How to Choose ZIP Screens for High-Rise Balconies

Quick Engineering Guide for High-Rise ZIP Screens

NewHoo's WR100 commonly uses a 63 mm tube for openings below 4 m wide. WR110 changes from a 63 mm grooved tube below 4 m to a 78 mm double-layer tube for pergola openings between 4 and 5.4 m; the published maximum height for that wider configuration is 2.8 m.^[3]

These are product-configuration baselines, not universal rules for every high-rise ZIP screen.

For conventional balcony projects, start with NewHoo's Outdoor ZIP Screens range before moving into oversized configurations.

High-Rise Exposure: What Actually Matters

Higher elevation generally means a more exposed wind environment, but the building itself can alter airflow considerably.

An exposed corner, a recess protected by two side walls, and an opening facing the gap between two towers should not be treated as equivalent simply because they are on the same floor.

For product selection, use a practical exposure classification:

• Sheltered / recessed: opening partly protected by surrounding construction.
• Mid-façade exposed: open-facing balcony without substantial shielding.
• Corner exposed: opening near a major building edge.
• Channel exposed: opening facing a gap between large neighbouring buildings.
• Coastal exposed: wind exposure combined with salt-laden atmosphere.

There is no reliable rule such as “all 20th-floor balconies need System X” or “all corner units have 40% more wind.” Building geometry, prevailing wind direction and surrounding structures affect the result.

This is also why the wind speed shown by a weather app cannot be treated as a product specification. It describes regional conditions, not the pressure acting on one particular opening.

Use EN 13561 Wind Classes to Understand the Test

For exterior blinds, EN 13561 provides a more useful reference than an unexplained maximum wind-speed claim.

EN 13561:2015/AC:2016 defines wind-resistance classes using nominal pressure pN and safety pressure pS.

Source: EN 13561:2015/AC:2016, Clause 4.1 and corrected Table 1.^[1]

Nominal pressure represents the level at which the blind should continue operating without detrimental deformation or deterioration. Safety pressure is higher and addresses failures that could create danger, including breakage or a guided blind coming out of its tracks.

Classes 4–6 are specifically permitted for external blinds whose fabric runs in lateral guide rails and for pergola awnings.

A useful wind-class declaration therefore tells you about the tested blind system. It does not automatically approve the wall, fasteners or installation method on your balcony.

Why Screen Size Changes the Result So Quickly

Wind pressure acts across the projected area of the screen.

Take EN 13561 Class 4 nominal pressure as a simple comparison:

The second screen has 3.5 times the area, so the simple pressure resultant is also 3.5 times larger.

The calculation does not determine an individual anchor size. It demonstrates why a wind test carried out on a relatively small screen cannot automatically be transferred to the largest size listed in a catalogue.

Width also changes the roller span. As the roller becomes longer, maintaining sufficient stiffness becomes harder. Excessive roller deflection can affect fabric winding and the alignment between the fabric edge and side-guidance system.

This is why NewHoo does not apply one roller configuration to every width.

The WR100 Classic Windproof Roller Blind commonly uses a 63 mm tube for openings below 4 m

On WR110 pergola systems, NewHoo uses a 63 mm grooved tube below 4 m and changes to a 78 mm double-layer tube between 4 and 5.4 m

More importantly, the 4–5.4 m WR110 configuration has a published maximum height of 2.8 m instead of simply retaining every smaller-system maximum.^[3]

What Happens When Wind Loads a ZIP Screen

The fabric in a ZIP screen is flexible. Under positive or negative pressure, the fabric moves away from its unloaded plane and develops curvature.

Because the two edges remain retained in the guides, tension is transferred toward the ZIP edges and side-guide system.

This explains why increasing fabric strength alone does not solve every wind problem.

If the retained edge or guide configuration reaches its limit, the fabric can disengage from the guide. EN 13561 specifically identifies “exit from guiding tracks” as an unacceptable dangerous failure under safety-pressure conditions.^[1]

If the roller has insufficient stiffness for the span, winding geometry and fabric alignment can also deteriorate.

If the guide itself is strong but the substrate or anchors are inadequate, the weak point simply moves into the building connection.

A high-wind ZIP screen therefore has to work as one load path. Fabric GSM, tube diameter or guide-rail depth cannot be judged in isolation.

A 3.8 × 3.0 m High-Rise Balcony Example

Consider a 3.8 m wide × 3.0 m high straight opening on an exposed high-rise balcony.

At 3.8 m wide, the opening remains within the <4 m range where NewHoo WR100 commonly uses its 63 mm tube.

That gives a dimensional starting configuration. The next step is to confirm whether the applicable wind-performance evidence covers the actual screen size and installation condition.

Now increase the opening to 4.8 m.

The opening has moved beyond WR100's normal <4 m 63 mm configuration. At this stage, continuing to stretch the same standard structure is no longer the preferred selection method.

The project should move into an Extra-Wide & Extra-High ZIP Screens review.

NewHoo also explicitly states that maximum width and maximum height cannot automatically be combined in one blind.

One Large Screen or Two Smaller Screens?

Large architectural openings do not always need to be covered by one screen.

Take a 6 × 3 m opening.

The total exposed area has not changed, but each roller now spans 3 m instead of 6 m.

A single screen provides a cleaner façade with fewer vertical lines, but requires a longer roller, larger components and more demanding transportation.

Dividing the opening reduces individual roller span and usually simplifies transport and servicing, but introduces an additional guide line and potentially another motor.

For very wide high-rise projects, this decision should be made before simply quoting the largest possible single unit.

Installation and Fixing Cannot Be Left Until the End

Knowing the opening dimensions is not enough to select the anchorage.

A guide may be fixed to reinforced concrete, masonry, structural aluminium, steel or a façade system containing non-structural finishes in front of the real substrate.

Anchor capacity depends on variables such as:

• structural material;
• embedment depth;
• edge distance;
• fastener spacing;
• load direction.

That is why a universal rule such as “use M10 anchors above the 20th floor” would be misleading.

EN 13561 makes the same separation: the blind's static wind-pressure classification does not define its anchorage to the building.

For large high-rise screens, transport should also be checked before production. The longest cassette, roller or guide profile must actually fit through the service lift, stairwell or other approved access route.

Coastal High-Rise Projects Need a Corrosion Check

A coastal project adds another variable that wind testing does not solve.

Exposed fasteners, brackets, aluminium finishes and interfaces between dissimilar metals may all be affected by salt-laden air.

Wind performance and corrosion durability should therefore be treated as separate specifications.

Instead of accepting descriptions such as “marine grade” or “outdoor grade,” obtain the actual material or coating specification for the exposed hardware.

What a Useful High-Rise Quotation Should Contain

A buyer does not need to calculate the structural system personally. A useful quotation should simply show enough information to demonstrate that the project has been reviewed properly.

For a high-rise ZIP screen, look for:

• actual width × height;
• roller configuration at that size;
• side-guide / ZIP-retention configuration;
• applicable wind class or test information;
• tested specimen size where available;
• identified mounting substrate;
• operating / retraction limits;
• corrosion specification where relevant.

A quotation stating only:

leaves too many variables undefined.

A specification connecting the wind-performance claim to the actual screen size and system configuration is far more useful.

Final Selection Checklist

If these points are defined, comparing two quotations becomes much easier.

If they are not, two suppliers may appear to be quoting the same ZIP screen while actually offering very different systems.

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