The perfect outdoor blind fabric has the right balance between functionality and style. Yes, this statement might sound obvious, yet so many people opt for a cheap, low quality outdoor blind fabric only to realise that in their attempt to save money, they have invested in a product with an extremely limited lifespan.
Before you know it, you’re spending your precious time maintaining your outdoor blinds or heading back to the market, scouring for quality outdoor blind materials once again. The only way to control the elements and ensure your personal privacy is to invest in a high-quality outdoor blind fabric in the outset.
Here is the golden rule: it is vital to choose outdoor blinds and awnings produced from a credible, high-quality fabric. Using the right material, your outdoor blinds and awning can look great and remain in tip-top condition for years to come.
Here is team Ricky’s comprehensive guide to help you make the right choice when you’re next choosing awning or outdoor blind fabric.
What Are the Best Outdoor Blind Fabrics and Their Uses?
The different awning materials and outdoor blind fabrics available in the market can help with:
- ✓ Light control
- ✓ Temperature control
- ✓ Protection against wind and rain
- ✓ Providing additional privacy
There are so many different types of awnings and outdoor blinds available, choosing the one that will work best for you isn’t easy. Luckily, we’ve put together the most popular Ricky Richards outdoor blind and awning fabrics to help you choose the right one for you.
Canvas
For a long time, canvas has been used to make outdoor blinds and awnings due to its efficient heat refraction features. Canvas is still quite popular in extremely hot areas as it offers efficient temperature control and optimum UV protection. Here are some outdoor blind materials to consider investing in.
Barrington
The Barrington Collection brings style and modern flair to the forefront, while continuing to highlight traditional aesthetics at the core of its design. With over 40 colour and design options, this 100% Australian-made poly/cotton canvas spans three core ranges:
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Artisan Grey Back Canvas
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Plain Colours Canvas
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Jubilee Green Back Canvas
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✓ Unique collection of outdoor canvas fabrics comes with 17 amazing designs in striking colours.
✓ Uniform grey underside has been designed to complement all kinds of Australian design.
✓ This collection is block out ensuring that the light is completely blocked out when necessary. |
✓ 18 solid colour options in this collection.
✓ Known for lowering solar heat gain by 95% while managing the indoor temperature efficiently.
✓ Low maintenance
✓ Made from 100% naturally grown Australian cotton canvas material. |
✓ Provides optimum indoor climate control
✓ Lowers solar heat gain by 95 per cent
✓ Easy to clean, durable, and colour fast
✓ Prevents mold and mildew growth.
✓ Stain resistant
✓ Made from 100 percent Australian grown cotton canvas |
Acrylic
Acrylic outdoor blind fabrics are used to make breathable awnings and blinds. Significantly softer than canvas, they can be used in a variety of weather conditions.
Docril is one of most premium acrylic canvas fabrics on the market. Crafted by Citel ® Performance Outdoor Fabrics, Docril is widely used for making outdoor blinds. This collection of fabrics is known internationally for optimum waterproofing and UV resistance properties.
All Docril fabrics come with a decade-long warranty making them perfect for sun control. The Teflon® technology used during the finishing process creates a protective barrier to repel water and prevents dirt from settling on the fabric surface.
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Docril Binding
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Docril Designs
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Docril Nautica
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Docril Colours
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✓ Available in a wide range of 18 colours.
✓ Resistance to mildew growth.
✓ The fabric is UV treated.
✓ A percentage of the sales will be donated to the Melanona Insititute Australia. |
✓ Our most popular acrylic outdoor blind material.
✓ Docril Collection comprises of a wide range of colours in solids and patterns to create various visually striking designs that complement all kinds of commercial and residential projects.
✓ Reduce 90% heat gain effectively creating a comfortable and cool indoor environment. |
✓ As the name suggestes, this fabric is mostly used for marine applications like boat hoodings and for boat furniture.
✓ You can choose from a wide range of 18 colour options.
✓ Mildew, rot, and water-resistant fabric.
✓ The upper side of the fabric has Dupont Teflon ® coating while the underside has Polyurethanecoating.
✓ UV treated fabric for long lasting durability. |
✓ The Dupont Teflon ® coated acrylic fabric is known for reducing heat gain by 90 percent.
✓ The Docril Colours Collections offers a staggering 39 solid colour options to the customers to choose from for commercial and residential projects.
✓ The UV treated fabric comes with 10 year warranty, making it the most stylish and durable choice for outdoor blinds and awning. |
PVC
To achieve the perfect balance between temperature regulation and privacy, it’s important to choose the right fabric. If you want heat regulation without losing the uninterrupted views of the outside world, then PVC may be your best choice.
PVC fabrics are mostly used in patio blinds to keep rain and wind from wreaking havoc inside the house while getting uninterrupted views of the outside.
Bochini is ideal for lightweight tensioned structures like tents and marquees as it is a type 0 tensile fabric. The Bochini collection offers 11 myriad colour schemes out of which 4 shades were inspired by the Colorbond® collection. All in all, there is something to everyone’s liking in this collection.
✓ 11 colours – 4 colours inspired by Colorbond®
✓ Protection against the elements: Waterproof & UV stabilised
✓ Lightweight & Low maintenance
✓ Weldable PVDF lacquer on both sides
✓ Fire Retardant
✓ Anti-mildew & Fungicide treated
Shadecloth
A shadecloth or shade sail is an affordable and easy ways to shade the deck or patio while adding a splash of colour to the outdoor decor. Shadecloths are perfect for driveways, gardens, and backyards.
At Ricky Richards, we offer two of the highest quality shade cloths available on the market:
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Ferrorshade
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Coolshade
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✓ High wind resistance
✓ Iron strong
✓ No ongoing maintenance required
✓ 10 beautiful colours |
✓ 12 modern colours
✓ Mildew and mould resistant
✓ 100% Recyclable
✓ High UVR protection up to 95%
✓ High tensile strength
✓ Reduces heat and glare
✓ Designed in Australia for Australian conditions |
Polyester manufactured from recycled single-use consumer plastics like drinking bottles has become a sustainable alternative for outdoor fabrics. The plastic polluting our environment is fished out, melted, and spun into polyester fibres to create these incredible outdoor fabrics. Solterior FR is a perfect example of a recycled polyester fabric and is one of the most popular outdoor fabrics at Ricky Richards.
- ✓ Fire retardant
- ✓ RoHS compliant
- ✓ Protection from the elements: Waterproof & High UV resistance
- ✓ 100% recyclable and environmentally friendly
- ✓ Printable
- ✓ Mesh
Lastly, Mesh competes with PVC for the crown of the most popular outdoor blinds and awning fabric. Similar to PVC, mesh fabrics also help maintain outside views without allowing the glare of direct sunlight to reach inside. Here are some of our top-selling mesh outdoor blinds fabrics:
Ricky Richards in the exclusive supplier of the Outlook mesh collection. This reputable brand has been in business for more than two decades and offers outdoor blind fabrics of exceptional quality.
With 70 options, the vast collection of UV-treated mesh fabric reduces solar heat gain and allows optimum airflow.
All outlook products are:
- ✓ UV Treated or Stabalised
- ✓ Greenguard Certified
- ✓ Lead Free
- ✓ Reduce solar heat gain
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Mode Privacy
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Mode Textures
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Mode Zero
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Outlook Designs
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Outlook Mode
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✓ Made with dow-ecolibrium bio based planticiser
✓ Fire retardant
✓ Offers optimum privacy
✓ Refract back 99% of the sunlight into the atmosphere keeping the interiors cool and comfortable
✓ Easy to clean
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✓ Made with dow-ecolibrium bio based planticizer
✓ Microban antimicrobial treated
✓ Allows airflow
✓ Easy to clean
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✓ Fire retardant
✓ 100% visual blockout
✓ UV stabilised
✓ Greenguard Gold
✓ Printable - Solvent & UV
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✓ Made with dow-ecolibrium bio based planticiser
✓ Microban antimicrobial treated
✓ Allows airflow
✓ Easy to clean
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✓ Made with dow-ecolibrium bio based planticiser
✓ Fire retardant
✓ 28 colour options
✓ Allows optimum airflow
✓ Easy to clean
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Final Words
The best outdoor fabrics offer multiple benefits on top of protection from the wind, rain, and sunlight. From heat control to keeping the home interior cool, these fabrics allow you to spend quality time with your family and friends outdoors, no matter what the weather delivers!
In this blog, we have listed a number of outdoor blind fabric and awning fabrics brands. We’re confident any one of these products will complement your home or office perfectly. However, if you’re still unsure about which one to pick, Ricky Richards is always here to help you make the right choice.
Contact us for expert consultation and get your hands on the right sun control textile for the job.