After some roller blinds but not sure what type of fabric you need?  If so then read on.

Roller blinds are one of the most economical window coverings on the market.  They come in a large range of fabric types and colours and can make a substantial difference to the appearance of your home.   The most popular types in the NZ market are sunscreen, black out, and thermal.   Let’s look at each option.

Sunscreen fabrics allow you to admire the view from your window while providing a level of privacy.  The sun filter properties of the fabric provide shading to your home and helps protect your flooring and furniture from fading caused by our unforgiving sun.

Sunscreen fabrics usually have a rating on how much sun light they let into your room.  The most common being 3% and 5%.  A 5% Sun Screen means it lets 5% of the sun light into your room.

5% is the most common choice.  However 3% is recommended for areas that require more UV protection or to reduce the glare on surfaces such as TVs or computer screens.

Tip - the darker the colour the more transparent the view out the window.

As a rule of thumb it is very hard to see in during the day when using a Sun Screen Fabric but it does not provide a lot of privacy at night, especially with the lights on.

Our Ecolibrium range of Sunscreen fabrics are also PVC and Lead free, are fire retardant to NZ standards, and carry the Greenguard Eco certification.  For these reasons the fabric is a popular choice in schools.  They are also very easy to clean.

Black out fabric is your entry level choice when you need complete privacy when looking in or out of your window or you need to reduce all of the light coming into a room.  Most block out fabrics use a PVC type finish that makes them ideal for locations that attract more dirt or moisture such a kitchens or bathrooms.  They can usually be cleaned with a damp cloth.  The practical benefits, large colour range, and attractive pricing makes them a popular choice.  They are also PVC and Lead free.

Both Black Out and Sun Screen fabric has the same finish on both sides so you can either front roll or back roll the fabric on the tube. 

If you would like thermal insulation for your home or more variety in your fabric selection then thermal blinds are what you need.  Thermal blinds block out all light and have a thermal coating on the back that provides a level of insulation for your windows.  Thermal fabric comes in plain, patterned, and textured ranges allowing you to really add a sense of style to your home; it sits beautifully and is the fabric that gets the most compliments.

As thermal fabric is backed by a white thermal coating the most popular option is to front roll the fabric on the tube.  If you don’t mind seeing the white thermal backing when the fabric is on the roll then you can chose to back roll the fabric. 

Our Urban Shade range of thermal fabrics are also PVC free and fire retardant to NZ standards.

Finally you do not need to limit yourself to one fabric type per window.  Check out our Double Blind article that talks about the benefits of mounting both a thermal and a sunscreen fabric in the same window so you can enjoy UV protection during the summer and thermal insulation during the winter.