Draper, Inc.

May 3, 2023 - Outdoor "zipper" shades are perfectly suited to creating outdoor living spaces that retain an indoor level of comfort. Mesh shades provide protection from insects and the elements while maintaining the natural views that make outdoor dining so appealing. And the "zipper" feature welded to each vertical side of the shade fabric keeps it firmly in place.

Draper currently offers three models of these shades in our FlexShade ZIP line:

• FlexShade ZIP
• FlexShade ZIP XL
• FlexShade Tension ZIP

And there are more models on the way – stay tuned!

Here are four ways the FlexShade ZIP family stands apart from similar outdoor shading systems.

It can go big.

The owners of a new home in Austin, Texas, were looking forward to spending some quality time on their patio and by the pool. Unfortunately, mosquitoes and flies were creating quite a problem.

As the homeowners searched for a solution, the size of the 25' x 10' became a sticking point. Other companies suggested installing a post in the center of the opening because it was too wide, but the homeowners wanted to keep the single large opening. The Flexshade ZIP XL was just what they needed.

The FlexShade XL's headbox uses an integrated cradle support system to minimize deflection, which in turn allows wider outdoor "zipper" style shades.

Choices, choices, choices.

Some outdoor shading products come in a limited number of hardware color options. The Draper FlexShade ZIP family offers six standard hardware colors:

• White textured powder coat
• Black textured powder coat
• Ivory textured powder coat
• Sand textured powder coat
• Charcoal bronze textured powder coat
• Silver powder coat

But we take it a step further. We have our own powder coating capabilities in our world class manufacturing facility in Spiceland, Indiana, so we can provide custom powder coat colors!

We also offer a large selection of outdoor mesh fabrics in a variety of colors and openness factors from American weavers like Mermet USA and Phifer. And if you can't find a color you like, we can custom print almost anything you want!

Meant for the long haul.

To make this point, we'll turn to Matt Pierce, the co-owner of Shading Texas.

"This [customer] is someone we're going to have a relationship with for a long time, so we need to make sure the product actually lasts the length of that relationship. A lot of other systems … are just meant for a couple of seasons, they're just meant for a few years. They don't have that lifespan that you get with a Draper product. This is a product that I don't have to worry about promising my clients it's going to last them. That's a promise I can keep when I make it to my clients."

The people behind the product.

For this one, we'll again turn to one of our partners, Shading Texas, and their co-owner Matt Pierce.

"Working with Draper staff is fantastic, because they're very conscious of the fact that I'm the one that has to stand in front of a client and be able to answer those questions. They're able to help you from start to finish, and anything that may come along, they're always super helpful, being able to help you figure out what needs to happen next. But just from a pure ordering standpoint, education standpoint, there's never any lapse in being able to be there and support us as a Draper dealer. That's very integral when you're choosing who you want to partner up with, because you need somebody who's going to stand there with you, and be there with you from start to finish, not just when it's time to collect the check."

Which model of FlexShade ZIP is right for your project? Contact your Draper representative to find out or learn more about our outdoor shading solutions here.