Roller shutter - an effective barrier against the heat

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The warm rays of sunlight that peep into our homes in winter are a true blessing. Not only do they brighten up dreary days, but they also warm up the interior. This issue looks completely different in summer, especially during hot weather, when we want to protect ourselves from the hot sun at all costs. Then the solution may turn out to be windows with glazing of low g factor, but first of all – roller blinds installed from the outside.

Protection against heat escape is the main aspect we take into account when choosing windows. After all, the heating of houses and flats generates huge costs every year, which we want to minimise. However, when considering the energy-saving aspect of windows, we often forget about another issue – protection against overheating. And this is despite the fact that cooling interiors is not at all cheaper than heating them.

The element worth paying attention to when choosing windows that protect us against the heat is the g-factor. The higher it is, the more heat gets into the flat from the outside. It is particularly important in summer when the days are longer, the sun shines more intensively and therefore, the higher the g-factor of our windows, the warmer the rooms will be. Therefore, at the same time as buying windows, it is worth considering the purchase of elements to shade the window: for example roller blinds which will protect us against overheating of the rooms. Which ones will work best?

Better from outside
According to DIN 5034-1 rooms should be protected against excessive heat radiation not with internal accessories – for example thick curtains or blinds, which are primarily decorative – but with external shields. In the fight against the heat, the best solution is to use products such as external roller blinds, which protect against the heat up to 8 times more effectively than blackout internal roller blinds, making the temperature inside the room significantly lower than outside.

How does it work? Space heating results from absorption of global radiation by the objects in the room and the surfaces enclosing the room (walls, floor). The absorbed radiation is transformed into long-wave infrared radiation (heat), which is not transmitted through the window panes to the outside and leads to undesired heating of the room in summer – DIN 5034-1. The external blind, positioned not behind but in front of the window pane, prevents the rays from entering the room by simply reflecting them. In this way, the absorption of radiation is counteracted, which means that it cannot be transformed into heat.

Positive habits
This is well illustrated by the aforementioned g-factor. While in a standard window it is usually about 50%, in the case of a window in which we install an internal roller blind made of semi-permeable material (depending on the type of material), its value drops to approximately 40%. For comparison, the g factor for a window with a lowered external roller blind reaches a single-digit percentage value!

It is worth remembering that external roller blinds, when used properly, not only prevent the heating of rooms in summer, but also help to cool them down in an easy way. When the temperature drops – for example at night – it is enough to lift them and allow the coolness to penetrate the interior.

Modern automation for roller shutters

There is no doubt that automatic roller shutters have already become a standard feature. They ensure comfort, facilitate energy saving and improve burglary protection. It is worth taking full advantage of the wide possibilities of automation and adjusting its possibilities to your own needs.

Types of motors for roller shutters
Motors for external roller shutters are placed inside a steel winding shaft, onto which the armour is rolled up when the roller shutter is raised. The motors differ in, among other things, power, which depends on the dimensions and weight of the roller blind, the control method, as well as the method for setting the so-called end positions of the roller blind (places where the roller blind stops when it is fully raised or lowered). When choosing motors for roller blinds it is worth to pay attention to whether they are equipped with the so-called detection function. It stops the roller shutter motor immediately after detecting increased resistance. This protects the motor against overload and protects the roller shutter against damage e.g. when the armour is frozen.

Receivers
Radio-controlled motors must be equipped with receivers, i.e. devices receiving signals from the transmitter. If you initially choose remote control, the seller will advise you on motors with a built-in radio receiver. In the case of changing the control method from wired to radio-controlled, it will be necessary to purchase separate receivers. They are usually mounted inside the roller shutter casing.