Facade blinds

Insulating buildings in winter is a serious challenge due to rising costs. However, air conditioning is also a serious expense, which is less often discussed because it is not as widely used. However, increasingly warmer summers significantly increase the demand for its services in homes and commercial properties.

Installing façade blinds is a great way to reduce the electricity consumption of air conditioning and to completely eliminate the use of air conditioning. They allow this because, thanks to the appropriate positioning of the slats, it is possible to disperse the light entering the building and retain most of the heat outside.

You can also set the slats in such a way that they completely eliminate the light coming in and darken the interior. Then, the least amount of heat will get into the interior.

The use of external façade blinds is important primarily in places with very large glazing. The larger the window, the more heat can get inside and the more the internal climate depends on the appropriate control of window coverings.

MS Holland Kozijnen offers various cross-sections of slats used in external façade blinds. The possibility of choosing specific solutions always depends on the selected system, but most often three types of cross-sections are available:

• C-80 section,

• Z-90 section;

• C-80 Flat cross section.

The shape of the cross-section is not of major importance for the function of the façade blinds, so this element can be treated largely as an aesthetic choice. However, in some blind systems it translates into their size when fully folded or their ability to diffuse light, among other things.

External facade blinds can be installed in any building, regardless of where they are planned to be installed.

The size or dimensions of the window will not be a hindrance to the installation of a façade blind. Of course, within a reasonable range. However, even with the largest installations, it is possible to find a solution that will work. Large window coverings often have significant requirements regarding the installation conditions. The cost of such solutions can also be considerable. An excellent alternative to them are façade external blinds.

Facade blinds are always made to measure , which means that non-standard window dimensions are no obstacle. In practice, a standard window size can be an advantage, because standard production is usually faster than non-standard production. Nevertheless, a few more days of waiting for blinds should not discourage them. Especially since in the case of other non-standard solutions, a longer waiting time is also inevitable.

Facade blinds can be installed in all buildings , regardless of whether it is a new investment that is still under construction or a finished building. The external blind system will also work well in historic buildings, if the conservator agrees.

As with top-mounted roller shutters, blinds can become part of the wall , be mounted in the window opening or be installed in a special façade blind box mounted on the wall.

Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages, and in practice the most important thing is whether we decided on facade blinds at the stage of building construction or whether the decision was made later. As a rule, a better solution is one in which no additional elements appear on the wall, and the blinds simply disappear under the facade when folded. Other solutions are not worse in terms of utility, however.

Blinds are not usually associated as elements protecting the interior of a building from heat loss. However, it turns out that in this respect, facade blinds also protect the building from heat loss. Modern facade blinds can even be an alternative to external roller shutters , from which we expect actual insulation.

External roller shutters insulate the building by lowering the armor and thus creating a special additional air cushion between the window and the outside world. This cushion is separated from the cold by the armor structure, which is usually filled with an insulating substance, e.g. polyurethane foam.

In the case of blinds, no additional slat fillings are used. However, setting them at a 90° angle to the glass surface and tightly closing them creates an effective air cushion that can improve the Uw coefficient. We are talking about the thermal transmittance of the window, of course.

Facade blinds should not be treated as the basic element of building insulation, but especially in the case of large glazing, they may turn out to be an investment that will effectively pay for itself by reducing heating bills.

In modern architecture, there is a strong emphasis on light, space and minimalism of form. These three elements can even be called a triad defining contemporary style. Effective control of the amount of light entering spacious interiors through large glass surfaces can be a challenge, however. Especially if it has to be done in a way that is appropriate for the architectural order.

Facade blinds are an optimal solution because they do not reduce the cross-section of the opening through which light enters, as is the case with lowering blinds. They work great with large glass surfaces thanks to their metallic character. In turn, synergy with the building mass is provided by geometric shapes, naturally harmonized with cubist solutions.

The advantage of external blinds is certainly the freedom in choosing their colors. Thanks to this, external covers can be matched to the existing building facade, so as not to spoil the visual effect. Both facade blinds, roller blinds or shutters are painted in colors available in the RAL palette standards . Thanks to this, they can be easily matched not only to the design of the facade but also to a specific type of window joinery. In this respect, automatic external blinds work perfectly with:

• PVC windows,

• wooden windows,

• aluminum windows,

• or steel windows.

Of course, facade blinds are just one of the options for covering the windows in your home. MS Holland Kozijnen also offers:

• adaptive blinds,

• top mounted roller shutters,

• concealed roller blinds,

• screen blinds,

• lintel blinds,

• internal blinds.