Each type of louver is designed to fulfill a certain role in your building, but is there a louver that can work for everything? Learn which traits make a certain louver fit best into a particular application.
Maintaining the right look is important in architectural designs, but there will be other requirements to consider. For example, you will need to protect ventilation points with the right louver.
Some louvers are better at protecting your duct work from rain. Some are better at ventilation. But is there a louver that can do it all? Why not use a hurricane louver for all rain applications? They have the highest level of rainfall protection of any other louver. What about a wind driven rain louver for light rainfall? Better safe than sorry, right?
Louver selection involves understanding your options and choosing the best louver for the task. Let’s look at several types of louvers and see how they might work in another application.
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Water penetration louvers are equipped with blades that have features and catches that stop water from passing through. These features will affect the louver’s air performance, but to a lesser extent than a wind driven rain louver. Certain water penetration louvers are also rated for air performance. These louvers can strike a balance between ventilation and protection.
Read about the louver’s pressure drop data, its free area measurements, and its beginning point of water penetration when considering the louver for one application or another. A louver with high free area and low pressure drop will serve as an excellent ventilation louver. A louver with a high beginning point of water penetration will work best for protecting the interior from light rainfall.
For advanced protection, you will need a louver rated for wind driven rain or hurricanes.
Wind driven rain louvers are designed to block rainfall, primarily. They are tested for blocking rainwater driven by high winds. These louvers have blade profiles designed to prevent water from entering the ventilation opening. Their blades will have more catches to prevent excess moisture from passing through. These are key features for blocking wind driven rain, but they will affect the louver’s air performance.
If you need the louver to focus on air performance, then you want to consider a water penetration louver instead. Choose a wind driven rain louver if your top concern is keeping your interior spaces dry, or if severe weather is common in your area. Your application may require a heavy-duty wind driven rain louver.
The best way to determine the louver’s effectiveness in any application is to check the louver’s submittal data.
Hurricane louvers are designed to protect your interior spaces from heavy rainfall, hurricane-force winds, and impacts from wind borne missiles. These louvers often come with a drain pan to help drain the enormous amounts of water blocked by the louver’s blades.
Each hurricane louver model is tested to multiple industry standards, including AMCA 540 and 550. No other louver type is designed, tested, or rated to protect openings in HVHZs. Hurricane louvers provide the highest level of water penetration protection. However, that protection comes at a price.
Certain hurricane louvers provide adequate air performance and receive AMCA seals for Water Penetration and Wind Driven Rain. However, a hurricane louver should only be used for a hurricane application. Unless your building is in a High Velocity Hurricane Zone, consider using another type of louver for your intended application.
However, louvers rated solely for air performance are not tested or rated for any other protection type. Many of these louvers have no features on their blade profile, with no means to capture water as it passes through the louver.
A louver rated for water penetration, wind driven rain, or hurricane applications has been tested to the specific standards of each application. Check the louver’s submittal for the relevant data before choosing the louver for any application.
Some louvers may perform multiple roles and work for multiple applications. An air performance louver may also meet your water penetration needs. Or, you may find a wind driven rain louver that provides the right amount of air flow.
Whatever you choose, you will have more options to think over. Certain options, like finish type, will not affect performance. Other options will change the construction of the louver, such as the vertical blade support, and may also change whether the louver works for your application. You should always check the louver’s submittal to ensure the louver will work for your application. Always choose the best louver for the application.
What do you think? Are there louvers that can fit any application? Are the tradeoffs worth an all-in-one solution? Tell us what you think in the Comments section. MCDLG wants to hear your opinion!
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