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Design considerations for Vental retractable blinds

Call us for advice before you start
We want your building to work at optimum energy efficiency and we will be pleased to advise on details of building design and product selection.

1. The importance of pre-planning
Pre-planning for Vental external louvre blinds from the earliest stage of building conception will give the best blind utilisation and cost savings on both products and installation.

CAD drawings and information sheets are available for architects and builders to facilitate accurate specification at construction stage.

As a rule of thumb, the 'pocket' into which Vental retractable blinds will be retracted should be approximately 120 mm high for every metre of window height, plus 20 mm when a motor drive mechanism is utilised. CAD drawings and information sheets are available for architects and builders to facilitate accurate specification at construction stage.

Design for the largest square metreage per blind. (Details are on the Product Overview page). If it suits your design the most economical way to cover an area is with blinds that are higher than they are wide. This is because the motors and head members are more expensive than individual blind slats.

2. High rise buildings
For windows on upper floors of tall buildings, design narrow windows so that blind slats are short and well-supported at the ends, allowing them to withstand extreme wind loads. Narrower blinds are also easier to install if access through lifts and stairs is possible, avoiding the need to hire external hoisting equipment.

3. Window access
Operable inward-opening or sliding sash windows simplify blind installation and maintenance. (They also save energy by allowing breeze flow on balmy days.)

4. Motorised blinds
Significant savings can be achieved by designing windows, skylights and glazed roofs close together with narrow mullions and posts and with no other structural protrusions in between. This way, blinds can be coupled together, with a single motorised blind able to drive two slave blinds.

Main leads, connecting leads, switches, plugs and connection must be carried out in accordance with our instructions—see our information sheets or call us for details.

Blind motors are completely contained within a motor box. Motors for retractable blinds are totally contained within the blind head channel. They are bi-directional short run motors with built in thermo fuse and permanent lubrication. Each motor is single phase 230V AC and draws approximately 0.7A (non-retractable blinds) or 0.9A (retractable blinds) at full load.

Motors are of high quality German manufacture and have an average life span of 7 years.

Wiring must be in 4-core FLEX to provide adequate weather proofing to the motor plug glands.

5. Automatic controls for totally integrated buildings systems
Considerable energy savings are realised when automatic controls are used. Vental can provide you with a variety of sensor and control options, including complete central command computers. Vental control systems are compatible with most other energy conservation systems.

6. Colour considerations
The colour of blinds will be reflected into the interior. Custom colours should be considered very carefully because of possible effects on interior designs as well as on the psychological effect on building occupants.

Light coloured Vental blinds are more efficient in transmitting and diffusing daylight than dark coloured blinds. Dark colours have excellent room darkening qualities but they do not have as good a shading and cooling effect as Vental’s medium and lighter colours. Light coloured blinds admit less heat to the space between blinds and glass. The inner glass surface temperature is therefore lower, which results in less heat being transmitted into the room.

Under some conditions dark coloured blinds are not ideal for the eyes because of the sharp brightness contrasts when looking outside.

Click here to view colour charts.

7. Maintenance and cleaning
Vental blinds installed in the earliest days of our business are still operating trouble free and are in excellent mechanical condition and appearance. Vental blinds are constructed from special weather resistant materials that endure years of exposure to sun, wind and other environmental influences. They use sturdy weather and UV resistant lifting tapes and cords made from polyester and terylene fibres. These materials have withstood years of zeon arc accelerated testing without failing.

Blinds can be cleaned with mild soapy water and a sponge and can be rinsed with a light hosing. Do NOT use high pressure cleaning equipment.

To protect blinds from extremely high winds they should always be fitted close to glazing. If fitted without backing they should be retracted in strong winds.

8. Vental blinds are designed solely for sunlight, heat and glare protection
Vental blinds are designed to protect your property from sunlight, heat and glare and to protect your privacy—they do not offer any protection from fire, wind and rain, nor from break-in.

9. Technical description for retractable blinds
Slats are roll formed aluminium and stove enameled.
Lifting bands are 8 mm wide and 4 fold ladder cord.
Each slat has a sonic welded 3 pin guide retaining bolt at one end.
Guide rails are natural anodized extruded aluminium with sound-deadening synthetic resin guide inserts.
Head channels are mill finished extruded aluminium.
Bottom rails are natural anodized extruded aluminium.
Blinds are operated by electric motors.
Slats can be tilted either way in any dropped position.
All minor components are stainless steel, aluminium or UV stabilised nylon.

Technical details of Vental blinds may occasionally change so it is important you check with Vental Australia before finalising design details of lintels, sills, reveals, covers etc.

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