Roller blinds are not just for decorating your windows indoors. They do so much for your outdoor living spaces too, from providing privacy to reducing glare and filtering UV rays. There are different types of external blinds and plenty of colour options, so here is a run-down of what is available to help you choose the right external blinds for your home this spring.
The benefits of external roller blinds
External blinds, whether fitted outside, around your patio, or inside to large picture windows, provide you with privacy from neighbours and people passing by. This is a huge benefit if you have windows or sliding doors that look onto a busy street or beach or perhaps a mountain popular with hikers.
There is an interesting selection of colours available and many of them let you see out but prevent people from being able to see into your private space. Others are more sheer, providing soft light penetration and higher visibility.
The convenience of external blinds is another big plus. They can usually be motorized, so even large blinds are easy to operate and they roll up neatly, out of the way until you need them again.
External blinds offer other spring-time benefits:
- Outdoor protection from inclement weather – lower them when it rains or is windy to that you can continue to enjoy your outdoor entertainment area.
- Reduce glare – the blinds soften the glare of bright sunlight, making it far more pleasant to sit outdoors on a lovely spring morning.
- UV filtering, heat reduction, and energy saving – because they filter the harsh sun, external blinds also make it far more comfortable inside your outdoor space and help save energy too because you’re less likely to use fans or air conditioning.
- Finishing touch – external blinds add style to your spring-time patio décor. They complete the relaxed outdoor-living picture while being totally practical at the same time.
- These external blinds are roller blinds, which don’t collect dust when they are rolled up and not in use.
- They are also easy to clean and look good for many years.
Taylor Blinds manufacture two types of external blinds for you to consider for your home. These are lock screen blinds and bracket screen blinds, each of which have their own features and benefits.
Lockscreen blinds are fully secured while bracket screen blinds are partially secured and free hanging. Both types of external roller blinds offer outdoor protection and are custom-made for homes and office buildings in terms of sizes, colors, and fabrics. They range from lightweight screens to block-out fabrics, and there is a choice between manual and electronic operation.
Lockscreen blinds
Lockscreen blinds have special side guide channels that lock the fabric in place when the blinds are down. This helps to stabilize them in windy conditions so that they won’t blow around causing irritating noise and possibly flapping loosely in the breeze.
The guide channels along the sides help to eliminate any gap between the fabric and the guide. This reduces the amount of light and wind that would otherwise get through, so you can enjoy your outdoor space in spring even when the weather isn’t perfect.
The benefits of these lock screen blinds are that they are suitable for external sun protection for windows and sliding doors or inward stacking doors. They also make excellent patio screens for protection from sun, wind, and rain.
If you opt for a block out fabric, lock screen blinds are effective at creating darkness and complete privacy. This feature makes lock screen blinds very attractive for estate homes, lodges, and other homes with outdoor living spaces that are well used for outdoor entertaining. You can watch sport on TV while lunch is cooking on the patio braai.
Lockscreen external blinds are offered in either manual or motorised solutions, depending on your preference. Motorised blinds are extremely convenient and easy to use, especially for blinds in larger sizes.
Bracket Screen Blinds
Bracket Screen external roller blinds are installed with open brackets and are designed for sheltered locations only. This would be a protected patio that does not get exposed to excessive wind or rain or an internal fit for large windows that open onto a veranda or outdoor area.
The fabric portion of these bracket screen blinds is not secured in a guide, as with lock screen blinds. They are manually tied down with bungy cords that are supplied by the installer to prevent the fabric from swaying in mild wind. You can also choose to have side channel or cable guides to provide additional protection from wind.
Your supplier can add a pelmet to your outdoor bracket screen blind for moderate protection from weather and concealment from view and for a neater appearance. But for maximum protection, a full cassette screen should be considered. The cassette is basically a box that hides and protects the rolling mechanism.
The benefits of bracket screen blinds are:
- They are made-to-measure for each door or window.
- They help to reduce the glare and heat penetration that are part of our springtime weather.
- They are supplied with manual tie-downs for windy conditions, so you can continue to use your outdoor space even when the weather isn’t great.
- When fitted internally, they assist with saving energy by blocking heat.
- They have optional side channels for wind protection.
- You can choose to have a protective cassette installed with them.
Lockscreen and bracket screen colors
Taylor Blinds external blinds are custom-made in an interesting range of colors so that the Lockscreen and bracket screen blinds work well with your décor scheme. Colors include shades such as Oyster, a variety of different greys, beiges, silver, white, charcoal, and black. There are also various textures, so consult with your supplier to find the right option for your outdoor area.
Where to find a supplier of the lock screen and bracket screen external blinds
Taylor Blinds is part of the Trellidor Group, so for further information on Taylor roller blinds, contact your nearest Trellidor franchise. We provide Taylor-made-to-measure, locally manufactured, top quality products that are delivered and installed on time.
Find your nearest Trellidor franchise for more information
