insights
insights
Exposure first, security second, maintenance third, opening size fourth. Answer them in sequence and the shutter chooses itself.
The practical South African choice. Moisture, UV and humidity do not move it; no repainting, ever. Holiday homes, rentals, bathrooms, coastal rooms. Custom Lifestyle Shutters, PVC, made in Cape Town to specification.
Coastal, wet roomsSecurity, privacy, light control and insulation in one. Lock top and bottom, tilt for light, resist coastal corrosion. Warranty of up to 7 years.
SecurityThe warmest grain, in dry inland rooms, with refinishing every few years. Stiff louvres and swelling within a few seasons at the coast.
Inland onlyHow the panels open, how much window they clear, how they look when open.
| Performance | Hinged | Bi-fold | Bypass |
|---|---|---|---|
| How | Swing on side hinges, like a door | Fold against each other in pairs, stacking to one or both sides | Slide on a track, overlapping when open |
| Best for | Standard-width windows | Wide openings, stacking doors, feature windows | Very wide openings where folding panels would be unwieldy |
| Clears the opening | Fully, with swing clearance | Fully, stacked aside | Never fully; panels overlap |
| Watch | Furniture in the swing path | Stack depth to the side | The permanent overlap |
Panels should not exceed 900mm wide; wider panels strain the hinges. The site visit sets the configuration.
04 Why 89mm louvres
Not a supplier constraint: an aesthetic judgement held across more than twenty years of Garden Route shutter work. Fewer, wider blades sit more comfortably in a frame, close cleaner, and open to a less obstructed glass. At 45 degrees, diffused light with full privacy; fully open, the glass largely clear. Narrower louvres are a different look, available elsewhere, and not offered because they do not produce a better outcome.
At the site visitFrame depth, panel width and hinge placement are confirmed to the opening. The louvre width is fixed.
PVC for coastal and humid homes and wet rooms, aluminium security shutters where security leads, timber only in dry inland rooms. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings fits its Custom Lifestyle Shutters range across the Garden Route after a site visit.
For durability and maintenance, better: moisture, UV and humidity do not warp them and they never need repainting. Timber has the warmer natural grain and needs upkeep, especially near the coast.
Every shutter is custom made, so the price depends on material, opening size, configuration and colour. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings provides an itemised quote after the site visit; shutters are not priced online.
Yes. Many homeowners remove curtains entirely: adjustable light, complete privacy when closed, and insulation against heat and cold in one product.
Yes. Estate agents list them as a premium feature and treat them as a permanent architectural improvement.
PVC indoors and aluminium for security. Both resist salt air and humidity. Avoid timber in direct coastal exposure.
Content reviewed by the Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.