Woven Bamboo Blind

Yes, and that is where they work best — the weave gives shade while letting air move, so a balcony stays usable instead of turning into a hot box. Two conditions: roll them up before heavy rain rather than letting them soak, and fix the bottom so the wind cannot slap them against the railing. Given both, a bamboo blind on a covered balcony lasts years. In driving rain with no cover, expect the reeds to split eventually.

Because "blackout" describes the fabric, not the installation. The cloth itself passes no light, but a blind mounted inside the reveal must be cut a few millimetres narrower than the opening in order to move, and daylight finds that gap. If total darkness is the goal, mount outside the frame with a two to three inch overlap on each side and a deeper drop below the sill. Say so before we measure and we will size it that way from the start.

Anything that does not mind getting damp: PVC and aluminium slats, PVC vertical louvres, and polyester roller fabrics all wipe clean and do not swell. Natural wood is the one to keep away from a window that takes rain, because repeated wetting warps the slats — faux wood gives the same look without that risk. For a bathroom or an open balcony, PVC or aluminium is the safe answer.

Every fabric fades eventually under direct sun; the question is how fast and how evenly. Solution-dyed polyester and sunscreen mesh hold colour far better than printed cotton-look fabrics, and mid tones show fading less than deep navy or black. A west or south-west window is the harshest position in a Dhaka flat, so if that is where the blind goes, choose a lighter mid tone and expect the visible side to soften slightly over several years rather than patch unevenly.