Outdoor blinds - general FAQs
Motorised Blinds
Motorising roller blinds is achieved by mounting the motor to the control side support bracket and into the control end of the blind top tube. The bracket end of the blind remains stationary while the main body of the motor is smaller than the inside diameter of the top tube and is fitted inside the tube without being engaged with the tube. The other end of the motor is fitted with a drive wheel that is engaged with the inside of the tube and rotates when required to raise and lower the blind.
Motorised blinds are powered by either mains electricity or by batteries contained either inside the motor or housed in an external battery pack.
From our experience in installing 1000s of motorised roller blinds, our advice is this:
- Unless you simply can’t get power to the blind location, ALWAYS look at hard wired blinds as your first option.
- Only use battery motors where hard wired motors are completely impractical.
- If you’re building a new home, run the wires now.
Why?
- Charging blinds is a really silly idea. Who wants more devices that need charging? Seriously no one does.
- You need more of them when doing larger installs (10 or more blinds) because they don’t have the same power to drive linked side by side blinds.
- Battery motors are a throw away item and a ‘time bomb’ that will require replacement at some point in the not too distant future. This may be fine if you’re selling the home… But if you plan on staying put then factor in around $300 per blind to remove, replace and re-program the new motors.
- Hardwired, mains powered blind motors have a long service history, are a reliable item that lasts in most cases 10 years or more and are a simpler machine than battery powered motors. Because of this they give much less trouble.
This depends on the home and the level of difficulty in getting the wiring through cavities and wall spaces. We advise to allow around $150 per location, which in some cases can run 2 blinds.
If you’re doing a new build or extensive renovatons, t’s a good idea to plan for motorised blinds and get the wires run before plastering to save costs later on.
Yes. Motorised roman blinds use a regular roller blind tube and motor.
Alpha remote programming instructions can be found with this link: https://blindmotion.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Programming-sequences-universal-motors-_3_.pdf
Around $275 plus the cost of the remote control and wiring (mains powered blionds only).
Folding Arm (Retractable) Awnings
Folding arm awnings are not intended to be used as shelter from rain.
Although a folding arm awning will cope fine with light, short showers of rain, leaving a folding arm awning out during prolongd heavy rain can cause puddling of water, depending on the pitch of the awning. As the puddles grow in size, the weight is prone to bending the arms of the awning causing significant damage.
A basic but good quality open style folding arm awning with manual crank operation, 3000mm wide with a 2500 projection will cost around $3750 including GST fully installed into a solid structure.
A full cassette style folding arm awning, motorised, 3000mm wide with a 2500 projection will cost around $5650 including GST fully installed into a solid structure.
A folding arm awning has 3 main parts:
- The tube, which like a roller blind, allows the fabric to roll up.
- The outer bar, which the fabric is attached to. This extends out when the awning is deployed.
- The arms, which a folding arm awning has at least 2 of. They are attached to the body of the awning at one end and the outer bar at the other end. They’re spring loaded so when the tube unrolls, the outer bar is pushed out by the arms.
Once the awning is deployed, the arms hold the awning out. To retract, a crank or motor is used to roll up the tube, which requires enough force to over the spring action of the arms. Larger awnings with many arms are always motorised due to the force required to retract them.
Internal roller blinds - general FAQs
We use 2 systems for roller blinds, a small system and a large system.
The smaller system can span 3000mm in one blind and up to 4500mm with 2 blinds linked together and motorised.
The larger system can go to 3500mm in one blind and up to 6000mm wide with 2 blinds linked and motorised.
With either system, the usual drop we do is around 3000m, however if you have an unusual scenario, we’d be happy to look at it for you.
‘Front roll’ or ‘Reverse roll’ is where the blind fabric rolls off the tube at the front, like water flowing off the top of a water fall.
‘Back roll’ or ‘Normal roll’ is where the blind fabric rolls off the back of the blind tube.
Front roll is generally chosen when a blind is fitted inside the window reveal.
Back roll is generally used when a blind is fitted to the face of a window with overlap over the frame. This gets the fabric closest to the window to maximise blockout.
Up to 6000mm wide with a drop of 3000mm is possible at reasonable cost and using a motor to drive the blind.
Over 6000mm to 7000mm wide is possible, however the expense is usually 50% more than a blind less than 6000mm wide.
Curtains
Despite being a long established window covering, curtains are unlikely to ever go out of style.
Why?
- Curtain fabric is always available in new, up to date colours, so finding current fabric is always possible.
- There are literally 1000s of different curtain fabrics to choose from, so there’s always something to match your interior.
- Curtains are incredibly useful in controlling light, providing privacy and insulation.
- Curtains are simple yet elegant; fabric, thread and tracks combine to create a magnificent thing of beauty that will always look appealing.
Definitely. Curtains reduce echoing from the inside while softening noise from the outside.
Consult the care label – in many cases curtains can be washed in the washing machine.
S-Wave curtains lack the gathering, bunching or pleats across the top that conventional curtains have. The top of the curtain is attached to wave tape that the hooks attach to. The track has carriers attached to cord that ensures even spacing; when closed, the heading of the curtain forms an ‘S’ pattern along the top which is continued to the bottom, creating a wave effect through the curtain.The curtains stack back neatly, and it’s a look that suits both contemporary and traditional interiors.
Acoustic curtains use fabric with a significant ‘noise reduction coefficient’, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_reduction_coefficient#:~:text=The%20noise%20reduction%20coefficient%20(commonly,but%20rather%20reflects%20sound%20energy.
Shutters
Plantation shutters are not considered a blockout product. This is because the design of the blades allows light to pass through gaps even when closed. Plantation shutters certainly make a room dark, however if used in bedrooms, we recommend using plantation shutters with a blockout product such as a roller blind or a curtain.
Generally yes. There are many frame styles and options to clear handles and to fit around tricky window frames. Shutters can also be made to fit the shape of round or other not so square windows. If you have something out of the ordinary, we can certainly take a look and see what is possible.
Yes absolutely. The best option for sliding doors are sliding plantation shutters. Sliding shutters have the panels mounted on runners that are either support the weight of the shutter at the top or bottom. They’re usually configured to match the doors they are fitted over in terms of the number of panels and the sliding options.
Yes they can be. The motor is fitted to allow the remote tilting of the blades. The motors are battery powered, reasonably priced and should be expected to last around 5 years.
The answer is yes but it depends…
Not all architectural styles are suited to plantation shutters (although most are) so if there’s any doubt, it’s best to get interior design advice.
When matched to a home’s interior, shutters look beautiful and are practical, so they certainly add more value than they cost.
Yes, sales trends and current customer feedback is indicating that plantation shutters went out of style around 2021.
We are finding that apart from bathrooms, plantation shutters are now a much smaller part of the product mix we sell.
