ViewProtect Clear Safety Bars | Garden Route

You moved here for the views. The forest canopy from your bedroom. The lagoon light through the kitchen. The way evening settles over the garden. Clear safety bars let you keep every bit of that while keeping baboons, monkeys and opportunistic intruders on the other side of the glass.

Custom Blinds® installs ViewProtect polycarbonate safety bars across Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, Sedgefield and the wider Garden Route. We fit them properly, space them correctly and adapt every installation to the specific risks your property faces.

Why ViewProtect Polycarbonate Safety Bars

ViewProtect manufactures safety bars from LEXAN polycarbonate, the same material used in riot shields, bulletproof windows and aircraft glazing. It is one of the strongest transparent thermoplastics available. Yet from two metres away, the bars are virtually invisible.

No rust. No corrosion. No repainting. No prison-bar aesthetic. Just a clean, quiet barrier that does its job without announcing itself.

ViewProtect is a proudly South African manufacturer based in Stellenbosch with a proven track record across thousands of residential and commercial installations nationwide. Custom Blinds® is their appointed installer for the Garden Route.

Built for Garden Route Living

Metal burglar bars corrode in salt air within a few seasons. Polycarbonate does not. It handles coastal humidity, direct UV, forest moisture and temperature swings without degrading. ViewProtect bars carry UV protection on both sides and a manufacturer warranty against discolouration.

For a region where homes are designed around views, light and open living, clear bars are the only security solution that works with the architecture instead of against it.

Baboon and Wildlife Proofing

This is where our installation experience matters most.

Baboon troops across Knysna, Pezula, Hunters Home, Welbedacht, Simola and Brenton-on-Sea have learned behaviours that a basic retail kit does not account for. They pull sliding doors off tracks. They test gaps between bars. They pry at weak fixings. They remember which homes gave them access last time and they come back.

Knysna Municipality recommends a maximum 80mm gap between bars to keep even juvenile baboons out. We follow that guideline as a minimum and often go tighter depending on the troop behaviour in your area. We also assess sliding doors, top-hung windows and balcony access points that baboons specifically target.

A box of bars from a retail shelf gives you the material. What it does not give you is someone who knows which windows baboons hit first, how they lever frames, where juveniles squeeze through and how to mount bars so they cannot be pulled free. That is what a proper installation provides.

Vervet Monkeys

Smaller and faster than baboons, vervets exploit gaps that would stop a baboon. Coastal towns from Sedgefield to Plettenberg Bay deal with vervet troops year-round. We adjust bar spacing accordingly and pay special attention to kitchen windows, pet feeding areas and upper-storey openings that homeowners often overlook.

Guesthouses, Airbnb and Holiday Rentals

Guests do not know the rules. They leave windows open, food on counters and sliding doors unlocked. One baboon raid can produce a one-star review and a damage claim that costs more than a full installation.

Clear safety bars let your guests enjoy the views and fresh air you marketed in your listing while preventing wildlife entry. They are discreet enough for upmarket interiors and strong enough to handle what the Garden Route sends through your windows.

For estate compliance, ViewProtect bars are accepted in developments with strict aesthetic rules where traditional metal burglar bars are not permitted.

Petty Theft and Opportunistic Entry

Not every security concern is a home invasion. Open windows during summer, unlocked garden-level access and holiday homes left empty between visits all create opportunities for opportunistic theft. Clear safety bars add a physical barrier without making your home feel fortified. They deter casual entry and buy time for any alarm system to respond.

For higher-risk requirements such as ground-floor security in isolated properties, we recommend combining ViewProtect bars with aluminium security shutters or Corner Star security screens for layered protection.

How We Install

Every installation starts with a site assessment. We walk the property, identify vulnerable openings and recommend bar placement, spacing and mounting methods based on the actual risks, not a generic kit instruction sheet.

Bars are cut to size, fitted with appropriate hardware and secured to the building substrate. For timber frames we use reinforced screw fixings. For aluminium or masonry we use anchored mounting systems. The goal is always the same: bars that cannot be pulled free by a determined baboon or pried loose by an opportunist.

Installation is neat, clean and fast. Most residential properties are completed in a single visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do clear safety bars really stop baboons?
Yes. Properly installed with correct spacing (under 80mm between bars) and secure substrate mounting, ViewProtect polycarbonate bars prevent baboon entry. We have installations across Knysna’s most active baboon zones that have performed without failure.

Will the bars affect my view or natural light?
Polycarbonate has over 90 percent light transmission. The bars are virtually invisible from a few metres away. Most visitors do not notice them until they are pointed out.

How do they handle coastal conditions?
Polycarbonate does not rust or corrode. ViewProtect bars are UV protected on both sides and designed for South African coastal and inland conditions. They require no painting or anti-rust treatment.

Are these bars accepted in security estates?
Yes. Because they are transparent and discreet, ViewProtect bars comply with most estate aesthetic guidelines where traditional metal burglar bars are not permitted.

How do I clean them?
A soft cloth with mild soapy water. Do not use abrasive cleaners, solvents or harsh chemicals on polycarbonate. ViewProtect also offers a specialist cleaning kit.

What areas do you install in?
We install across the Garden Route including Knysna, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, Brenton-on-Sea and surrounding areas.

Protect your home without losing your view.
Contact us for a site assessment, or WhatsApp Duncan to discuss your property.