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Duo roller blind with grey blockout and cream sheer fabrics, ocean view through the window, by Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings

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When Not to Use Certain Blinds

Most guides tell you what works. This one tells you what does not, so the wrong blind never goes in the wrong place.

Buying guideFree nationwide delivery
Subject
When not to use certain blinds
Reviewed by
The Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team
Updated
7 September 2026
Reading time
4 minutes

Which blinds should you avoid in certain situations?

  1. Rollers on very wide openings or in windows kept open to the breeze: the fabric sags or flaps. Verticals, Vertishades or shutters instead
  2. Wood venetians in bathrooms and coastal rooms: timber swells and warps. Aluminium, aluwood or plaswood venetians, or PVC shutters
  3. Honeycomb in a kitchen: grease and steam settle in the cells and cannot be cleaned out. Aluminium venetians or a wipe-clean roller
  4. Sheers alone in a bedroom: see-through at night when the room is lit. Blockout, or a duo-roller
  5. Outdoor blinds without side channels on an exposed patio, and timber shutters at the coast. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings specifies for the room, not the catalogue
6Blind types with a breaking point
1Question that finds it: what does the room do all day?
FreeNationwide delivery
01

Indoor blinds

  • Roller

    Sags on a very wide span and flaps in a window left open to the wind; up or down, no tilt for graded light.

    Not for: wide openings, breezy windows

  • Wood venetian

    Swells and warps in steam and salt air; heavy on a wide window.

    Not for: bathrooms, the coast

  • Honeycomb

    Cells hold grease, steam and heavy dust and cannot be soaked.

    Not for: kitchens, dusty rooms

  • Sheer roller

    Transparent at night with the lights on; never dark enough for sleep.

    Not for: bedrooms alone, nurseries

  • Vertical

    Bulky on a small window; made for wide openings and sliding doors.

    Not for: small cottage windows

  • No-drill blinds

    Needs a squarely measured recess of 40mm depth; runs on a chain or cord, so not the nursery choice.

    Not for: out-of-square recesses, child-safe rooms
02

Outdoor blinds and shutters

Loose drop-down outdoor blinds
Fine in a sheltered courtyard; on an exposed Garden Route patio the fabric lifts, flaps and eventually tears. Side channels, or Ziptrak fitted on the Garden Route
Any outdoor blind in a storm
Raise it fully; a Somfy wind sensor does it for a motorised blind
Timber shutters at the coast
Absorb moisture over time in steam and salt air. PVC shutters look the same and do not; aluminium security shutters where the opening needs locking
Folding-arm awnings on a wind-exposed elevation
Spend the year retracted. A louvre awning or side blinds instead
“The most expensive blind is the wrong blind. I would rather talk you out of a sale today than replace a mistake in six months.”
Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
  1. Ask

    What does the room do all day: steam, sun, wind, sleep, screens? The answer picks the blind.

  2. Nationwide

    Rollers, venetians, honeycomb, zebra, verticals and outdoor blinds priced instantly online with free delivery and the Custom Fit Guarantee.

  3. Garden Route

    Duncan reads the room and the exposure on site; the installation team fits.

Buy online:

Shop blinds online·Venetian blinds·Outdoor blinds
03

Questions buyers ask about when not to use certain blinds

Can roller blinds be used in bathrooms?

Yes, in a wipe-clean fabric with good ventilation, and never rolled up damp. In a steamy bathroom, aluminium or plaswood venetians or PVC shutters are the safer choice.

Are honeycomb blinds hard to clean?

They take gentle cleaning only: a vacuum on low suction or a cool hairdryer for dust; never soaked. Keep them out of kitchens and rooms with heavy dust or pet hair.

Do sheer blinds provide privacy at night?

No. When the room is lit and it is dark outside the fabric is transparent. Pair a sheer with a blockout on a duo-roller, or choose a blockout.

What blinds should I avoid in coastal homes?

Wood venetians, timber shutters, untreated steel hardware and non-UV-stabilised fabrics. Choose aluminium or plaswood venetians, PVC or aluminium shutters and UV-stabilised roller fabrics from Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings.

Can I use outdoor blinds in windy areas?

Yes, in side channels that hold the fabric on both edges, raised fully before a storm. A loose drop-down blind is for sheltered positions only.

04

Further reading on choosing blinds

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.

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