Outdoor roller blinds
that shut out the wind
Screens that drop down the open sides of a patio, veranda or braai area. Clear PVC keeps the view; side tracks keep the screen sealed when the south-easter leans on it.
A patio you can close
An outdoor roller blind, sometimes called a drop blind, is a tracked screen that lowers down the open side of a patio, veranda or braai area. Clear PVC closes out the weather without losing the view or the light; tinted and solar-mesh fabrics tame glare and afternoon heat. The screen runs in aluminium side guides that keep it tensioned, so it seals against wind and rain instead of flapping in it. This is the product that turns a summer patio into a room you still use in July.
Urbanshades makes each blind to measure in our own Cape Town workshop, using powder-coated, marine-grade aluminium components and stainless fasteners, with no ferrous metal to rust in the salt air. Every installation is specified for the wind on its own site, and the crew that measures your openings is the crew that comes back to fit them.
Four decisions before we quote
Every blind is made to measure for its opening. These are the choices that decide how yours looks and works.
Clear PVC screens
Crystal-clear PVC shuts out wind and rain without giving up the outlook or the daylight. It is the usual choice for sea-facing patios and for braai rooms that need to stay bright through winter.
Tinted and mesh fabrics
Tinted PVC keeps the view but softens the glare off water and white walls. Solar mesh goes further, cutting most of the sun's heat while still letting a breeze through — the right screen for a west-facing stoep that cooks all afternoon.
Manual or motorised
Smaller blinds work well on a manual crank or strap, with nothing to wire or service. Wide spans and multiple drops are easier motorised: one remote runs every screen, and all the electrics sit in IP65-rated housings.
Paired with louvre roofs
Under a louvre awning, blinds close the walls while the blades handle the roof, and the two adjust independently. Screens down with the louvres open gives you a bright, wind-free lunch; close both and the rain stays outside.
Outdoor blinds we've fitted
Two installs that show what the screens do: a corner patio under the mountain in Tokai and a Stellenbosch veranda that now runs through winter.
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Closing the corner in Tokai
Two blind runs meet at the corner post of this patio beneath a louvre roof. The rain here comes off the mountain in sheets; with both screens down, the table stays dry enough for a Sunday braai in June.
A veranda that works in winter
This Stellenbosch stoep used to close for the season with the first proper cold front. Blinds across the openings changed that: the family eats out there through the wet months and rolls everything up again in spring.
What goes into each blind
The spec we hold every installation to, from a single doorway to a full veranda.
- Screens
- Crystal-clear PVC for view and light, tinted PVC for glare, or solar mesh for sun, heat and airflow. Mixing materials across one patio is common.
- Guides
- Aluminium side tracks or tensioned guides hold the screen edges captive, so the blind seals against the opening instead of flapping in the wind.
- Operation
- Manual crank or strap, or motorised with remote control. Optional rain and wind sensors, with all electrics in IP65-rated housings.
- Weather
- Specified for south-easter and winter north-wester exposure, including front-line coastal sites like Table View.
- Components
- Powder-coated, marine-grade aluminium tracks and rails with stainless steel fasteners. No ferrous metal anywhere in the assembly.
- Guarantee
- A written guarantee on the tracks, screen and installation, registered to your address.
- Quoting
- A free site visit anywhere in greater Cape Town, and a fixed written quote in your hands within 48 hours.
Outdoor blind questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear at site visits.
Do outdoor roller blinds actually block wind and rain?
Yes. A blind running in side tracks seals the opening well enough to keep wind and rain off the patio through a normal Cape winter storm. The tracks hold the screen edges captive and tensioned, which is the difference between a properly tracked blind and a loose drop screen that flaps and lets weather in around its sides.
Can I still see the view through them?
Through crystal-clear PVC, yes — that is the point of it. The screen reads almost like glass, so a sea-facing patio keeps its view of the water with the blind fully down. Tinted PVC keeps the outlook but dims it, and solar mesh shows you light and shapes rather than a sharp picture. We bring samples to the site visit so you can judge for yourself.
Will they survive the south-easter in places like Blouberg?
Yes, provided the blind is specified for the exposure, which is exactly what the site visit is for. We size the tracks, fixings and screen tension to the wind on your particular site, and our installs include front-line positions like Table View. On the most extreme sites the honest advice may include rolling the blind up in a full gale, and we will tell you that upfront.
Do clear PVC blinds discolour or go cloudy?
Quality clear PVC holds its clarity for years; the yellowed, cloudy screens you see around town are usually thin film scrubbed with the wrong cleaner. Rinse yours with fresh water, wash it with mild soap and a soft cloth, and never use anything abrasive. On coastal installs, salt left to bake on through summer is the main enemy.
Should I choose manual or motorised blinds?
Manual suits one or two smaller blinds you adjust now and then; it costs less and there is nothing to wire. Motorised earns its keep across wide openings, several drops, or blinds that go up and down every day: one remote runs the lot, and optional wind sensors in IP65 housings watch the weather when you are not home.
What do outdoor roller blinds cost in Cape Town?
Pricing depends on the size of each opening, the screen material and manual versus motorised, with exposure as the quiet cost driver: a front-line screen needs heavier tracks than the same screen two streets back. We do a free site visit, measure every opening ourselves and hand you a fixed written quote within 48 hours.
Can blinds be added to an existing patio or awning?
Yes, in most cases. Blinds fix to existing patio roofs, pergolas, awnings and beams, provided the structure is sound enough to carry the tracks and the wind load. We check this at the free site visit, and if a beam needs strengthening first, it goes in the quote rather than surfacing on installation day.
