Skylights & rooflights in Blaby
Old Blaby is a conservation area; we fit accordingly.
Blaby is a large village south of Leicester whose old core is a designated conservation area, so a rooflight here begins with the roof covering, the street and the council’s view of both.
- Blaby District Council
- Old Blaby conservation area
- Flush profiles for period roofs
The Bakers Arms, old Blaby and the estates around it
Blaby is a large village in central Leicestershire, about five miles south of Leicester city centre and a little over twenty-four road miles from central Coventry, north-east of the city. It is the kind of place where an old core and a much larger modern spread sit side by side. Most of the shops and amenities stand along the old A426 between Leicester to the north and Lutterworth to the south, and Fosse Park shopping centre, the M1 and the M69 are a few miles away.
The old part of the village is the part that matters most when we think about period roofs. The village has a thatched public house, The Bakers Arms, dating back to 1485, and the description of old Blaby is that, while there are few buildings of outstanding historical or architectural interest, old Blaby is a conservation area. That second point is the one we take most seriously. A conservation area does not remove the usual rooflight rights on its own, but an Article 4 direction can, so we check that with the council before we quote.
Around that old core are the homes you would expect of a large village near a city: older houses alongside houses from later decades, each with its own covering, and later estates. Their roofs ask different questions. In the old streets we think about profile, glazing bars, flashing and the plane of the roof. In the later streets we think about rafter spacing, loft headroom and the extensions at the back.
We find out which you have by looking. At the survey visit we check the covering, measure the structure and look at the street from outside, then prepare a fixed written quote naming the rooflight, how it is fitted, and how the opening inside is finished.
The thatched pub is a useful reminder of how varied the village roofs can be. Thatch has its own craft, and the same sensitivity to material, pitch and edge detail applies to every older roof nearby: slate, clay tile, old stone-slate or later concrete. Each reacts differently to a cut and to weather, and each is flashed differently.
Conservation units in the old core, roof windows beyond
The old core of Blaby leans towards conservation rooflights, the newer streets towards roof windows, and the extensions towards flat rooflights and lanterns. Start with the roof you have and the street it sits on.
- Conservation rooflightsFor the roofs in old Blaby, where a flush, slim-framed unit keeps the roof line quiet.
- Roof windowsFor lofts in the inter-war and later houses, sized to the rafters.
- VELUX windowsFor houses where a familiar, well-known window pattern suits the roof covering and the budget.
- Flat roof rooflightsFor single-storey rears, with a new insulated upstand under the glass.
Also fitted here
Near Blaby
- Whetstone2 min
- Glen Parva4 min
- Countesthorpe6 min
- Narborough6 min
Drive times from Blaby village centre.
Old Blaby is a conservation area: what that means
Planning authority for Blaby is Blaby District Council. Old Blaby is a conservation area, so a house in or near it gets a careful check against what the council expects, and we say whether an application is sensible before pricing. Article 4 is for the council to confirm on your street, and a call to them is suggested when it would help.
A listed building needs listed building consent for any alteration, and we describe the application and what our survey can supply to support it. Building Control notification for notifiable work is looked after by us. See the rooflight planning guide for the wider rules.
Outside the conservation area the position is usually simpler, though we still ask before pricing, because asking costs nothing and getting it wrong costs a great deal. Bring any paperwork you have: a previous decision, a listing description or a solicitor's note, and we read it with you.
01 Conservation rooflights in old Blaby
Flush frames, slim bars and roofs that must still look like themselves.
On the roof
A conservation rooflight is designed to sit flush with the roof plane, instead of standing proud of the tiles on a kerb. From the street, it reads as a slim line of glass in the slope, which is why councils tend to accept it where an ordinary box-framed unit might raise questions.
The frame is usually steel or a similar slim section, with a single vertical or horizontal glazing bar that echoes the old cast-iron rooflights once common on period buildings. The glazing is modern, sealed and thermally efficient, so the room is warm and the glass does not mist, but the look is traditional.
The fitting is as important as the unit. On clay tile or slate, the flashing is formed to the profile and laid in sequence. We take care to match the courses and not to disturb neighbouring tiles. Where old rafters are irregular, we trim and trim again so the unit sits true and the roof beneath is supported by timber sized for the load.
If you are not sure whether a conservation rooflight is right for the street, we show you examples at the survey and explain how the council usually sees them. The decision is yours; the information is ours to give.
Lead flashing is the traditional choice on a period roof, and it is what we use where the building calls for it. It is dressed by hand into the tile or slate, and it lasts. On a less sensitive roof, a matched aluminium kit does the same job at a different price, and we set both out in the quote so you can compare them.
Access is considered beforehand. Old streets are often narrow, with limited parking and shared passages, so we agree where we can set up, how materials arrive and what notice your neighbours should have.
In the room
Inside an old house the ceilings may be lath and plaster, and the rooms may be small. Cutting a new opening takes patience. We cut back to sound edges, line the new reveal with insulated board and skim it so the old surface and the new meet cleanly.
A flush rooflight lets in a clean band of daylight. Where the roof depth allows, we splay the reveal to widen that band across the ceiling and walls, and we plaster it ready for paint. Old rooms look better with light from above, because they were often built with small windows and low ceilings.
Beams and other period features stay as they are. We work around them and leave them exposed, and we protect floors and furniture throughout. At the end, the room is cleared, the plaster is sanded and primed, and you have an opening that looks as though it was always part of the house.
For a room in the roof of an older house, the energy performance of the opening matters. The reveal is insulated, the glazing is a sealed double or triple unit, and the frame is thermally broken, so the new opening does not become the coldest spot in the room. We explain what is fitted and why, in plain words.
Every roof covering needs its own flashing kit, because tiles, slates and profiled sheets sit at different heights around the opening. A kit made for the covering lets water run off the roof and over the frame without gaps. Fitting the right kit is what keeps the finished rooflight dry for years. Ask for the kit name on the quote, so you can see exactly what goes around the frame.
The short version
On a period roof, the slimmest frame and the neatest flashing are what the street will see.
02 Newer streets, larger rooms
Concrete-tiled lofts and the rear extensions behind them.
On the roof
Outside the old core, many homes in Blaby have pitched roofs with lofts above and, behind them, extensions added over the years. A roof window in the loft is the plain answer for an upstairs room that is dark or stuffy. We choose a size to suit the rafter spacing, fit it with flashing made for your tile profile, and leave the roof weathertight.
Many of the extensions have flat roofs. An older plastic dome can be replaced with a flat glass rooflight on a new insulated upstand, or a lantern if the room is wide enough. Both are sealed into the roof covering, and any trouble with the deck is priced in the same quote as the glass.
For a house in or near the conservation area, even a modern extension at the back may be seen from public places. We check sight lines at the survey, and where it matters, we choose a lower profile.
Fosse Park and the main roads are close, and some households here may travel to the city for work. A bright home office in the loft is one option, and a roof window with an opening sash gives ventilation as well as light.
Occasionally a loft in these streets has already been boarded or partly converted by a previous owner. We look at what is there, check that it is sound and safe to work around, and tell you if anything affects the plan. The quote shows the rooflight work and any related work separately, so you can see each cost.
In the room
In a loft room the lining of the opening is what you see every day. We build it in insulated plasterboard, splay it where depth allows, tape and skim it, and leave it ready to decorate. The sill is shaped to throw light into the room, and the frame is set to the ceiling plane without a visible gap.
In an extension, a lantern or flat rooflight is finished inside with a plastered box or funnel. We agree the shape at the survey, because it affects the whole look of the room. Lighting that was in the way is moved or reconnected by arrangement.
Everything is planned so that you can keep using the house. Floors are covered, dust is contained, and the room is cleared at the end of each working day.
When you want to open the window in summer, the position of the handle matters. We set the sash so that it can be reached from the floor or with a pole, and we show you how it operates before we leave. A rooflight is used every day, so this small detail is worth getting right.
Afterwards, a short list of care points for the glass and the seals goes with the guarantee, so the unit looks and works as it did on day one.
The short version
Outside the conservation area the choice is practical; inside it, the choice starts with the street.
Few buildings of outstanding interest, but a whole village that still counts.
Clay tiles, conservation rules, survey first: Blaby asks
My house is in old Blaby. What does the conservation area mean for a rooflight?
It means we check with care before quoting. Blaby District Council is the planning authority and old Blaby is a conservation area, so the look of the roof from the street matters. A flush conservation rooflight is often the best choice. We tell you in writing what to ask the council, and whether an application is advisable before we start. You decide only once the full written quote is in your hands.
Can a conservation rooflight be fitted to a clay tile roof?
Yes. The unit is chosen for the tile profile, the flashing is formed to match, and the rafters are trimmed with new timber sized for the load. Inside, the reveal is lined, splayed where the depth allows, plastered and made good. We show you the options at the free survey and put the chosen one in a fixed quote. Slate roofs are treated the same way, with the flashing formed to suit.
Which comes first in Blaby, the survey or the council?
The drive from central Coventry to Blaby takes about thirty-four minutes, so a visit can be arranged at a time that suits you. Photographs of the roof and the street help us prepare, and if an application is needed, our survey notes give the council what it will ask for.
We survey before we price.
Then we finish the room.
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