Outdoor zip blinds
Outdoor zip blinds for Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan patios
Close in the alfresco when the weather turns and open it up when it clears. Fabric blinds that run in side tracks, measured at your place and fitted by the same crew that installs your screens.
Free measure and quote.
An outdoor zip blind is a fabric blind for a patio, alfresco or verandah opening. The fabric edges run inside side tracks, so the blind is held on both sides and closes to the floor without gaps. Factory Fit measures, supplies and installs them across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Logan, manual or motorised, on their own or alongside your screens.
What an outdoor zip blind does well
More days on the patio
Low western sun, a cold southerly, sideways rain. Drop the blind and the alfresco is usable again.
No flapping
The fabric edge sits in the side track, so it does not flap or blow out the way a cafe blind on straps does.
Simple to live with
A spring, crank or motor to raise it, a bottom rail that locks down, and a fabric that cleans with water and a soft brush.
What outdoor zip blinds keep out
Which fabric you choose depends on what you are keeping out. A sunscreen mesh cuts glare and heat while keeping the view and some airflow, and keeps most insects out while the blind is down. A clear PVC or blockout fabric stops rain and wind more fully, but you lose the breeze. If insects are the main problem and you want the breeze every day, a screened patio enclosure is often the better answer, and we do both.
Outdoor zip blind details
Details
- Control
- manual (spring or crank) or motorised
- Mounting
- face fit to posts and beams, or inside the opening
- Price
- not published
Available upgrades for outdoor zip blinds
Start with a manual blind and add what the space needs. Motorisation is an upgrade on this page, not a separate product, and the same goes for every blind we sell that can take a motor.
Motorised operation
OptionalA motor in the tube and a remote, so a wide or high blind comes down without reaching for it. Mains or battery, and app control where the motor supports it.
Wind sensor auto-retract
OptionalSome motorised systems retract the blind on their own when the wind picks up.
One remote for the whole alfresco
OptionalGroup several motorised blinds on one control or app.
Fabric choice
IncludedSunscreen mesh, clear PVC or blockout, chosen per opening.
Colour-matched tracks and rails
IncludedPowder coated to sit next to your posts and screen frames.
Fabric comparison at a glance
Outdoor zip blind fabrics compared
Sunscreen mesh
Glare and heat: reduced. Rain: partial. Insects: most, when down.
- View out
- yes
- Airflow
- some
- Best for
- sun and privacy with the view kept
Clear PVC
Rain and wind: stopped.
- View out
- yes
- Airflow
- none
- Best for
- winter dining and wet-weather rooms
Blockout
Shade and privacy: full.
- View out
- no
- Airflow
- none
- Best for
- a west-facing patio at 4pm
Want insects out and the breeze in? Compare mesh types for a patio enclosure
Colours and fabrics
Fabric colours and the powder coat on the tracks and rails are. We bring the swatches to the measure and hold them against your posts and screen frames in your own light, which beats guessing from a screen.
Warranty summary
Outdoor zip blinds carry their own warranty terms, separate from indoor blinds and screens. Full terms and how to claim are on the warranty page.
Download the brochure
The outdoor zip blind brochure covers fabrics, control options and care in one PDF.
Outdoor zip blinds questions
What is an outdoor zip blind?
A fabric blind for a patio, alfresco or verandah opening where the fabric edges run inside side tracks, so the blind is held on both sides instead of hanging free. That is what stops it flapping and lets it close to the floor. It rolls up into a headbox when you do not need it. Fabric, size and control options depend on the supplier we settle on.
Can I still see out?
With a sunscreen mesh fabric, yes: it works like a fly screen with tint, cutting glare while keeping the view. Blockout fabric stops the view along with the sun. Clear PVC keeps the view and stops the rain but does not breathe. Which fabrics we can offer depends on the supplier; we bring samples so you can look through them.
Do zip blinds keep insects out?
Mostly, when the blind is down and the fabric is a mesh. They are not a fly screen, though: the bottom rail sits on the floor but the fit is not insect-proof the way a screened enclosure is. If keeping insects out with the breeze in is the main job, a patio enclosure is the right product, and you can still add a zip blind on the weather side.
What is the warranty?
Outdoor zip blinds will have their own warranty period, separate from indoor blinds and screens, once the supplier is confirmed. The warranty page is the one place the periods live, and cleaning as described in the care guide is a condition on every product we install.
How do outdoor zip blinds handle wind?
Better than a strap-and-buckle cafe blind, because the fabric is held in the track on both sides. Every system has a wind limit, though, and the supplier's rating is the number that matters. In a strong wind, retract the blind. Motorised systems can add a wind sensor that does it for you.
Manual or motorised?
Both, on the systems that support it. Manual is a spring or crank and suits one or two smaller blinds. Motorised suits wide openings, high headboxes and anyone who wants all the blinds down with one button. There is no separate motorisation product; it is an upgrade on this page and on the other blinds that can take a motor.
Can they be fitted to my alfresco?
Usually, if there is a post or beam to fix the tracks to and a straight drop to the floor or a rail. Sloping ground, raked ceilings and openings without a post need checking at the measure. Maximum sizes depend on the supplier, so a very wide opening may need two blinds.
How do I clean them?
Rinse the fabric with fresh water and brush off dust with a soft brush; no pressure washer and no harsh cleaners. Wipe the tracks so grit does not build up in them. Near the coast, rinse more often.
Pairs well with
Insects out, breeze in, all year. A zip blind adds weather control on the exposed side.
The indoor version of the same idea for the windows behind the patio.
A screened sliding door behind the blind so the house stays open on a warm night.
Get an estimate for outdoor zip blinds
Tell us how many openings on the patio, roughly how wide and high, and whether you want a motor. We send a guide figure and the free measure confirms it.
Book a free measure
We measure every opening, check the posts and the floor, bring the fabric swatches and leave a written quote. Open Mon to Thu 6:30am to 3:00pm · Fri 6:30am to 12:30pm.