Architectural louvers tend to be made from aluminium. However, there are still different types with different functionalities. For example, some louvers are there to protect buildings or machinery from hurricane damage, while others work as a sunshade.
When designing a building or making improvements to an existing space, it can be difficult to know what type of louver to install.
This guide should help with a few recommendations depending on the type of building and industry you’re based in.
Hospitality
For hotels and large restaurants, busy, communal spaces can quickly become stuffy and uncomfortable. The key to ensuring your guests and customers are happy and willing to spend more time in the vicinity is good ventilation.
With this in mind, roofing that can be opened to let in the sun or closed to shield you from the rain is a great option. This type of louver can also help to reduce energy bills in the warmer months, as the open-top sunshade welcomes in buckets of natural light – meaning you don’t have to keep the lights on. Even when the roof is open for light and sun, the angled material helps to maintain an airy and well-ventilated space.
Homes and property
If you’re a property developer or simply want to improve your own home, sunshade louvers are a great choice for your windows. Working like an integrated shutter system, these louvers prevent the house from overheating when the sun is at its highest. However, you still get to enjoy the natural light flood into the space. Overall, louvers for the home are great for keeping as a well-needed, cool space on a hot summer’s day.
Different colours, shapes, and sizes are available for house louvers, so it’s a good idea to look at others in your area or check out some inspiration online before investing in your own.
Manufacturing
For those industries that require bulky machinery or other systems to be on display, screening louvers can be a great way to hide the eyesores with a stylish finish. Machinery on manufacturing plants or ventilation systems in large restaurants can get extremely hot, meaning you need to ensure your louvers provide good airflow.
Screening louvers can hide the mess while also protecting it from dirt, wind, and rain. Heavy-duty louver frames could even mean you can move machinery outside – clearing space for expansion inside.
When choosing a louver to suit your needs, it is also important to consider your budget. Depending on the size of your project, louver installation can get quite expensive if you do not factor in costs in your start-up estimations. You also want to think about where your property is based and the typical weather and climate you experience. You don’t want to end up buying the wrong louver, only to find it is not suitable as rain or wind defence.
It is always a good idea to do plenty of research and speak to an expert when trying to find the right louver for your project.
