Remember that louvers will always protect your building. Deserts may see sunshine for most of the year but remember that seasonal monsoons will drop heavy rain on your building. Coastal regions may be sunny for most of the year, but you may need protection against hurricanes. When selecting louvers, you are preparing your project from the worst-case scenario.
The primary purpose of a louver is protection. Designers will add louvers to protect intake openings from water damage and meet building safety requirements. It is important to keep ventilation points dry during a storm.
Preserving Air Quality
Water damage is serious in HVAC. Rust and corrosion are important to watch for when equipment is subjected to rain, but it is more important to look for mold. Mold growth can start at any point in the HVAC system, even at the intake opening. From there, mold spores can spread through ductwork to other parts of the system. This can quickly turn into an air quality nightmare. In the case of mold growth, prevention is the best course of action.
Drainable louvers provide pathways for captured water. Drain troughs and channels direct the water to the louver’s sill, where it can fall out of the louver while minimizing the risk of backsplash. You can all add a drain pan or sill extension piece to the louver’s sill, to further minimize this risk. Drain pans will have a backplate that guards the lower free area from water infiltration. Captured water slides out of the open face of the drain pan and out of the louver.
For more serious weather, consider wind driven rain louvers. Read this article for more details on these louvers. Air quality is important in modern design. Keep your interiors dry with the right louvers.
Energy Efficiency
While protection is important, you must also consider each louver’s impact on your HVAC system. Protective features like catches capture water, but they can also impede airflow through the louver’s free area. System fans will need to spin faster to draw the necessary air through the opening.
The best way to maximize efficiency is to choose louvers that meet the protection needs. Protection is important, but overprotection could drag your system down. If a project requires hurricane protection, then use hurricane louvers to protect the required areas. Otherwise, you may want to use wind driven rain louvers or drainable louvers for protection.
Consider choosing louvers with chevron blades. Chevron blades provide excellent protection from rainfall with minimal impact on the airstream. Louver selection is a balancing act between rain protection and air performance. The key is finding the best balance between the two.
Design and Aesthetics
Louvers can help accent other features along your building’s envelope. The straight lines created by louver blades can draw a viewer’s eye towards other parts of the building. These lines can also divide spaces along the envelope.
With architectural louvers, you can create these attractions and divisions anywhere along the envelope. Thin line louvers are commonly built for small scale ventilation, like ventilation points for packaged air terminals. However, their lightweight design allows them to be mounted on walls and other surfaces.
Photos of architectural louvers installed on modern buildings
Architectural louvers can help spruce up designs. Use them to enhance your project's aesthetics.
Pair a louver with the right color to create interesting contrasts along the envelope. Apply a custom coat to any louver to achieve a long-lasting shade that withstands the elements. Manufacturers will offer several options for adding color to your louvers, from powder finishes to anodizing. At VAIRTECH, we will gladly match any color you provide, so that your louvers fit beautifully into your designs.
Louvers, Simply Modern
Louvers have a straightforward design, but they provide a lot of modern design. By understanding your project’s needs, and the options available, you can select louvers that meet requirements and work with your designs. Keep your building safe and energy efficient with the right louvers.
VAIRTECH and Louvers
At VAIRTECH, we build every louver from scratch to meet your project’s needs. With our in-house painting facilities, we make sure that each of your louvers looks perfect. Best of all, we offer our color-matching services at no additional cost. Browse our full catalog online today and see what VAIRTECH can do for you.
Starting a new project? Let us know! VAIRTECH can help you find the best louvers to meet your needs.
