insights
insights
How each one holds, and where it lets go.
Brackets clip onto the rubber bead of an opening sash. Neat on small windows with a clear bead; not for fixed panes. Clamps slip on sun-softened rubber, common on the coast, and can mark the bead.
Not dependableMagnets on adhesive pads bond to a steel frame. Most South African frames are aluminium and will not hold one, and the bond weakens in heat; wide blinds sag in the middle.
DiscontinuedBrackets press outward against both sides of the reveal and hold by friction. Any flat-sided recess, any frame material, 40mm of depth. Nothing touches the frame.
FittedHundreds of all three systems fitted across the Garden Route.
| Performance | Grip-fit | Magnetic | Tension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holds in summer heat | Call-backs when clamps slip | Bond weakens | Almost zero complaints |
| Aluminium frames | With a clear bead | No | Yes |
| Wide blockout blinds | No | Sags | To 2m |
| Marks on removal | Tiny marks possible | Adhesive residue | None |
Three dots excellent. No dots poor or not recommended.
“If you want true no-drill blinds that survive Garden Route heat and coastal air, tension systems are the only ones we trust on large windows and doors.”Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
03 Why tension
Nothing fixes into the frame. It holds 2m-wide blockout rollers. It works on aluminium, timber, steel and tiled reveals. Properly sized, it stays straight for years without slipping or sagging, and it lifts out in seconds for window cleaning. Spring tension is the only system recommended for large openings, blockout fabric and coastal homes.
Hardware-store kitsFixed sizes and a separate bracket kit to buy leave light gaps on any window that is not a standard size. These are cut to your window with the tension system factory-fitted.
Not the popular choice, but a real one: 25mm aluminium and aluwood venetians on the same tension mount. Cord operated, made to your sizes up to 1.5m wide, no screws in the frame, and the slats tilt to cut monitor glare while the room stays bright. Plain aluminium for kitchens, bathrooms and offices; aluwood for living rooms and bedrooms.
Plastic chain is the industry default because it costs less. Under year-round South African UV it goes brittle, fatigues with daily cycling, and when it snaps the blind is finished.
Standard hereNo-drill rollers from Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings are supplied with metal chain, which neither degrades under UV nor fatigues in normal use.
Inside width and drop of the recess in millimetres, frame depth at least 40mm, blockout or sheer. Instant price, free delivery to every South African city, Custom Fit Guarantee.
Place the blind in the recess and tension the brackets. No tools; full instructions included; WhatsApp 076 022 8410 if a step puzzles you.
Duncan measures, we manufacture to spec and our installation team fits, room by room for coastal conditions.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings: the Garden Route’s longest-standing specialist since 2010, with its own online store, spring-tension no-drill rollers cut to your window with the mount factory-fitted, free delivery and the Custom Fit Guarantee on every order.
Yes. Tension brackets press firmly between the reveals, and they are fitted on openings up to 2m wide with heavy blockout fabric that stay in place for years.
No. Nothing is screwed, glued or clamped; remove and refit in seconds without a trace.
Yes, with no tools: place the blind in the recess and tension it. Instructions are included.
Roller blinds in blockout or sheer, and value rollers in Milan, Manhattan and Riptech, on a metal chain; 25mm aluminium or aluwood venetians on a cord, up to 1.5m wide. All on the tension mount and made to measure online.
No. A no-drill roller runs on a chain and a no-drill venetian on a cord; the tension mount changes the bracket, not the control. For a child’s room, cleat the cord or choose a drilled cordless or motorised blind.
Ideal. No holes, no deposit deductions, and they leave with you.
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.