insights
insights
Salt air attacks the metal before it touches the fabric. The material decides the lifespan, not the brand name on the box.
Openness is the share of the weave that is open. Lower blocks more; higher sees more.
Screen
Sheerweave and Sunworker mesh
PVC
Clear PVC panels
Most Garden Route enclosures mix the two: mesh on the windward sides for air and the view, clear PVC on the side the rain comes from. Canvas covers the third job, privacy and full shade.
03 Wind and side channels
A loose drop-down blind is a sail. Side channels lock the fabric into aluminium tracks on both edges so it cannot lift, flap or rattle; in a sheltered position a bottom rail with hold-down clips is enough. Duncan assesses the exposure of every Garden Route site before a system is specified.
ZiptrakThe track-guided Australian original, for which Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is the sole Garden Route agency, is fitted on the Garden Route only.
Coastal blinds last when they are used the way the site demands.
Raise the blind fully. Motorised systems with a Somfy wind sensor do this on their own.
Rinse fabric and channels with fresh water every few months; salt crust is what wears the weave and stiffens the track.
Check brackets, channels and hems once a season and after any big blow.
Somfy motorisation adds remote, app and timer control, plus sun and wind sensors, on Garden Route installations.
Duncan measures on site and specifies the fabric, channels and fixings for the exposure. The blind is made in Knysna and the installation team fits it.
Screen mesh, clear PVC and canvas blinds ship free anywhere in South Africa, made in about 5 to 7 working days plus courier transit. How to measure outdoor blinds
3 years on fabric and components, with the Custom Fit Guarantee on every online order.
Buy online:
Yes, when the fabric is restrained. Side channels hold the blind along both edges on exposed sites, and the blind is raised before a storm. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings has fitted outdoor blinds along the Garden Route coast since 2010.
Sheerweave and Sunworker screen fabrics and clear PVC, all UV-stabilised, on powder-coated aluminium hardware with stainless fixings. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings warrants fabric and components for 3 years.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings. The outdoor blinds are made to measure in Knysna, specified for salt air and wind by Duncan Kane with 20+ years of experience, and fitted by a team still installing every day, from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay.
Rinse salt off the fabric and channels with fresh water, keep the tracks clear of grit, and check the brackets and hems each season. Raise the blind fully in a storm.
Yes. Somfy motorisation with wind and sun sensors is fitted on Garden Route installations, so the blind raises itself when the wind gets up and you are not home.
Yes. The made-to-measure screen, clear PVC and canvas range ships free nationwide from the online shop. Sidetrack, Ziptrak and motorised systems are installed on the Garden Route only.
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.