Take Cover

Outdoor blinds and awnings offer some of the best ways to make the most of your exterior living spaces, writes Guinevere Davies

- Guinevere Davies

Summer offers endless opportunities for spending time outdoors, but if you really want to make the most of your outdoor entertaining space all year round, it’s worth investing in outdoor blinds or awnings. There’s only one catch: the option you choose needs to be perfectly suited to your specific home environment.

UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS

This is rule number one when it comes to figuring out your outdoor blind or awning needs. The good news is that you only need to be able to list the concerns you have for your outdoor space to the professionals to find the solution you require.

According to AC Screens & Shutters’ Ryan Kröger, “When looking at your options, you must decide what the main problem is that you are trying to solve. Is it sun, wind, rain, dust, privacy or a combination of these factors?

“If it is a combination, list them in order of importance so that the consultant advising you can explain why the product they suggest will satisfy your needs. There are hundreds of combinations of mechanisms and fabrics available so having a clear picture of the problem you’re trying to solve is very important.”

Blind Designs’ Paul O’Brien advises, “When specifying and installing outdoor blinds, consideration of the overall size of the opening is required. There are a variety of components and fabrics that allow us to make large blinds, but this can result in compromised operation or appearance, so there is a need to balance both aesthetics and practicalities regarding installation and operation of the blind.”