What is the Difference Between Patio Blinds and Cafe Blinds?
This is a question that frequently gets asked and to be perfectly honest there is no difference other than terminology. However, having said that, to avoid confusion Patio Blinds are often made from a mesh fabric a bit like shade cloth and cafe blinds are made from the clear PVC plastic that is often seen at the alfresco areas of trendy cafes.
Patio blinds are often referred to as alfresco blinds, bistro blinds, outdoor blinds and of course cafe blinds. So when thinking about enclosing your patio or your varandah to make a great outdoor alfresco room think mesh fabric for patio blinds and solid clear fabric for cafe blinds.
So what is the difference between mesh and clear PVC plastic then?
The best thing about shade mesh patio blinds and clear PVC cafe blinds is that they enclose your patio, pergola or varandah making a beautiful outdoor enclosed area but with the added advantage of being able to see out and not get that closed in feeling.
Mesh patio blinds are made from a shadecloth like material that is an open weave, PVC coated base cloth that looks a bit like flywire. But this is where the comparison between flywire and shade cloth ends as a patio blind that is made from shade mesh material is far superior in quality and strength.
There are many manufacturers making many different types of shade mesh material out there and most are of a reasonable quality. The best quality shade mesh is the two by two weave mesh. If you look closely at the mesh you will see that is made from strands. The best quality mesh has two strands next to each other, then a gap, then the next two strands, running both horizontally and vertically.
Some meshes have one strand running each way and are called one by one stands and others have two stands running one way and one the other. These are called, you guessed it, two by one strand shade mesh.
The two by two mesh is the strongest mesh and has less space between the strands. This means that it will cast more shade, allow less wind and rain through and less see through' qualities than the one by one, with the two by one mesh in the middle of the two. The two by two mesh is by far the most popular and best quality mesh on the market.
Clear PVC or plastic is a solid material that comes in both a clear or slight tint. The clear is, as the name suggests, clear like glass, while the tinted clear PVC casts about a 20 to 25% shadow / shade factor. There are many manufacturers of the clear PVC, but the best fabrics have in built UV blocking qualities which allow the sun and warmth to enter your alfresco area while preventing the nasty ultra violet rays from penetrating through.
The clear comes in various thicknesses, but for cafe blinds nothing less than 1mm thick is worth buying. Many manufacturers make their blinds from 0.75mm thick PVC and this thickness just doesn't have the strength to live a long life and wrinkles very easily.
The main advantage of the clear PVC cafe blind is its ability to cut out almost 100% of the wind and rain while giving you a clear view outside. It does create a bit of a hot house in summer but it's winter qualities far outweigh the hassle of rolling your blinds up when it gets hot.
SO the big question is obviously Which should I choose for my patio blind? The Shade mesh or the clear?'
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Mark Lewis is the Managing Director of Del-Ray Canvas Australia, who produce Patio and cafe blinds as well as shade sails and shade structures in Western Australia.
www.delraybunbury.com www.patioblindsbunbury.comWhat is the Difference Between Patio Blinds and Cafe Blinds?
By: Mark Lewis
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