Why outside beats inside on this ridge's hardest windows
An interior blind — even a good sunscreen roller — only acts after the sun has already passed through the glass and started heating the room. An external venetian intercepts the sun before the pane absorbs it, which is the difference between a west-facing Plattekloof lounge that needs the aircon running from three o'clock and one that doesn't. On the large-format, frameless-corner glass common in this belt's newer builds, that difference is significant enough to change how the whole room is used in summer.
Built for the elevation, not just the window
Wide slats tilt to block direct sun while still allowing airflow and a filtered view — closed flat for full shade, tilted for daylight without the glare. Because these sit outside, on an exposed stand like upper Welgemoed or a ridge-top Plattekloof street, they're specified with a heavier wind rating than the same product would need on a sheltered valley-floor patio — motorised, with an automatic retract on wind sensors as standard rather than an option.
On a west-facing view window, the honest answer to the four-o'clock sun starts outside the glass, not inside it.
On-site measure, Northern SuburbsWhat external venetians cost
This is the premium answer for a ridge-facing elevation and the pricing reflects it: operated by hand it is R3,000 – R4,500 for every square metre, installed, and R4,500 to R6,500 per square metre motorised. The money goes into the guide rails, the head box and fixings and coatings specified to hold up against a Cape summer and the wind that comes over the ridge, not into the slat.
A wind sensor is not something to leave off, in our view, and it is itemised separately rather than buried in the rate. Small openings carry a minimum charge. Before any figure applies, three things have to hold: the structure above the window must carry the load, there must be clearance for the rails, and the appearance from outside must suit the property. All three are checked at the free measure, and if one does not hold we say so and put an interior specification in the quote.
- Intercepts heat before it reaches the glass, not after
- Tilt for filtered daylight, close flat for full shade
- Wind rating set by elevation — heavier spec on an exposed ridge-top stand
- Motorised with automatic wind-sensor retract as standard on exposed installs
- Estate or committee sign-off confirmed at the measure where it applies
A west-facing window that runs hot by mid-afternoon?
We measure at the house at no charge and price each opening in writing. There is no obligation to order.
