OUTDOOR BLINDS – YOUR TOP 5 QUESTIONS ANSWERED
IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT WILL TRANSFORM A DECK INTO A COSY OUTDOOR ROOM IT IS ZIPTRAK® OUTDOOR BLINDS. BUT BEFORE YOU BUY, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
In this article we’re sharing the top questions our team get asked by customers about outdoor screens. We hope this may help you make a choice that suits what you need from your space.
TOP 5 QUESTIONS ABOUT OUTDOOR BLINDS
1. Do outdoor blinds keep the heat in?
If we are talking about keeping the warmth of your outside heater within the outdoor area, then the answer is most certainly yes.
With the track guided system the area is snugly enclosed from pelmet to floor.
Being porous, mesh screens will lose slightly more heat than solid PVC, although mesh still offers wind protection up to 95%.
When it comes to keeping UV and heat out of the house or building through windows within, mesh blinds will provide a very high sunlight reduction. Even PVC will offer up to 93% UVR protection, which surprises many of our customers.
2. Does a Ziptrak® screen keep out the rain?
Our outdoor blinds are very effective at providing protection from the rain. Having said that this does not guarantee they will be 100% watertight.
The biggest factor here will be your choice of textile – choosing a mesh fabric will again be more porous than a solid clear PVC screen. It all depends on the look you are going for and the purpose of the screens (do consider that you can have a mix – perhaps PVC on the southern side of the patio and mesh for shade on the western side, for example).
The track-guided screen system does enable a snug fit, although very few will homes have a truly level deck or patio. Our customers report their deck area lets in only a small amount of rain running from underneath, being most notable in a southerly for obvious reasons.
Side note – remember that if a storm is coming it is recommended you put your screens fully up in the locked position to avoid wind damage).
3. Do Ziptrak® blinds stop draught and debris?
This is an important design feature of Ziptrak® and one of the key areas that has undergone evolution in the last few years. Ultimately we have seen the bottom bumper bars and weather strip componentry getting even stronger and more specialised at keeping out draughts and mess.
Your fabric choice will make a difference here too. Naturally choosing solid clear PVC will give you the strongest draught and dust protection, although a mesh screen will still do an incredibly good job of retaining heat and keeping out draught, leaves and dander.
4. Does a dark coloured mesh privacy screen shut out my view?
The wonderful thing about using a darker mesh is that it actually improves visibility to the outside, compared to lighter colours. This is because our eyes are naturally drawn to the light outside, so we can effectively see through the fabric.
Meanwhile on the other side, your blinds serve as an outdoor privacy screen that offers a feeling of seclusion from even closely neighbouring properties.
We have examples of all fabrics in our showroom and in the car when we visit. You’re very welcome to pop into our Hastings showroom and see the Ziptrak® screens in situ to test them for yourself. Or if you’re ready to get started, contact us for a quote and we’ll discuss a site visit.
5. How much do Ziptrak® blinds cost?
Because this is a bespoke product, pricing does have to be calculated based on your measurements and requirements.
As well as the size of the space, we’ll ask things like ‘what kind of framing and fixtures are required?’, and ‘will the outdoor screens be manually rolled up or electronic’?. We’ll also be keen to understand which custom powder coat colour you’ll choose to suit your décor.
To get started you can also use the Ziptrak® ‘design your blind’ feature to start getting a sense of your requirements for design, and you can always talk to us for any specific questions you have.
Once we have this information we can provide you with a better estimate and complete quote upon measure – contact us for a quote.
LOOKING TO CREATE YOUR OWN OUTDOOR BLINDS ENCLOSURE?
Let our team at Douglas help you create your sanctuary. We’ve been working with Ziptrak® blinds here in Hawke’s Bay for over 15 years and know this quality product intimately.
Tell us about your project (and browse some of our screened pergola systems) and let’s explore your options.
You name it, we’d love to customise and craft it.
