insights
insights
Blinds drop down the sides. Awnings go overhead. Shutters stay on the building all year.
Drop down the sides of a patio to block wind, sideways rain and low sun. Ship flat, install with standard hardware, so they go to any address in South Africa.
NationwideExtend overhead for shade and cover from vertical rain. Site visit, structural check and a fitting crew, so Garden Route only.
Garden RouteAluminium shutters on windows and doors: weather-rated security that stays on the building. Anchoring, electrics for motorised units, a fitting team. Garden Route only.
Garden RouteThe fabric does the work, so the specification conversation is mostly about fabric.
| Performance | Screentex | Sunworker | Sheerweave | Clear PVC | Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job | The national default mesh for sun, glare and moderate wind | Coast, high wind, spans over 3.5m, commercial | A particular weave look; best with side tracks | Seals wind, rain and spray, keeps the view | Full privacy and full sealing; carports, courtyards |
| Airflow and view | Both | Both | Both | View, sealed | Neither |
| Wind | Moderate | Distributes load across the weave | With tracks | Complete seal | Complete seal |
| Ships nationally | Yes | Yes | On request | Standard panels, yes | Standard panels, yes |
Sidetrack, Ziptrak and motorised installed systems are quoted per project on the Garden Route.
Ziptrak: the sole Garden Route agency for the Australian original. A spline runs the blind down side tracks with no zips, cords or cranks, so the fabric seals along both edges. Ziptrak rates a standard 2.5m by 2.5m blind fitted to its windy-area method to 160km/h.
Overhead cover, made in canvas in Knysna, installed across the Garden Route. Never flat-packed.
Louvre
Sun and rain, without adjustment
Retractable
Shade when you want it
Extruded aluminium slats that lock into guides and form a physical barrier. Warranty of up to 7 years. Motorised options close on a schedule when the house is empty.
Not a security productOutdoor blinds and awnings are never a security specification. Shutters on ground-floor windows and sliders, blinds and awnings for the patio.
05 What lasts on the coast
Powder-coated aluminium frames last 15 years or more if the coating is not damaged; stainless fittings last indefinitely; Screentex and Sunworker are still performing after ten years when raised in severe storms and cleaned occasionally; PVC-coated canvas holds seven to ten years. Mild steel rusts, untreated timber warps and rots in a year or two, residential zipper systems break down under UV and non-marine fabric fades within a season. None of those are in the range; all of them appear in imported product sold online.
Install mistakesUndersized anchors, brackets on a fascia that cannot take the load, no side tracks on a wide span. Every Garden Route install is site-measured by Duncan first.
Name the dominant weather problem first. The specification follows.
Outdoor blinds on the exposed sides, Sunworker for coastal sites, side tracks or guide cables past three metres. Overhead cover anchors the system against uplift.
Blinds firstStart overhead: a louvre awning adjusted through the day, or a retractable pulled out at midday. Add blinds where low sun hits morning and evening.
Awning firstA solid overhead: louvre closed or a pitched canvas awning. Sides in clear PVC to keep the view or mesh to keep the breeze. The restaurant and guest house specification.
Overhead plus sidesAluminium security shutters on ground-floor glass, blinds for the patio, a schedule for when the house is empty.
ShuttersBuy online:
Sunworker screen mesh: its warp-knit construction spreads wind load across the surface, it keeps airflow and the view, and it has passed fifteen years of Garden Route coastal testing. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings ships it nationwide.
No. Awnings and aluminium security shutters need a site visit, a structural check and a fitting team, so they are installed on the Garden Route only. Outdoor blinds ship to every address in South Africa.
Blinds solve wind, sideways rain and low sun on the sides. Awnings solve overhead sun and vertical rain. Most working patios need both; name the dominant problem and start there.
Yes. Somfy motors and wind-sensor automation fit outdoor blinds and awnings; a louvre awning can close on a rain sensor. Motorised systems are fitted on the Garden Route.
Sunworker and Screentex blinds ten years and more with care; powder-coated aluminium louvre awnings and shutter housings 15 years and more; PVC-coated canvas seven to ten years. Outdoor blinds carry a 3-year fabric warranty and 1-year components warranty; aluminium security shutters a warranty of up to 7 years.
That depends entirely on your insurer’s criteria, and Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings does not provide insurance certificates. Confirm the specification with your insurer.
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.