Clerestory Window Shades & Blinds

Clerestory windows sit high on the wall, often in a row just under the roofline, to pull daylight deep into a room without giving up privacy. When the sun lines up with them, they lay a band of glare across the sofa or desk. The trouble is reach. A clerestory shade is usually well above head height, so a chain or a cordless bottom rail that you pull by hand is not much use. Every shade here is made to measure and shipped direct, and most are best ordered with a motor.

Shades and blinds that work on clerestory windows

Solar shades are the most common answer. The screen fabric cuts glare and heat while keeping the sky in view, and openness runs from 1% to 10%, so you can choose how much light and view come through. Light filtering roller shades soften the light to an even glow and give more privacy where the windows face a neighbor. Blackout roller shades suit a clerestory in a bedroom or media room, where even a thin strip of early light is too much.

Light filtering cellular shades suit the long, short proportions of a clerestory band. A motorized cellular shade at the 38 mm cell size reaches 126 inches wide and 79 inches high, which covers a wide strip of glass in a single shade.

Keep the shades quiet: a fabric close to the wall color and a matching cassette, in white, beige, grey or black, lets the row read as architecture.

Motors, remotes and minimum sizes

A motor adds to the minimum width, because it has to fit inside the tube or headrail. On our squared roller cassette a motorized shade starts at 20 1/8 inches wide, and a motorized 38 mm cellular shade starts at 23 inches.

Battery motors charge in about four hours with the 5V charger. For a shade near the ceiling, add a solar panel so the motor keeps itself topped up and you are not climbing a ladder to charge it. Without one, charge each motor for at least six hours every six months, even if the shade is rarely used. A plug-in motor is the other option where there is an outlet nearby.

The AC123 remote comes in 1, 2, 6 and 16 channel versions, so one remote can run a whole row of clerestory shades, each on its own channel. The six channel AC152-06 adds time control, so the shades can lower on a schedule before the afternoon sun arrives. For voice or app control, the Matter motor connects directly to Apple Home and also works with Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings and Home Assistant. The Zigbee motor connects directly to five specific Echo models, and other setups use the standard motor with a hub.

Measuring and installing high windows yourself

Measure from a stable ladder, and measure each window on its own. For an inside mount, take the width at the top, middle and bottom of the opening and use the smallest figure, then measure the height on both sides and use the smaller. Send us those exact numbers; the factory makes its own allowances, including 1/4 inch off the width of an inside mount cellular shade.

Roller shades hang from two cassette brackets. Drill with a 0.2 inch (6 mm) bit, set the screws at 1.1 inch spacing and use the anchor supplied for your wall type. Each bracket has four pre-drilled holes, and the spare two are worth using when the shade is installed high or over a stairwell. Hook the valance onto the latch, press it back until it clicks, and check that the top and rear are both locked before you come down the ladder. Then set the motor limits: the first two positions you save are the upper and lower limits, and each can only be fine-tuned once before the motor needs a reset, so take your time.

If your high windows are the top tier of a two story wall of glass, our great room shades and blinds cover the full height. For a single row of clerestory glass, order a solar sample, hold it up at the brightest time of day, then send us your measurements.