by hand: no cords, no wiring, no batteries, and it both raises the blind and tilts the slats. A motorised one does the same from a remote, which is the sensible answer for a blind you cannot easily reach. The part worth knowing before you choose is that the manufacturer guarantee is not the same length on both, so the convenience of a remote costs you some cover. We will tell you which we would put in your opening, and why.
- Magnetic: a hand-operated slider on the frame, raises and tilts, no power needed
- Motorised: the same by remote, but the guarantee on the blind is shorter
- Very short blinds, under about 300mm high, tilt but do not raise
Where integral blinds actually work
Not a doors-only product, though that is where most people first see them.
Bifold and sliding doors
Prone toA wide run of glass with nowhere sensible to hang a blind, and doors that have to fold or slide past it.
How we treat itEach panel gets its own blind, so the doors work normally and you can set them panel by panel.
Windows
Prone toRooms that need privacy without losing the window, or reveals too shallow to take a blind neatly.
How we treat itThe blind is in the glass, so a shallow reveal stops being a problem and the frame stays clear.
Kitchens, bathrooms and en-suites
Prone toSteam, splashes and grease, which is what finishes off an ordinary fabric or slatted blind.
How we treat itNothing reaches the blind, so it stays exactly as it was the day it went in.
Not sure whether yours will take them? Send a photo of the opening and we will tell you.
Integral blinds against ordinary blinds, honestly
They are not the right answer for every window. Here is where they win and where an ordinary blind is still the sensible choice.
| Integral blinds | Ordinary blinds | |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Sealed in. Never needs cleaning, ever | Dusting, and taking them down to wash properly |
| Cords and safety | Nothing hanging in the room | Cords or chains, unless you pay for a cordless type |
| On bifolds and sliders | Travels with the panel, so the doors work normally | Has to be moved clear before the doors open |
| Cost up front | More, because it is built into the glazed unit | Less, and you can fit them yourself |
| Changing your mind later | The blind is part of the glass, so a new colour means a new unit | Take them down and put different ones up |
| Fully raised | Stacks into a band at the top of the glass, it does not disappear | Lifts clear above the window into the reveal |
| Very large panes | There is a size limit, so an oversized pane may not take one. We check at survey | No practical size limit |
| Best suited to | New windows or doors you are buying anyway, and anywhere a blind is awkward | An existing window that is staying put |
Swipe to see every column
What backs it
The guarantee, and the fitting condition that decides whether it stands
The blind carries its own guarantee from the manufacturer, on top of our separate 10-year Assure-backed guarantee on the installation. On the magnetic units in uPVC or aluminium frames that is ten years; on the motorised ones it is five, and it is five in a timber frame too. We will confirm the exact terms for your job before you order. What almost nobody mentions is that the guarantee has fitting conditions attached: both panes have to be properly bridged with glazing packers, and the manufacturer says plainly in its own instructions that incorrect glazing is the commonest reason these blinds stop working properly. Get it wrong and you have voided the cover without knowing, and you find out on the day you need it.
- Ten years on the blind for magnetic units in uPVC or aluminium, five for motorised or timber
- A separate 10-year Assure-backed guarantee on our own workmanship
- Fitted to the manufacturer conditions, so the cover actually stands
How getting them fitted works
No salesman, just Josh.
Tell us the opening
Call or send a photo. We will tell you straight away whether integral blinds suit that window or door, and whether they are worth it for you.
Josh surveys it himself
He measures the opening, brings the colour swatches, and you pick the frame finish and the slat colour together.
The units are made with the blind inside
The blind goes into the sealed unit at the factory, so the window or door arrives complete. There is no second visit to fit blinds afterwards.
Fitted, and set up with you
We fit it to the manufacturer conditions so the guarantee holds, then show you how the controls work before we leave.
What Poole & Bournemouth customers say
Every review is real, straight from our Google profile.
5.0
Tevez Ishmael
Highly recommend Wilshaw Glazing Installed bifold with Blinds inside the glass for our new extension on our house really happy with the end result, couldn't recommend Josh enough
Natasha Evans
Josh and his team worked incredibly hard replacing all of the windows and doors in our house, including fitting a beautiful bifold door in place of our old French doors. We could not be happier with the results. The quality of the workmanship was excellent, and Josh was fantastic with communication throughout the whole process. He was reliable, professional, and kept us updated every step of the way. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking for high-quality work and great service.
Move Your Feet MYF
so happy with bifold installed, in canford cliffs recommend them has changed our kitchen
The bits people worry about before they order
What if the blind stops working? It is sealed in.
That is the honest trade-off, and worth understanding before you order. A blind sealed inside the glass cannot be opened up and repaired in place the way an ordinary one can, so putting it right means a new glazed unit. That is exactly why the manufacturer guarantee matters more here than it would on a normal blind, and why fitting it to their conditions is not a technicality.
Can I have them in the windows I have already got?
Not without new glass. The blind goes inside the sealed unit, so it means new units in your existing frames at the very least. That is why they make most sense when you are replacing the windows or doors anyway.
Is it going to look like an add-on?
No. There is no headrail on the wall, no brackets and no fixings in the reveal, so the frame stays exactly as clean as it was. Have a look at the photographs above, all of them our own jobs.
What are integral blinds?
A venetian blind built into the sealed gap between the two panes of a double-glazed unit, rather than hung in front of the window. You raise, lower and tilt it as normal, but the blind itself is behind glass on both sides, so it is never exposed to the room. People also call them blinds in glass, integrated blinds, built-in blinds or blinds between the panes.
Do integral blinds need cleaning?
No. That is the main reason people choose them. The blind is inside a sealed unit, so dust, cooking grease and steam never reach it. You clean the glass exactly as you would any other window.
Can I have integral blinds fitted to my existing windows?
Not without new glass. The blind is built into the sealed unit when it is made, so at minimum it means new units in your existing frames, and often it makes more sense as part of a full replacement. Send us a photo of the window and we will tell you which applies to yours.
Do they work in bifold and sliding doors?
Yes, and that is where they are at their best. Each panel gets its own blind, so the blind travels with the panel and the doors open and fold exactly as they should. There is nothing to unhook or pull clear first. Most of our own integral-blind work has been in bifolds.
How are integral blinds operated?
Either magnetically or by remote. A magnetic control is a slider on the frame that you move by hand, with no cords, wiring or batteries, and it both raises the blind and tilts the slats. A motorised version does the same from a remote. It is decided when the unit is ordered rather than afterwards, so tell us at the quote stage which you want, and be aware the manufacturer guarantee is longer on the magnetic type.
Can integral blinds mist up or cause condensation?
The blind sits in the same sealed, gas-filled cavity as any other double-glazed unit, so on a sound unit it stays clear. If the edge seal ever fails, that unit will mist exactly as any other failed unit does, and the fix is the same: the glass is replaced. Our page on misted double glazing explains what causes that and what it takes to put right.
Do integral blinds come with a guarantee?
The units we fit carry a 10-year guarantee on the blind from the manufacturer, and our own installation carries a separate 10-year Assure-backed workmanship guarantee. The manufacturer guarantee has fitting conditions attached, which is worth knowing when you are comparing installers.
What can we put them in?
Aluminium Bifold Doors
Where most of our integral-blind work has gone, and where they make the most difference.
Learn moreAluminium Windows
Slim frames and big panes, with the blind built into the glass.
Learn more
What New Windows & Doors Cost
Our own installed prices, so you know what the window itself comes to first.
Learn more
Where we fit them
Poole, Bournemouth and the towns around them.
Thinking about blinds in the glass?
Send a photo of the opening and we will tell you straight whether they suit it.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a price. No pressure, no hard sell.
Prefer to talk, or email? Call Wilshaw Glazing on 01202 156 611 or email Josh.Critchley@wilshawgroup.com