How to choose the right Outdoor blinds
Choosing the right Outdoor blinds can be challenging, with so many different options readily available. How do you choose the right outdoor blind?
At Blinds Downunder we’ve broken down the steps and questions to help you choose the right outdoor blind for your needs.
Steps for choosing a Outdoor blind:
- Choose Outdoor Blind type
- Familiarise yourself with sun orientation, wind and rain directions
- Selecting a fabric
- Blind configuration
- Blind hardware
- Budget
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Blind Type
Automatic Awning are used predominately on awning windows and help protect from direct sun.
Fixed Guide Awnings Blinds are predominately used on double storey windows and can be motorised for ease of lifting up and down. Our fixed guide awnings are very affective as a straight drop blind with crank operation.Especially good in window environments.
Straight Drop Crank Blinds are great for outdoor areas or if you don't require your blind to protrude far off wall. for example a sliding window or sliding door that is not used often. Straight Drop crank blinds can be motorised.
Spring Roller/Strap down Awning Blinds are great for outdoor areas or if you don't want your blind to protrude far off wall; for example a sliding window.
2. Familiarise yourself with your room
Familiarise yourself with the direction your windows, doors, entertaining areas, face the sun time of day which it hits ( north-west is hotter in the afternoon), note predominate rain and wind directions , have a look at outside colour scheme and any potential obstructions around.
Our custom fit outdoor blinds assist with blocking out external light, heat and rain, and can reduce direct sun glare. Outdoor blinds often create privacy and can also help with managing energy efficiency year around.
See energy benefits of outdoor window furnishings.
- Selecting a fabric
Blinds Downunder blind ranges suit a variety of applications, our fabrics offer an exciting range of colours and textures. We provide technical specifications on all the fabrics we have listed. This can help you choose the best fabric for your blinds and their desired application.
When choosing your customised outdoor blind fabric, it is important you select the right fabric and style that will best suit your blind location, based on your, light requirements, privacy requirements, your design and style.
Depending on how much light you would like to enter your room and what purpose your outdoor blind will be used for. Different fabrics can offer different desired light settings for each application. Below we go through the three fabric types
Blockout fabrics are solid material and stop a majority of light entering your room. Blockout fabrics are canvas (desired colour on front and often green on back) and acyrlic. We offer Somerton Defab range, Ricky Richards, Brella as our blockout fabrics of choice.
Light Filtering fabrics are solid material however do let some light enter your room. Light Filering fabrics are predominately acyrlic. We offer Somerton Defab range, Ricky Richards as our Light Filtering fabrics of choice.
Screen Fabrics (Mesh) can provide great versatility as you can see outside and let more light inside, depending on the screen fabric you choose. Screen fabrics can also assist with privacy from outside of your house and allow some light to enter, however you may only be able to see shadows or silhouettes outside or inside your room depending on the light, day or night. Lighter fabric colours will provide greater light into your space than darker fabric colours. and attract less sun heat. Not all ranges offer all three fabric openness.
We offer Ricky Richards Fabrics and Vistaweave Fabrics in our sunscreen range. Screen fabrics are generally 5% open weave, meaning you can see through more or 1% open weave meaning you can see through less. We also offer 0% openness. Our screen (mesh) fabrics can also assist to protect your floor coverings or furniture from damaging UV rays.
How fabric selection can create better energy efficiency
Our blockout fabrics are considered the best way to reduce heat and heat loss through any external glass window or door. Our blockout fabrics, light filering and sunscreen (mesh) can assist with your home energy efficiency throughout the year. Careful consideration needs to be made with outdoor blinds based on how much sun exposure or rain each location may experience.
Where can I choose these Fabric Ranges?
Our range can be chosen through the outdoor blind selection page on our webpage. You may wish to view our Fabric options on our Blind Fabrics Australia page using filter Outdoor Blinds prior to heading to our selection pages.
- Blind mounting options
Face Fit Outdoor Blind
Generally we only recommend face fit outdoor blinds are windows and doors, as the hood and guide rail arms often interfere with window or door functionality.check arm lengths wont interfere with paths or driveways.
Recess Fit Roller Blinds
In some circumstances recess fit outdoor blinds will work. check the hood and guide rails will not interfere with head heights or window functionality. check arm lengths wont interfere with paths or driveways.
Important notes regarding Light Gaps
Most of our outdoor blinds have some sort of light gaps. Generally our blinds should protect from any direct front facing sun. Our Chameleon Outdoor Track Blind, offered complete protection against front and side light entering.
Important note on obstructions
Obstruction within window, door or pergolas, could mean blinds may need to be externally mounted. This could mean greater protrusion on the outside of your wall or pergola.
What should I consider if I have a very Large Window or door
We recommend on windows or doors larger than 3600mm width to split your blind into smaller blinds, there are a number of factors that will determine this.Ensure you can mount mount rails and they will not obstruct any paths or walkways. Smaller blinds provide easier manual operation. Otherwise it is better to select a wide blind for full light control and to clear path and walkways. Our Outdoor blinds can only be ordered to a maximum of 4865mm wide. Patterned fabrics cannot be rail roaded and will have a join to make overall width. We recommend to look into the benefits of our Chameleon Outdoor Track Blind for larger openings.
- Blind Hardware
You can change the look of your blinds by changing your bottom valance style, options are; no valance, varying size straight valance, scallop valance and other base rail or hood colours. This is an inexpensive way to add a little bit more character to your blinds.
Motorisation
Blinds Downunder also offer Alpha electric AC hardwired motorisation for fixed guide awning, strap down roller and crank arm awning. Any electrical work requires a qualified electrician and a certificate of compliance for warranty and safety purposes.
Alpha have an app that is extremely versatile and easy to set up. It controls all Alpha motorised products individually, by area or the whole house at once from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. All functionality can be scheduled to operate automatically. With the Alpha Neo Link Box, you can download the free app for either android or apple and control all your devices and groups directly or through automations functions available. Alpha Neo is compatible with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa and soon with Siri.
Click Alpha remote image for further details on how the motorisation system works;
- Budget
We always recommend you choose the best Fabric type for your purpose. We have a large variety of outdoor fabrics which can meet your desired price range. By selecting our price Filter on the right-hand side of our product page, you can choose a pricing based on lowest to highest fabric.We always recommend you try the different options as our lowest priced fabrics may meet some of your expectations and not other parts. The cheapest to most expensive Outdoor Blind is
1) DIY Outdoor Fabric Reskin
2) Spring Roller/Strap Down Awning
3) Automatic Awning
4)Straight Drop Crank
5)Fixed Guide Awning
6)Chameleon Track System
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