insights
insights
Measure the opening, choose fabric and colour, and the blind arrives made to your sizes with everything needed to fit it. No call-out, no waiting on a diary, no surprise on the invoice.
Who makes it mattersA company that only sells online never sees how its product behaves in a Highveld storm or a Cape south-easter. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings designs, manufactures and installs outdoor blinds on the Garden Route every week. The blind you buy from the shop is the specification fitted on site.
Three fabrics, three different jobs. Choosing the wrong one is the most common mistake.
Sunworker or Sheerweave: UV-stabilised polyester coated in PVC. Blocks up to 95% of UV, cuts wind, keeps airflow and the view. The one for most patios, and the one that self-installs.
Most popularTransparent panels that seal wind and rain completely while keeping the view. Winter entertaining, braai areas facing the weather. Traps heat in summer if left down; measure precisely, a few millimetres shows as sag.
Full sealSolid fabric, total shade and privacy, view blocked. Utility areas, carports, the part of the patio where privacy beats outlook. Acrylic canvas is more colour-fast than ripstop.
Full shade| Performance | Screen | Clear PVC | Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|
| UV protection | Up to 95% | Low, transparent | 100%, opaque |
| Wind | Reduces, does not seal | Complete seal | Complete seal |
| Rain | Deflects most; fine mist may pass in heavy weather | Full barrier | Full barrier, coated |
| Airflow and view | Both kept | View kept, sealed | Neither |
| Summer heat build-up | Low | High if not raised | High if not raised |
| Self-install | Yes | Professional recommended | Professional recommended |
Three dots best on that row. All three carry a 3-year warranty on fabric and components.
Screen blinds are designed for it. A drill, a spirit level, and about an hour.
Width and height at three points, use the largest. Enter the sizes, choose colour and fabric, check out. Preview colours in the Blind Builder first if you like.
The blind arrives with brackets and screws. Hold them level, mark, drill: masonry or wood bit to suit the surface.
The cassette snaps into the brackets. Fix the base clips or hold-down anchors, test the crank. 30 to 60 minutes a blind. Stuck on which way the brackets go? WhatsApp a photo.
05 What to check before you buy
Do they install their own product? Field experience is built into every blind Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings ships. What is the fabric range? A curated selection means the alternatives were tested and rejected; the screen fabrics sold have survived 15 years of coastal testing. What does the warranty cover? Some cover fabric only. This one covers fabric and components for three years, and delivery is free on every order with no minimum spend.
Garden RouteSidetrack, motorised and bespoke installed systems: Duncan measures, we manufacture to spec and our installation team fits. WhatsApp 079 523 5407.
Width, height and fabric set the price, shown before you add to cart. No installer markup on a self-fit blind, free delivery, and the Custom Fit Guarantee removes the risk of a measuring slip.
Buy online:
Screen fabric blinds from Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings: made to measure in Knysna, shipped free nationwide with all hardware, self-fitted in about an hour, with a 3-year warranty on fabric and components and the Custom Fit Guarantee.
Screen fabric deflects most rain, but the open weave lets fine mist through in heavy sideways rain; that is the trade for airflow. For a complete rain seal, clear PVC.
Quality screen fabric lasts 8 to 15 years depending on UV, wind load and care. The fabrics sold have been coastal-tested for over 15 years on the Garden Route.
Yes. Somfy motors fit the outdoor blind systems for remote, wall switch or app control. Motorised installed systems are fitted on the Garden Route.
The Custom Fit Guarantee covers every online order: too big from the sizes supplied, cut down free and returned; too small, remade at a reduced price.
Hose down with clean water. Stubborn marks with a soft brush and mild soapy water, rinsed. No abrasives, no pressure washer.
Screen blinds can cut patio temperature by up to 10 degrees by stopping UV before it reaches the surface, and they reduce heat through glass doors behind them.
A tape measure, pencil, spirit level, drill with a masonry or wood bit, and a Phillips bit. Nothing specialist.
Content reviewed by the Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team. Visit the online shop for current pricing.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.