Café Blinds
Café blinds are Ziptrak® outdoor blinds specified in clear PVC. Same track system, same spring balance that holds at any height, same pelmet options — the separate name simply reflects what the fabric does. Nu Style uses Achilles PVC between 1 mm and 3 mm thick, in clear, smoked, bronze or black tint.
Also known as: clear PVC blinds, PVC café blinds, restaurant blinds, clear outdoor blinds
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The honest trade-off with clear PVC.
Clear PVC blocks weather better than any mesh, and it keeps warmth in through winter, which is why cafés and restaurants use it. The trade-off is summer: a fully sealed PVC blind can turn an enclosed alfresco into a sauna on a hot Perth afternoon. Woven mesh at 94% or 99% blockout gives nearly the same wind reduction while letting the space breathe, at the cost of letting a mist of rain through in strong conditions. Most homes end up with PVC where they entertain in winter and mesh where they sit in summer.
- A Ziptrak® blind specified in clear PVC — same track, same spring balance
- Full weather blockout while keeping the view completely open
- Achilles PVC in clear, smoked, bronze or black tint
- Keeps heat in through winter as well as blocking summer sun
They are Ziptrak blinds. We just call them something else.
Worth being straight about this, because a lot of suppliers will let you assume otherwise. A café blind is a Ziptrak® blind. Same patented track, same hi-tension spring balance that stops and holds at any height, same 135, 165 or 175 mm pelmet or none at all, same 6 metre span. The only thing that changes is what goes in it: clear PVC instead of woven mesh.
The name stuck because restaurants and cafés were the first to use them this way, and it is genuinely useful shorthand — if you ring up asking for café blinds, everyone knows you mean clear. But you are not choosing a different mechanism, and you are not paying for a lesser one. You are choosing a fabric.
Why PVC still wins in winter
A woven mesh breathes, which is exactly what you want in February and exactly what you do not want in July. Clear PVC seals the space, holds the warmth from a heater in, and keeps driving rain off the furniture. That is why hospitality venues that trade through winter use PVC almost exclusively — the enclosed area becomes usable floor space rather than a wet corner.
Thickness is not a detail
Achilles PVC runs from 1 mm to 3 mm. Thinner PVC costs less and is easier to roll, but it creases more readily and shows those creases permanently. Thicker PVC hangs flatter and lasts longer under Perth UV, at the cost of weight. For a blind you will roll up and down daily, the thickness choice matters more than the tint.
What Café is usually weighed against
| Blind | Pelmet | Max width | Operation | Fabric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Café Blinds | 135 / 165 / 175 mm, or none | 6.0 m | Spring balance, Hand operated | Clear PVC, tinted, Woven mesh, 85% to 99% blockout, 100% blockout |
| Ziptrak® Outdoor Blinds Ziptrak in mesh breathes; cafe blinds in PVC block more weather but can overheat in summer. | 135 / 165 / 175 mm, or none | 6.0 m | Spring balance, Remote | Woven mesh, 85% to 99% blockout, 100% blockout, Clear PVC, tinted |
| Zipscreen® Outdoor Blinds Zipscreen seals into side tracks and can be automated; cafe blinds are hand operated. | 120 / 160 / 190 mm | 7.0 m | Crank handle, Remote, Remote + hub | Woven mesh, 85% to 99% blockout, 100% blockout |
Café, answered.
Are café blinds the same as Ziptrak blinds?
Yes. A café blind is a Ziptrak® blind specified with clear PVC instead of woven mesh. The track, the spring balance, the pelmet options and the 6 metre maximum span are identical — only the fabric differs. The separate name is industry shorthand for the clear PVC version.
What are café blinds?
Café blinds are outdoor blinds made from clear or tinted PVC, named after the restaurant terraces that popularised them. Café blinds enclose an outdoor area against rain and wind while keeping the outlook completely visible.
Are café blinds better than mesh?
Café blinds block weather more completely than mesh and hold winter warmth in, but they do not breathe, so an enclosed space can overheat in summer. Woven mesh at 94% or 99% blockout breathes and cuts glare, but lets a fine mist of rain through in strong conditions.
How are café blinds operated?
Nu Style café blinds are adjusted by hand to any height and held by a central locking system. Café blinds built on the Ziptrak track system also use a spring balance, so one hand moves them.
What PVC tints are available?
Nu Style café blinds come in clear, smoked tint, bronze tint and black tint Achilles PVC, from 1 mm to 3 mm thick. Tinted PVC cuts glare and daytime visibility from outside while keeping the view out.
Do café blinds suit Perth weather?
For winter, yes — a PVC blind seals the space against driving rain and the westerly, which is when an alfresco is hardest to use. For summer-heavy use the honest answer is woven mesh, because PVC does not breathe and a fully enclosed space gets hot. Many Perth homes end up with both, on different sides of the house.
Will clear PVC go yellow?
Achilles PVC is specified for harsh conditions and resists the yellowing and stiffening that affects cheaper plastics. Like any outdoor material it has a service life, but it is the grade used precisely because Perth UV destroys lesser PVC.
Which tint should I choose?
Clear PVC keeps the view completely open. Smoked, bronze and black tints cut glare and reduce how far people can see in during the day, at the cost of some outward visibility. Tint is usually chosen to match the frames or the roof rather than for performance.
Can cafe blinds be used commercially?
Yes. Clear PVC cafe blinds are the standard solution for restaurant and cafe terraces, which is where the name comes from. Nu Style makes them for both homes and businesses in Perth.
Why the date holds
Anyone can make a blind. Fewer can finish on the day they said.
Ziptrak and Zipscreen design the product. What Nu Style adds is the part that decides whether your project actually lands: a factory it owns, departments that cover each other, and a phone that still gets answered years later.
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We make it, so we can date it
Nu Style is a fabricator for Ziptrak® and Zipscreen®, and builds Galaxy, Universal and Luna in its own Malaga factory. Nothing sits in someone else's production queue, which is why a date given here is a date Nu Style controls.
Five departments, not one van
Sales, measure, manufacture, installation and service are separate functions with separate people. That is what makes a date hold when somebody is away, and it is the difference between a business and a busy individual.
Systems, so less goes wrong
Measuring, ordering and fabrication run on systems rather than memory, so errors get caught in the factory instead of on your wall. Fewer remakes means fewer weeks added to your job.
Still answering in year seven
“I had an outdoor blind installed 7 years ago and had to replace the controller and, true to his word, Bruno replaced it free of charge even though out of warranty.” — Graham Nicholson, Google review
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- You call or send the form — whichever you prefer.
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