insights
insights
Shade when the sun is harsh, sky when it is not. Arms extend the fabric over the patio and fold back flat into a headbox against the wall, leaving the floor clear of posts.
Large open patios, pool decks, restaurant terraces, entertaining decks
Solution-dyed acrylic that holds colour in South African sun; canvas carries a 3-year warranty, components 1 year
Retract before it. A Somfy wind sensor retracts a motorised awning on its own
Sourced from accredited manufacturers, specified for the site, fitted by the Garden Route team
Mounted above a window, door or shopfront and pivoting out at an angle for targeted shade where a full retractable would be too big.
03 Louvre awnings
Powder-coated aluminium blades rotate from open sky to a closed roof that sheds rain, by remote, wall switch or phone, with a wind sensor where wanted. A permanent structure that turns a patio into an outdoor room under any weather, with side blinds added where the wind comes from. Louvre awnings are supplied and installed, not made by Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings.
Fixed canvas cover on a track above an existing pergola or veranda: consistent shade at a lower profile and cost than a louvre, with the fabric retracting along the track when the sun is wanted.
Where: pergolas, verandas and covered decks that need the roof softened rather than replaced, as at Westward Bridge Eco Estate in Knysna.
| Performance | Folding-arm | Fall-arm | Louvre | Patio shade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retracts | Fully | Angles up | Blades open | Along the track |
| Rain | Light rain; retract | Light rain | Sheds rain closed | Fabric dependent |
| Wind | Retract; sensor | Retract | Structural | Held on the track |
| Motorised | Somfy | Available | Somfy | Available |
| Best for | Open patios, decks, pools | Windows, balconies, shopfronts | Year-round outdoor rooms | Pergolas and verandas |
All quoted per project after a Garden Route site visit; awnings are not sold online.
“Every patio is different. Sun angle, wind exposure, rain direction, mounting surface, and how the space is used all determine which awning works. That is why I visit every site before quoting. The wrong type wastes money. The right type changes how you live.”Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
Duncan visits the Garden Route home or site, reads sun, wind, rain direction and the mounting surface. Book an expert consultation
Awning type, size, fabric or blades, motor and sensor for the site; an itemised quote follows.
The installation team fits and programmes the automation.
A louvre awning: the blades close into a roof that sheds rain. Folding-arm and fall-arm awnings take light rain and should be retracted in a downpour.
Yes. Somfy motors with remote, wall-switch or app control and a wind sensor that retracts a folding-arm awning automatically. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is a Somfy accredited expert.
Canvas awnings carry a 3-year warranty on the canvas and 1 year on components, Somfy motors 5 years. Retracted in wind and rinsed of salt, the frame outlives the fabric; the fabric is the part that is renewed.
No. Awnings are measured, specified and installed on the Garden Route only, from Mossel Bay to Plettenberg Bay. Outdoor blinds ship nationally from the online shop.
Yes, and most full outdoor rooms do: an awning above, screen or clear PVC blinds in side channels where the wind and rain come from.
Some of the Custom Lifestyle awning range is made in Knysna; louvre and folding-arm systems are sourced from accredited manufacturers and then designed, supplied and installed by the Garden Route team.
Content reviewed by the Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.