Questions, answered straight

Interior blinds almost never need approval. Anything visible from outside — awnings, roller shutters, zip screens — usually does, and the estate wants product detail rather than a brochure. We give you the profile, the colour reference and the fixing method in writing so your submission has what it needs. We can't approve it for you, but we can make sure nothing gets sent back for missing information.

Final measure once the glazing is in and the reveals are plastered, because a 10mm skim coat changes a blind. But talk to us before the ceiling closes if you want concealed blind boxes or wired motors — those need a recess and a cable, and both are cheap before the bulkhead goes up and expensive after.

Usually a sunscreen roller: an open-weave fabric that kills the glare and much of the heat while you still see the course through it. Where the room also has to go properly dark, a double bracket carries sunscreen and blockout on the same window. If heat is the real complaint rather than light, stopping it outside the glass with a roller shutter or a zip screen does far more than anything fitted inside.

No. Ours are shading shutters — external aluminium slats that roll down over the glass to control sun, heat, glare and privacy. They are not security-rated and we won't pretend otherwise. Security-rated shutters are a different product built to a different standard, which we can quote on request.

Yes. Rechargeable tubular motors need no wiring at all — they charge from a lead a couple of times a year and run from a remote, a wall switch, an app or a timer. Wired motors are neater and never need charging, but they mean opening a ceiling or chasing a wall, which is why we normally only recommend them during a build or renovation.

Everything is made to order, so it is weeks rather than days, and the exact lead time is confirmed on your written quote. For a new build we measure as soon as the glazing is in and the reveals are plastered, so installation lands close to move-in.

Honestly, it depends on size, fabric and whether it is motorised — which is why we won't quote a number before measuring. The in-home measure and the written quote are free and carry no obligation, and the quote is itemised window by window so you can trim or stage it.

We do. Restringing, replacement tilt mechanisms, new brackets, refitting blinds that came down when a room was painted, and re-tensioning tubes that have lost their grip. If a part is obsolete we'll say so honestly — sometimes remaking one blind costs less than chasing components for it.

Chain-operated blinds are fitted with child-safe tensioners anchored to the wall, as standard. Where there are small children, motorisation removes the cord from the room entirely, which is the only complete answer.

Rollers and sunscreens take a light vacuum with a brush head and a wipe with a damp cloth. Venetian slats want a duster or a soft cloth run along the slat. Don't soak blockout fabric — it water-marks. Awning fabric must be dry before it rolls away; if it retracts wet, run it out again on the next dry morning.

Yes, and in Dainfern we do it often — the original Tuscan builds are full of arched heads, and remodelled homes add raked gables and roof lights. Shaped blinds are made to the profile of the opening and held in side channels so the fabric stays put instead of sagging out of the shape. We template these on site rather than working off a drawing.

Dainfern itself, plus Steyn City, Helderfontein Estate, Chartwell, Broadacres and Cedar Lakes, and Fourways Gardens. If you are just outside that ring it is still worth asking.