Slats that steer the mountain's light, not just block it
A roller is open or closed by degrees; a venetian steers light by direction — tilt up for glare-free daylight, tilt down for privacy from a double-storey neighbour, close flat for dark. On a Bowl street where the sun swings hard through the day, that adjustability is the whole argument.
The moisture champion
- 25mm slats (crisp, most popular) or 50mm (bolder, fewer lines).
- Bathrooms, kitchens and laundries — where fabric fails, powder-coated aluminium doesn't.
- A huge colour range including woodlook finishes, and the most budget-friendly of the two.
The heritage natural
- 50mm basswood or bamboo slats — warm and architectural, exactly what a Gardens or Tamboerskloof sash window wants.
- Keep out of high-steam rooms; a quality lacquer handles ordinary humidity fine.
- Heavier than aluminium — very wide windows need splitting or ladder-tape support.
Built for hour-by-hour sun swings
City Bowl and ridge homes see the sun move fast — hard morning light on an east-facing sash, a long blast of afternoon glare off the mountain, then shade by evening. A venetian's tilt control handles all three without a single motor. Motorised tilt is available on premium lines for wide or hard-to-reach openings.
Venetian blinds across the City Bowl
Timber slats suit the heritage sash windows of Oranjezicht and Tamboerskloof; aluminium handles the moisture and glare in Gardens apartments and hillside glass in Higgovale. Wherever the sun swings hardest, a venetian's tilt control earns its place.
Aluminium against timber, in rands per square metre
These are guide bands per square metre, installed, and the slat material moves them more than anything else. Aluminium venetians in 25mm or 50mm run about R1,000 to R1,500 per square metre with a wand and cord, or R2,500 to R3,600 once motorised. Timber costs more to make and more to hang: budget R1,600 to R2,600 per square metre hand-operated, and R3,000 to R4,500 motorised.
A small bathroom or scullery opening still carries a minimum charge, since the headrail, the ladder tape and the fitting are much the same piece of work at any width. Your written price per window follows the free measure — never before it.
Talk through timber or aluminium properly
A free in-home visit, an itemised written quote, no obligation.