SA Canvas

SA Canvas blinds' plastic shrinkage which prevents window closing, leaving interior exposed to wind and dust.

In 2003 SA canvas installed 14 roll-up canvases with plastic windows (with velcro and gauze) to enclose my lapa. To this day, after 17 years, they look fine - the canvas material itself has a stain here and there and has been bleached by the sun, and the velcro isn't as effective any more (also due to the sun). But the plastic window coverings are still fine - no shrinkage, no cracking, despite being rolled down 99% of the time. However, 4 years later they installed another 3 canvases to enclose my balcony, and after 9 years the plastic has shrunk about 15-20 cm in width, and 10-12 cm in height, so that I cannot close the plastic covers. Apart from looking terrible, the wind now blows straight into my balcony, with the plastic covers just flapping around. Dust and leaves everywhere, over my couches, my hi-fi system, etc. When I went to see the company at their premises in Port Elizabeth, they denied responsibility, instead claiming that the plastic has shrunk due to. me not keeping the blinds rolled up. Of course I explained that the reason for installing the blinds in the first place is to keep them closed, to keep out the wind and the dust. So for them to claim that I should have kept them rolled up the whole time is ridiculous. I also told them about the 14 other blinds that are 4 years older but whose plastic covers show no shrinkage at all, even after 17 years. They had no explanation, but were adamant that it is not their problem. In fact, the lady told me the only solution was to replace the blinds completely. I went back about 3 months later, in the hope of getting someone else to speak to about this, but again they denied that it is their fault. However, the lady I spoke to on that day (strangely enough) said that it is possible to only replace the plastic - this tells me that the sales people are not very well-informed. I am disappointed, because clearly there is a problem with the plastic on my second set, and now I must bear the cost of replacing them. In addition, since I used this company twice, and the first time for a fairly large order (14 blinds of +- 2x3 sqm), they were still not helpful at all.