Construction Specialties

Wall protection | Expansion joint covers | Entrance matting

+44 (0)1296 652800
Menu
  • Home
  • Products
    • Acrovyn® Wall & Door Protection
      Acrovyn® Doors & Door Protection
      Acrovyn by Design® Bespoke Wall Coverings
      Explovent® Explosion Venting
      Omniwall Prefabricated Serviced Wall Systems
      Elimax Reform Flat Packed Serviced Wall Systems
      Allway® Expansion Joint Covers
      Entrance Flooring
      Pedisystems® Entrance Flooring
      Supertrak® Plus Cubicle Curtain Track
      Architectural Louvres
      Architectural Louvres
      Exterior Solar Shading
      Architectural Grilles
      Online Shop
      Conspec Contracts Installation Service
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Acrovyn Showcase
      Brochures
      Performance Certificates & Test Reports
      Best Practice Guides
      Market Sectors
      NBS Source Specifications
      CPD Seminars
      BIM Objects
      Installation Service
      Legislation & Compliance
      On-Demand Webinars
      vps Acrovyn
      IWP_VPS
  • About Us
  • Contact
    • Nos Distributeurs
      Le fabricant
  • Careers

Vertical Louvres – Rain defence from a different angle

Vertical Louvres

Rain defence from a different angle

Look up at the buildings around you.  Can you see narrow slats on the façades?  These are external architectural louvres, and as well as adding to the overall appearance of the building, they play a vital role in making it safe and comfortable for everyone inside.

The primary function of external architectural louvres is to allow air into and out of a building or HVAC system.  This stops mechanical and electrical equipment from overheating, contributes to improved energy efficiency, and generally helps to maintain a healthy environment for people using the premises.

However, as we all know, the weather can be very unpredictable here in the Northern Hemisphere, and sometimes it’s not just air that the louvre blades let in…

Have you seen the weather forecast?

Rain ingress through external louvres can be a huge, and increasingly year-round, problem in some buildings.  Things may be fine in a light shower, but in longer, heavier downfalls, which are often accompanied by strong winds, it’s a different story.

When rain is driven against a building, some droplets may get into the airstream and be carried into the building, potentially damaging sensitive equipment located close to louvred areas and necessitating expensive and time-consuming repairs.

The role of weather louvres

Fortunately, there are ways of mitigating the risk of rain breaching the louvres.

A traditional design approach would allow for a special chamber where rainwater is collected and drained away.

However, there is also a more modern option – specialist louvres.  Engineered with enhanced rain defence in mind, specialist louvres are an advanced and space-saving solution to the problem of rain ingress.

Looking at things a different way

At Construction Specialties (CS), we are always looking for ways to make our customers’ lives easier.  We don’t give ‘one size fits all’ answers, instead offering different, and very effective, solutions for different challenges.

We know our standard horizontal louvres offer good defence against rain ingress and good airflow, but we also understand that some buildings may require even better performance.  When it came to this particular challenge, it was necessary to see things from a new perspective – a vertical one!

Introducing our rain defence vertical louvre range

Bringing new products to our customers is always really exciting.  We innovate because we want to make sure that everyone who comes to CS gets a solution that does exactly what we promise – to make buildings better.

With our specialist vertical louvre range, we started from a simple hypothesis – that a vertical louvre design would deliver better resistance to wind-driven rain ingress than a horizontal one.

From there, we engineered a range of vertical louvres with different blade shapes that would not only maintain the high rain defence classification but also improve the airflow of the louvre, creating RS-5605, our best performing louvre in the range.

RSV-5700
RS-5605
RS-5900

Tested & Verified to EN 13030 standard

All CS vertical louvre models include everything our customers require from our architectural louvres, such as quality, style, range and cost-efficiency.  We even designed the louvre units to be modular and delivered pre-fabricated, so installation is fast and smooth.

In addition, the performance of our louvres has been verified through independent testing to EN 13030, which allows customers to identify the best solution to suit their needs and specify it with confidence.*

For more detailed information, please read on or visit Architectural Louvres

Product Detail

Performance

Vertical design means these louvres are particularly good at collecting and draining rainwater before it can enter the building and cause any damage to expensive equipment.  However, exceptional rain defence capability is just part of the performance story of our vertical louvre range.

The most important function of louvres is to let air in and out of a building as efficiently as possible.  The three models in our vertical range have been rated as having Good to Excellent airflow – RSV-5700 has Class 3, RS-5900 Class 2, and RS-5605 Class 1 (Class 1 being the best possible).

Design

Louvres need to deliver the required aesthetic while at the same time performing a specific function.  As part of the building façade, it is important they don’t detract from the overall design.  In fact, they often enhance it.

Vertical blade appearance may suit the building better than the more traditional horizontal one.  In addition, depending on the design intent, vertical louvres can be supplied with visible mullions to line up with the other façade elements or, for a more uniform appearance over a larger area, an invisible joint detail linking multiple units.

Installation and integration

Regardless of model, all the units in our vertical rain defence range are available with a standard frame, allowing them to be fitted into prepared openings or fixed to secondary supporting steel structures.  If preferred, they can be supplied with an optional glazing frame to fit directly into the curtain walling.

Modular construction means they are quick to fit and even more efficient in operation.

Cost vs core area requirements

We work closely with customers to develop the best solution for their particular needs, but as a rule of thumb, the better the airflow class, the less of a louvre is required to allow the same amount of air through.

When it comes to our vertical rain defence louvres, this means that although, for example, the RS-5605 is a more expensive model than the RSV-5700, it has better airflow efficiency, so fewer units may be needed to achieve the same volumetric flow rate. See below example:

Calculationg Louvre Area

For a given Volumetric Flow of 30m3/s, max. pressure drop of 25Pa and Aerodynamic Free Area of 4.7m2, the following core area* is required:

RSV-5700

Ce = 0.287
Core Area* Required = 16.36m2

RS-5900

Ce = 0.342
Core Area* Required = 13.73m2

RS-5605

Ce = 0.466
Core Area* Required = 10.08m2

*Core area excludes louvre frame

For more information...

From drizzle to downpours, showers to storms, our range of vertical rain defence louvres will keep your internal air flowing and your building operating safely.

For more information on each model, please visit Architectural Louvres or click on the individual models below:

RS-5605 Rain Defence Louvres

RSV-5700 Rain Defence Louvres

RS-5900 Rain Defence Louvres

What Next

GET BROCHURE
CONTACT US
REQUEST PRICING
ORDER A SAMPLE
ASK A QUESTION

*In testing to EN 13030 (the European standard for verifying rain defence and airflow performance), vertical models have been proven to be particularly effective in minimising ingress of wind-driven rain.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Architectural Louvres, Vertical Louvres

Louvres

What's in the brochure
  • - Industry Leading Products
  • - Innovative New Design Options
  • - Detailed Technical Information
  • - Louvre Specification Guidance

+44 (0)1296 652800
sales@c-sgroup.co.uk
Order a Sample
Request an Estimate
Get Technical Help

Menu

  • CS Products
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Pick Country

Contact

Construction Specialties UK Ltd
1010 Westcott Venture Park
Westcott, Bucks, HP18 0XB
United Kingdom
Get Directions
Tel: +44 (0)1296 652800
Fax: +44 (0)1296 652888
Email: sales@c-sgroup.co.uk

Privacy

This website uses cookies to help us give you the best experience when you visit our website. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of these cookies. Find out more about how we use cookies and how to manage them below in our privacy policy.
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Construction Specialties