Zip Screens Melbourne
Zipscreen outdoor blinds for alfrescos, with motorised and sensor options.
Choose with confidence
Manual Zip Screen on a Covered Deck
The simplest way in: a zip screen you wind down by hand, with the fabric held in side channels on both sides so it stays in the track. A good fit for a single opening you use every day.
Motorised Zip Screen with Wind and Sun Sensors
Motorised screens run from a remote, and wind and sun sensors can raise or lower them as conditions change. Convenience on wide or hard-to-reach openings.
Multi-Bay Alfresco Zip Screen Enclosure
Several screens across an L-shaped or multi-bay alfresco, each in its own side channels, so the whole space closes in like an outdoor room. Larger and multi-bay fronts cost more.
Which option is right for you?
We will confirm the best fit during your free in-home measure, but this guide helps narrow the decision.
Full alfresco enclosure
Zip screens: the fabric is held down both sides, so the alfresco closes in like a room against wind, sun and insects, with the screen specified to your site's wind exposure.
Overhead shade
A folding-arm awning, which extends out to shade a paved area and retracts completely when you want the sky back.
Louvred fixed surround
Element 13 aluminium shutters, for louvred control on a fixed frame around the alfresco instead of a fabric screen.
Interest free payment plans available
Ask about Payright during your free in-home measure and quote.
Finance is subject to Payright approval. Fees, terms and conditions apply.
Why Choose Zip Screens?
Wind, sun and insect shelter, sized to your site
Makes the alfresco usable more of the year
Specified to your site's wind exposure
5-yr manufacturing & workmanship warranty
Feedback from Recent Customers
Shade, privacy and wind protection
Zip screens are outdoor blinds whose fabric runs in side channels on a zip edge, so the whole drop is held and the alfresco closes in like a wall. They are the pick for wind protection and privacy, they can be motorised with wind and sun sensors, and, specified to your site's wind exposure, they make the alfresco usable more of the year.
Specified for Your Site
External products have to suit the wind exposure of your site. We check it at the measure and specify the screen and channels to match.
Built for Australian Conditions
Off-the-shelf outdoor blinds do not hold up to Australian conditions. We fit heavier side channels, quality motors and sealed mechanisms instead, specified to your site.
Manual or Motorised
Wind them down by hand, or motorise them with wind and sun sensors so the screens look after themselves.
What zip screens cost
Priced at your free in-home measure. Every opening is different, so we measure first and give you an itemised written price before anything is ordered. See how our quotes work.
What moves the price
- The size of the opening: larger fronts and multi-bay alfrescos cost more
- Manual or motorised operation, and whether you add wind and sun sensors
- The mesh or fabric you choose, including more open weaves
- Smart-home integration
- Your site's wind exposure
Your official written quote after the free in-home measure is the binding figure (valid 30 days).
Why off-the-shelf outdoor blinds don't last
Off-the-shelf retractable outdoor blinds can come in meaningfully cheaper than what we will quote. In our experience fitting outdoor products across Melbourne, they do not hold up to Australian conditions. The cheap mechanisms lock up inside a year: the lighter-gauge side channels jam, the lower-spec motors burn out, and the fabric stretches and sags in the wind. By the second winter you are buying another one.
We don't carry that tier, because we would be replacing the product before the warranty ran out. We sit in the middle: quality zip screens at a fair price, specified to your site and fitted properly. Our zip screens carry a 5-year warranty on manufacturing defects, mechanisms and workmanship. If you go motorised, there is a 3-year warranty on the motor and components.
Wind, the bay and your site
External products have to be specified to the wind exposure of your site. There is no way around it without the product failing: off-the-shelf blinds with no documented wind rating typically give out in the first big wind season. Open blocks, upstairs balconies and corner alfrescos all ask more of a screen than a sheltered courtyard does.
Near the bay, add strong reflected light off the water and salt-laden air, which is hard on cheap hardware. We check your site's wind classification at the measure, along with the span and how you want to run the screens, then recommend the right product for your spot.
Keeping zip screens running: maintenance and install
Outdoor blinds that lock up usually do it for one of three reasons, in order of how often we see them. Quality: light-gauge channels, low-spec motors and unsealed mechanisms that the first year of Melbourne weather seizes up. Maintenance: even quality outdoor blinds need silicone spray in the side channels at least once a year. Installation: out-of-square fixing or too little clearance makes the blind bind in the track.
We deal with the first and the third through what we fit and how we fit it. The second takes a can of silicone spray once a year, and it keeps the screens running smoothly.
Motorised zip screens and sensors
Motorisation turns a zip screen into a one-touch job, and on a lot of the new builds we fit, owners add wind or sun sensors so the screens look after themselves. That is convenience: the shade, privacy and wind protection come from the screen, not the motor. In our experience, cheap unbranded motors are the first thing to fail on an outdoor blind, which is why we fit quality motors, covered by a 3-year warranty on the motor and components. See motorised outdoor blinds for the wider range.
Covenants, alternatives and the measure
On covenant-controlled estates, zip screens on the alfresco are typically allowed without much fuss, because they sit at the rear of the house. Our estate covenant guide explains the usual rules.
If a zip screen isn't the right fit, a folding-arm awning gives overhead shade, a straight-drop awning suits simpler, sheltered openings, and Element 13 aluminium shutters give louvred control on a fixed frame. We also supply clear-PVC café blinds for alfresco areas, quoted at the measure. For windows rather than the alfresco, look at external roller shutters.
Modern Curtains and Blinds is run by Deane and Dee out of Preston, and they have measured Melbourne windows for more than 30 years. We measure your alfresco, check the wind exposure of your site and give you a written quote that is yours for 30 days. Lead times are estimates, and the quote gives the specific timing. Blinds, curtains and security doors can be measured in the same visit.
Common Questions
How much do zip screens cost in Melbourne?
It depends on the size of the opening (larger and multi-bay alfresco fronts cost more), manual or motorised operation and sensors, the mesh or fabric, smart-home integration and your site's wind exposure. We price every alfresco at the free in-home measure, and the written quote after the measure is the binding figure.
Zip screens vs other zip-track or straight-drop outdoor blinds: what's the difference?
A zip screen's fabric runs inside side channels on a zip edge, so it is held along its whole height and encloses the opening like a wall. That makes it the pick for wind and privacy. A straight-drop awning is simpler: the fabric hangs from the top without being held in channels, so it suits sheltered openings. We fit zip-track outdoor blinds as a category and match the system to your opening, fabric and wind exposure.
Why did my outdoor blinds lock up after a year?
Three reasons, in order of frequency. Quality: cheap outdoor blinds use light-gauge channels, low-spec motors and unsealed mechanisms, and the first year of Melbourne weather seizes them up. Maintenance: even quality outdoor blinds need silicone spray in the side channels at least annually. Installation: out-of-square fixing or insufficient clearance makes the blind bind in the track.
Do I need a wind rating for outdoor blinds in Melbourne?
Yes. External products need to be specified to the wind classification of your site, and exposed sites need a higher-rated product than sheltered ones. Off-the-shelf retractable outdoor blinds with no documented wind rating typically fail in the first big wind season. We check the classification at the in-home measure.
Can zip screens be motorised with wind and sun sensors?
Yes. Motorised zip screens run from a remote, and wind and sun sensors can raise or lower them automatically as conditions change. It is a convenience upgrade, and it suits wide or hard-to-reach openings especially well.
Measured right and installed properly
We measure and install your products with care. If an issue is caused by our measuring or installation, we will make it right.
From First Visit to Final Fit
No pressure, no guesswork. We help you compare the right products before anything is ordered.
1. Book Your Free Visit
Tell us what you need help with and we will arrange a time to visit your home.
2. Samples & Measuring
We bring samples, check your rooms and measure the windows or doors properly.
3. Clear Written Quote
You receive product advice and written pricing before anything is ordered.
4. Make & Install
Your products are custom made and professionally installed with care.
Other outdoor shade options
Book Your Free In-Home Measure & Quote
No obligation. We bring samples, measure your windows, explain your options, and provide a clear written quote.