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Sheer roller blind lowered across patio doors with the sunset glowing through the fabric

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Sheer, Blockout or Duo-Roller?

How much light do you want in? That one question decides between a sheer roller, a blockout, or both on one bracket.

Roller blind guideFree nationwide delivery
Subject
Roller blind fabrics
Reviewed by
The Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team
Updated
7 September 2026
Reading time
3 minutes

Should you choose sheer or blockout roller blinds?

  1. Sheer light-filtering rollers soften glare, keep the view and give daytime privacy: living rooms, kitchens, offices
  2. Blockout rollers give darkness and privacy round the clock: bedrooms, nurseries, media rooms, shift workers
  3. A duo-roller puts a sheer and a blockout on one bracket for rooms that need both
  4. Blockout rollers from R610, made to measure, free delivery nationwide from Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings
  5. A roller always leaves a thin line of light at its edges; a face fix with overlap or side guides keeps it small
R610Blockout roller from
2Fabric families: sheer and blockout
1Bracket for both on a duo-roller
01

Roller blind fabrics: sheer, blockout and duo

Sheer

Light-filtering

Light
Diffused; the room stays bright
View
Kept
Privacy
By day, yes; at night with the lights on, no
UV
Cut, protecting furniture and floors

Block

Blockout

Light
Stopped through the fabric
View
Closed
Privacy
Round the clock
Heat
Slows solar gain in summer, holds warmth in winter

The duo-roller: sheer in front of blockout on one bracket, the sheer down by day and the blockout down by night. One window, two jobs.

02   Day versus night

Sheer privacy reverses after dark.

By day a sheer lets you see out while passers-by see little in. Switch on the lights at night and the effect flips: the interior is visible. In a bedroom, a street-facing lounge or a bathroom, that is the case for blockout or a duo-roller.

03

Roller blinds room by room

  • Living, dining, open-plan kitchen

    Sheer, for the light and the view.

    Sheer

  • Blockout roller blinds for bedrooms, nursery, media room

    Blockout, for sleep and screens. Face-fix with 100mm overlap to keep the edge line small, or add side guides.

    Blockout

  • Home office and street-facing rooms

    Duo-roller: glare control by day, privacy at night.

    Duo-roller

  • Wipe-clean blinds for bathrooms

    A wipe-clean fabric, blockout or sheer, or a plaswood venetian.

    Moisture
04

Roller blind colour and heat

Light fabrics reflect; dark fabrics absorb.

White, beige, light grey
Reflect more summer heat, keep the room brighter, gain less passive warmth in winter
Charcoal, navy, black
Absorb heat, so a west-facing room runs warmer in summer and gains a little in winter; the room reads darker
More insulation
Pair a blockout roller with a honeycomb blind, whose cells trap still air against the glass
  1. Measure

    Width and drop in millimetres, three readings each way, no deductions. How to measure

  2. Order online

    Sheer, blockout or duo-roller, instant price, free delivery nationwide, made in about 5 to 7 working days plus courier transit, Custom Fit Guarantee.

  3. Garden Route

    Duncan measures on site, the blind is made to spec and the installation team fits.

Buy online:

Blockout rollers·Sheer rollers·Duo-roller
05

Questions buyers ask about sheer or blockout roller blinds

Which rooms suit sheer and which suit blockout?

Sheer in living spaces to keep light and views; blockout in bedrooms and TV rooms for darkness and privacy. A duo-roller where a room needs both.

Can people see in at night with a sheer roller blind?

Yes. Sheer gives daytime privacy only; with the lights on at night the interior shows. Choose blockout or a duo-roller for night privacy.

Are duo-roller blinds worth it?

Yes, for a room that changes use through the day: sheer by day for filtered light, blockout by night for privacy and sleep, on one bracket.

Do I need curtains as well?

Not required. Many clients pair a roller with a sheer curtain for softness; the roller does the light control.

Where is the best place to buy sheer and blockout roller blinds in South Africa?

Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings. Made to measure in Coulisse and Hunter Douglas fabrics, blockout from R610, priced instantly online, delivered free nationwide with the Custom Fit Guarantee.

06

Further reading on roller 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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