As the days get longer the demand for blinds that block any incoming daylight increases exponentially. You get clients asking for blinds that would provide complete darkness in their bedroom so they can get better sleep or enjoy their home cinema while the sun is still out. In this situation, the safest option would be to combine a blind with curtains, which to be fair is a very good idea. But what if your client doesn’t want curtains?

Is there even a blind that can block the light entirely? The answer is no, the light will always find a gap to pierce through. Fortunately, there are ways to bring this to a minimum, and in this blog, I’m going to compare two systems that can help you to achieve that.

First things first

Before I begin my comparison, I’d like to put an emphasis on the fact that it only makes sense if our Cassetted Roller Blind or Capital Fascia are used in conjunction with a blackout fabric. As the fabric makes up a great majority of any blind it’s important to make sure your fabric selection is right. Apart from their main purpose, blackout fabrics come in a wide variety of colours, textures and other properties that can help you give clients extra value. So, why stop on blackout only?

Here are the most popular blackout fabrics: Bromley, Buckingham, Enfield, Fulham, Hounslow, Hyde, Kingston, Regents, Waltham and a range of PVC fabrics.

What’s a Cassetted Roller Blind?

Cassetted Roller Blind is a clever and stylish combination of headbox cassette, side channels and bottom rail that seal the gaps around the window. Associated with a standard roller blind, the system provides a perfect solution for light control in bedrooms, cinema/movie or conference rooms.

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What’s Capital Fascia?

Built with sleek, premium materials, the modular components of our Capital Fascia provide a practical and stylish finish to any blind (or blinds) in residential and commercial spaces alike. Available with 90mm and 120mm components, and side profiles, the Capital Fascia allows you to meet any window dimensions and reduce light leakage whilst still providing a cohesive finish for the most discerning of clients.

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How do they work?

Both systems work on the same principle. They utilise their hardware to build around the blind, sealing the gaps around it to prevent any light leakage.

Cassetted Roller Blind

Cassetted Roller Blind Diagram

Capital Fascia

Versitality 

Cassetted Roller Blinds Capital Fascia
Blind Type Roller Blind Roller Blind, Roman Blind, Vertical Blind, Pleated Blind, Venetian Blind
Colours White, Black White, Cream, Champagne, Brushed Silver, Black, Anthracite
Recess Fitting Yes Yes
Outside Recess Fitting Yes Yes
Sizes Small Cassette ,Medium Cassette Fascia 90mm and 120mm

Which system is more blackout efficient?

The Cassetted system is specially designed for closing any gaps between the blind and its hardware around the window whilst the Capital Fascia’s main purpose is to finish the window by covering unsightly parts of a blind and adding visual value to the window. Therefore, Cassetted Roller Blind will provide a better blackout experience. However, employing Capital Fascia Side Profiles which are equivalent to the Cassetted Roller Blind’s side channels can minimise the light leakage into the room and with recess installation will be comparable to the Cassetted system. The Cassetted system side channels are hollow and designed to run the fabric inside of them so there’s no gap for the light to come through whilst the Capital Fascia L-shaped side profile is positioned behind or in front of the fabric and only reduces the amount of light from coming through.

Cassetted Roller Blind

Cassetted Roller Blind with Bottom Rail

Capital Fascia

 Another important aspect that influences the blackout property of both systems is how the top of the blind is sealed. So as the name suggests, the Cassetted system utilises a cassette that houses a roller blind inside, there are no brackets that you’d normally use to fit a standard roller blind, instead, the cassette is fitted in or outside of the recess, flush with the surface closing any possible gaps. With the Capital Fascia, however, the blind is fitted with its standard brackets which obviously creates a gap between the top of the blind and the top of the recess, letting the light pass through it.

Cassette vs Fascia

So, if you’re looking for a system that gives the best blackout performance the Cassetted Roller Blind is a great choice, however, you’ll restrict yourself and clients to a roller blind and only two hardware colours whereas any blackout blind supplemented with a Capital Fascia and matching Side Profiles offers much more variety and can provide blackout experience comparable to the Cassetted system, especially for recess installation. The other aspect to consider is where the blinds are going to be installed – commercial or residential space. The Capital Fascia is a premium product, designed to provide a cohesive finish and enhance the looks of any space, so it’s a perfect solution for residential clients. On the other hand, with its prominent header box, the Cassetted system is ideal for offices and conference rooms where its functionality will be more important.

Which system is better for your clients? Well, that will depend on their needs. It’s about speaking to them and asking questions, finding out what they’re looking to achieve and giving them the options. You have two here, it’s time to offer an exceptional blackout experience.