insights
insights
“The most common mistake I see is people treating north-facing windows the way they would a south-facing room back in the UK. They fit a light sheer and wonder why the room is still hot and the floor is fading. In South Africa, north is your biggest sun exposure. Treat it accordingly: honeycomb or a quality sheer with a proper UV rating.”Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
From mid-morning to early afternoon a north-facing Johannesburg lounge can sit at 28 to 32 degrees on a clear July day while it is 15 outside. The same window loads the room with UV all year. Light filtering is not enough; the window needs heat and UV management.
| Performance | Honeycomb | Sheer sunscreen roller | Aluminium venetian | Blockout roller | Outdoor shade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | Cells cut transfer | Reflects much of it | Tilt to deflect | Stops it, room goes dark | Stops it before the glass |
| UV | Over 95%, blockout | Most, by fabric | When closed | All, when down | All, outside |
| Daylight kept | Diffused | Yes, with the view | Adjustable | No | Shade, not dark |
| Where | Bedrooms, studies, lounges | Living rooms, dining | Kitchens, offices | Bedrooms, with a sheer | Large glazing, Garden Route |
Three dots best on that row. The last row is words only.
Hexagonal cells trap a layer of still air between the glass and the room. A blockout honeycomb noticeably cuts heat through the glass and blocks over 95% of UV; light-filtering cells still cut UV sharply.
North-facing bedroomsWhere the darkest room and heat control are both needed, blockout honeycomb is the closest you can get. Single-cell, from Hunter Douglas on the Garden Route and Coulisse nationally.
Most people do not want to shut a north-facing room. They want the light, the warmth, the garden, without glare on the television or a faded sofa.
Light
White or cream, tight weave
Dark
Charcoal, open weave
05 Stop it before the glass
A retractable or louvre awning, or an outdoor blind, stops solar heat before it reaches the window, which no indoor blind can match on a north-facing wall of glass. On the Garden Route, Duncan measures, we manufacture to spec and our installation team fits; with Somfy wind-sensor automation the awning retracts automatically when the wind rises.
Pair themOutdoor shade for the heat, a sheer inside for the glare and privacy.
Buy online:
Honeycomb for heat and UV, or a sheer sunscreen roller to keep the light and view; outdoor shade on large glazing. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings supplies both blinds nationwide with free delivery.
Yes. The sun arcs through the northern sky, so north-facing glass carries the most sustained sun of any orientation, the reverse of the northern hemisphere.
Blockout honeycomb: heat control and the darkest room in one. A double roller with sheer and blockout is the lighter-budget alternative.
For heat, yes: it stops the sun before the glass. Indoor blinds still handle glare, UV and privacy.
A UV-rated sunscreen or blockout fabric blocks most of it. A plain light sheer does far less.
Yes, tilted to deflect the direct beam, especially in kitchens and offices. For insulation, honeycomb does more.
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.