The Condenser - Door Louvers and What They Do

Ever wonder why some doors have a louver installed? These louvers can create new paths of airflow and improve ventilation. Learn more about door louvers with the Condenser. 

At a Glance

• Door louvers are small, thin line louvers installed in ventilation openings on doors.
• They can help with ventilation by creating airflow points through a closed door.
• Door louvers can also help with air pressure issues.

Louvers, Large and Small

Louvers are built for ventilation points along the outside of the building, protecting ductwork from rain and other harmful elements. These openings can be as large or as small as the HVAC system requires. Each louver is sized to fit inside the opening.

What if the opening is on a door? Doors can receive louvers to aid ventilation between rooms. They provide a ventilation point into the room beyond, even when the door is closed. They can also help with random slamming doors by providing a relief point for air pressure. A standard louver won’t fit in an opening this small. For doors, you need door louvers.

For more on louvers, check out these Newsstand article:

• Four Questions on Louver Location
• The Condenser - Subframes for Louvers
• Louver Aesthetics - Design Options for Architectural Louvers

What is a Door Louver?

Door louvers are small louvers designed for openings made in doors. These louvers have a thin line design, which is lightweight and has a shallow blade profile. The opening on the door will be small and shallow. Door louvers need to be small to fit into this space.

The depth of the louver’s frame should closely match the depth of the door. For instance, the EA-11-F from Arrow United can fit openings as small as six inches high by six inches wide. The EA-11-F has an expandable frame to match the depth of the door, so that it always fits snuggly into the opening. 

Door louvers will have straight blades spaced closely together. This design will block sightlines through the door, while maintaining airflow through the opening. These louvers can provide protection from light rainfall, but they are better suited for interior doors.

The Benefits of Door Louvers

The primary benefits are ventilation and privacy. Air can pass through a closed door and into the room beyond, while the louver’s blades block sight lines into the room. Door louvers can also help eliminate issues with air pressure.

Door louvers are commonly installed in metal doors leading to equipment closets. Technicians can work on sensitive equipment inside the closet while the door is closed, without worrying about adequate airflow. Fresh air will come in through the louver even when the door is closed.

Door louvers can also help with pressure imbalances. You may find that certain doors are difficult to close on one end of a hallway. Or you may find that an open doors slam shut when you open another door. Door louvers can provide a pressure relief point on the door, so that phantom gusts pass through the door instead of against it. Check out this article on balancing dampers for more ways to relieve pressure issues.

Keep your interior spaces ventilated with door louvers. Consider adding some louvers to your doors. Arrow United Industries can help. We build stationary louvers for a wide range of requirements, including thin line louvers for use in doors. Contact Arrow United today and let's work together on your next project.

How would a door louver fit into your project? Tell us what you think in the Comments section. We want to know what you think!