How each works
Manual systems use a removable crank on a sealed gearbox — simple, reliable, nothing to wire. Motorised systems automate the same mechanism: one touch opens the louvres to winter sun or seals them ahead of a storm.
When manual makes sense
- Smaller spans where cranking takes seconds
- Budget-focused projects — automation adds cost
- Holiday homes where simplicity beats gadgets
When motorised wins
- Large or multi-bay systems where cranking is a chore
- Entertainment areas — close mid-braai without leaving guests
- Accessibility — no reaching or winding required
The weather factor
On the Highveld, the speed of closing matters: storms arrive fast. Motorised louvres close the roof in seconds, and our full all-round gutter system keeps the system 95% watertight once shut. Our automated installations in Morningside and Dainfern Estate were chosen for exactly this.
Can I upgrade later?
Discuss it up front — planning for automation at manufacture is cleaner than retrofitting. Ask the team when you request your quote.
What you're actually choosing between
It helps to know that both options are the same roof. The blades, the frame, the all-round gutter system and the 95% watertight performance when closed are identical. The only thing in question is what turns the mechanism: your hand on a crank, or a motor on a switch.
Load-shedding, and other honest questions
The question we get most often about automation in South Africa is what happens when the power is out. Worth raising with the team when you quote, because it shapes the specification — and it is a genuine argument for manual on a holiday home or a rental, where simplicity is worth more than convenience. A manual gearbox has nothing to fail and nothing to power.
The counter-argument is speed. A Highveld storm gives you minutes, not half an hour. If the patio is the room you actually live in through summer, the ability to seal the roof in seconds without going outside is not a gadget — it's the difference between using the space and giving up on it.
Which fits your patio
| Your situation | Usually the better fit |
|---|---|
| Small to moderate span, simple layout | Manual gearbox |
| Large or multi-bay system | Automated |
| Main entertainment area, used year-round | Automated |
| Budget is the deciding factor | Manual gearbox |
| Holiday home or rental property | Manual gearbox |
| Reaching or winding is difficult | Automated |
Decide before manufacture, not after
This is the single most useful thing in this article. Planning for automation at the point of manufacture is clean; retrofitting it later is not. Even if you're going to start manual, tell us if automation is a possibility down the line — it costs nothing to specify with that in mind, and it saves a much more awkward conversation later.
Maintenance either way
Keep the gutters and downpipe outlets clear, especially heading into the rainy season, and give the blades a rinse when you wash the windows. Aluminium systems carry a 15-year guarantee and Chromadek® 10, and neither depends on a maintenance regime you'll forget about.
What to tell us when you quote
Send a photo of the area with rough width, projection and height, then add three things: roughly how often you'd be opening and closing it, whether the patio gets used in the evenings, and whether automation is in budget now or later. That's enough for us to recommend rather than guess. Every dimension is confirmed on site before anything is manufactured.
