Outdoor blinds are exactly what they sound like – blinds mounted on the outside of your home rather than the inside. If you’re on the hunt for a stylish way to guarantee privacy from prying eyes, maximise indoor comfort, and achieve complete protection from the elements all at once, look no further than outdoor blinds. They’re installed in front of your window or sliding door using standard side guides, or cables with locking mechanisms. And whilst you can operate them manually via a cord, you can go the extra mile and make life at home a breeze by opting for their motorised version.
If you’ve made the choice to finally add flair to your outdoor space, we have all the information at hand to ensure you’re making the right choice that offers both functionality and aesthetics in one.
They have fantastic thermal regulation properties for those cold, winter months in the UK. But at the same time, they can also block out up to 90% of the sun’s heat to keep your home cool as a cumber during the sizzling, summer months.
Keeps your home’s furnishings and décor looking spick and span for longer as they protect them from sun damage.
Great for security purposes as they make it more difficult for pesky burglars to get inside.
Blocks out noise and light so your indoor environment is always as comfortable as you want it to be. Depending on the material your blinds are made of, they can absorb some of the environmental noise from outside and even provide complete blackout.
Outdoor blinds are made of weatherproof and waterproof materials like PVC, stainless steel, or special thermally modified wood. This allows them to continue functioning even when the weather conditions outside aren’t so favourable. Durability at its best!
Outdoor screens allow light to stream into your home all whilst keeping out heat and solar radiation. The light is also filtered, meaning it’ll never be too bright in your home.
If the words flexibility and style are music to your ears – welcome external venetian blinds into your life. They have vertical slats which open and close depending on how much light and heat you want to let in. This gives you complete autonomy over the brightness and climate in your home.
External shutter blinds are the outdoor equivalent of roller blinds, descending as a single sheet. They’re ideal for blocking out light when needed (a dreamy night’s sleep will always be on the cards) and double up as a brilliant anti-burglary defense – the best of both worlds!
If you want your home to channel a more rustic or bohemian aesthetic, outdoor wooden blinds are the one for you. The wood is thermally modified to resist deformation, as well as conditions such as temperature changes, moisture and mould.
Somfy’s clever motors work to give a modernised, motorised twist to whichever type of outdoor blinds you choose. You may find it annoying and inconvenient to have to go outside every time you want to shut your outdoor blinds – but with their motorised version you won’t have to lift a finger! Whether you have electric roller shutters, an outdoor screen or external venetian blinds, close them from the comfort and warmth of your home, with a quick tap from the palm of your hand.
Ultimately, the right outdoor window treatments all comes down to your personal preference. If you want to keep out heat and solar radiation, opt for an outdoor screen. If you want complete privacy so your beauty sleep is never disturbed, an external shutter blind is the one for you. Is light customisation and control important to you? Go for external venetian blinds. But if you want a solution that’s going to do all the hard work for you and make life at home more comfortable, convenient and secure – motorised outdoor blinds will transform your lifestyle for the better, trust us!
There are a whole host of options when it comes to controlling your outdoor blinds – so trust us when we say, it’ll be an absolute breeze finding one that’s right for you.
Traditional outdoor blinds are operated using a hand cord – but in our modern age there are much more convenient control options for you to choose from. Electric outdoor blinds work using a nifty motor which can be operated in a variety of ways:
Control your outdoor blinds from the palm of your hand with a variety of different handsets, from single channel remotes like the Situo 1 RTS Pure II to multi-channel remotes like the Telis 16 RTS (control up to 16 different outdoor blinds individually or at the same time).
Control your outdoor blinds at the push of a button with a stylish Somfy wall-mounted switch and never worry about misplacing your controls again! At your disposal in a range of colours and frames, you can be rest assured that this clever control will complement your interior’s aesthetic perfectly. If you want to be able to control two other smart products at the same time as your outdoor blinds, the Somfy Wall Switch 3 RTS is the one for you. Or if single-channel control is enough for you, the Smoove Origin Wall Switch should do the trick – plus you’ll even have the option to open and lower your outdoor blinds, along with a 'my' function so you can instantly choose your favourite blind position.
There’s an app for everything these days, so why should your outdoor blinds be any different? The TaHoma switch allows you to centralise and connect your smart home equipment all in one place. Just download the Somfy app TaHoma® to open and close your outdoor blinds with a single tap on your smartphone – it doesn’t get more convenient than that!
Perhaps you’d rather not lift a finger at all? If so, just install a Somfy sensor io like the Thermis io and your outdoor blinds will automatically adjust according to measured temperatures. Save energy and make your home uber comfortable? Magic!
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