It is essential to mention that exterior shading systems are installed within a double façade of a building. They are typically considered an integral part of the building’s environmental control. Furthermore, they are motorised to control, effectively permitting the systems to react to sun conditions. The outdoor shades are both deployed and retracted depending on the climate.
When it comes to Venetian blinds, the slats are installed as tilted between several pre-set angles. This contributes to blocking direct solar heat gain penetration while allowing regular daylight into the building.
- What Are The Benefits Of Using Exterior Shading Systems?
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the significant benefits available from using external shading systems.
Improved HVAC Efficiency: It’s essential to mention that exterior shading systems use glazing to prevent solar heat from entering a building. The reductions in solar heat gain effectively put a lesser load on the HVAC systems. Furthermore, it also contributes to saving money from running the systems.
Additionally, there’s no denying that exterior shading efficacy at managing solar heat gain stands significantly higher than several interior solutions, effectively preventing the majority (90 per cent) of solar energy. To put that into context, interior solutions fail to progress beyond only 60 to 75 per cent of solar energy.
Natural Day Lighting: Exterior shading system can contribute to the optimization of sunlight used to illuminate interiors, thereby lowering the need for artificial lighting.
Aesthetics: There’s no denying that employing external shading systems can significantly benefit the building’s appearance.
- Can Exterior Shading Solutions Be Used On Both New And Existing Buildings? What Are Standard Methods of Attachment?
It’s essential to mention that the exterior shading system can be used on new and old buildings. You can always install structural elements to the existing façade to make way for the old buildings’ exterior shading system. This is large since they are typically not designed to facilitate external shading. Once the development is complete, it can withstand any loads from snow, wind, ice, and the system’s weight.
When it comes to new buildings, you might need to install a system to directly attach to brick or blockwork, curtainwall mullions, or through cladding to the structure. The requirements might be subjected to product types.
- Exterior roller sun shade and Venetian Blinds typically find their installation space against the glazing, thereby not applying any significant load to the facade. They are designed to retract when the wind speed crosses a pre-defined level. It’s also essential to mention that pre-tensioned side-guide wires help prevent the shading system from drifting under the wind load.
- Exterior Louver systems generally put more loads on a building. These particular types of systems often tend to retain their footing in all weather conditions. Furthermore, they are supposed to endure strong wind force and other factors, if referred by the local building codes.
3. What Should Exterior Solutions be considered for the Most Common Shading Challenges?
It’s essential to mention that exterior shading solutions must feature adjustable sun louvres, fixed louvre panels, and retractable sunshades. Most of the available external louvre systems come as fixed, thereby not adjusting to weather changes or sun position. They are typically installed horizontally- either in front or above the glazing.
Additionally, exterior roller shades offer effective shading on façades as well. However, they also have the added advantage of retraction.
- What Factors is Essential to Consider When Specifying Exterior Shading?
One must also consider the heating and cooling cycles of the building as well. People might want to see solar heat gain during the winters while denying it in the summers. During such scenarios, roller awnings shades will make a better choice than fixed louvre systems.
Furthermore, the in-house design team must also consider the material selection. For many, Aluminium is the preferred material of choice. This is essentially due to its strength compared to weight, extensive range of finish options, and the ability to get shaped and perforated, among others. Apart from Aluminium, there are glass and wood used as well.
When it comes to Glass needs more support structure. Furthermore, glass louvres should be sand-blasted or fritted to provide shading. This is to lower their transparent look. There’s no denying that wood as a material is susceptible to warping, fading, and cracking, thereby requiring more maintenance over time.
In conclusion, it only fits to mention that companies must collaborate with experienced engineering professionals to design the integration of specific shading products. It is also necessary to note that skilled components typically ensure adequate and reliable solution in exterior shading. Additionally, most decisions regarding the external shading should be made during the initial stages as they influence the building’s design. This also makes way for addressing attachment challenges and facilitating time to model performance, among other factors.
The summers are hot and sometimes it becomes unbearable to face the scorching rays in your room or balcony. This is where you need to make a good investment like buying awning shades for your windows. They work as excellent guards, thus saving you from the summer turbulence. However, window awnings need proper care if you want to make it last longer. As they not only face the heat but also the rain and snow, they are prone to damage. Read how to maintain them properly in this post –
Top 4 Ways That You Need To Know About Maintaining Your Awning Shades
- Keep Off Intense Heat From Your Window Awnings To Save Them
Window awnings are there to guard your room against the Sunrays. They are nothing close to air conditioners or refrigerators. So, you should place your gas ovens or grill ovens away from them. Maybe they can withstand heat, but not the engulfing heat, straight from your gas oven. If you want your gas oven to look young, do remember to keep away from kitchen smokes. Heat and kitchen smoke can damage your awnings and make stains on them.
- Cleaning Your Window Awnings Timely Can Extend Its Life Span
Your window awnings stay in the exteriors 24×7, which means they get all the dust and dirt in the world. It is normal if they start to look dull due to accumulating of all the air pollutants. With that, continuous wind can worsen it and you can see dust and debris on your Sun shade after a month or more. What happens is that the fabric starts to degrade and eventually, your saviour starts to call it a day. Cleaning them at least twice a month can save them though.
- Stop Cleaning Your Awnings With Some Generic Cleansing Product
As much as cleaning your window awnings, is important, cleaning with the right materials is also important equally. If you want to preserve the health and looks of your awning, you need to use the proper materials. Using something to clean your awnings, which is not a fit, can do more harm than good. You should better contact with some awning experts to know which cleaning solution is perfect for your awning. Cleaning with that will have far more results than cleaning with a random cleaner.
- Store Your Awning Properly For The Next Season
Most of the people tend to pack the awning in winters and keep them for the next summer. So, this is good as long as you keep them in some safe place. Avoid keeping your awnings near sharp objects as it can tear the fabric off. You should also keep the liquids away from it to avoid stains. Keeping them in a cool and dry place is also better to avoid damaging the fabric. You need to store your awning in the safest possible way.
So, these were the four steps you need to take to maintain your window awnings for a longer time. Following them can help you in using your awning for months without the needs of buying frequently.
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