Roller shutters

Hello,

Not sure this is the right place, but I hope so. Our architect is designing our family house according to my requests. We live in Finland, where the recommendations and directives for energy-effective construction just got tighter. Outside temperatures go from -35C to +30C (-31F to +85F).

I'd like to fit my upstairs windows with external roller shutters, in order to keep the bedrooms cool and dark in the summer days (and nights, since the sun sets 11PM and rises at 3 AM . The use of the roller shutters here is a bit controversial during the winter, since they can froze still and remain closed for 6 months... I haven't found a single family house fitted with metallic roller shutters in Finland, and apparently no one seems to sell them here either. "In Finland, do as the Finns do" you could argue, but I want to do a bit differently.

I found interesting shutters from Germany

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where the shutters also provide noise and temperature isolation. So the question goes to the world:

- how usual is it to fit windows with roller shutters in new buildings in your country ? All comments and suggestions are also welcome.

Lorenzo

Reply to
Lorenzo Sandini
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Quite common, where I'm originally from, Florida. In fact, they are sort of required. The are supposed to be for protection from flying debris from hurricanes. There, the building code requires either 200 mph glass in all exterior windows, or fixed or removeable shielding, ie., shutters or removeable panels. What we have here is a clash of building codes. The code requires the protection but it also requires egress windows in sleeping rooms. So what you end up with are lazy people installing the removeble panels on the egress windows and not taking them off after the threat of the hurricane passes, effectively removing access to the egress windows from inside.

In your case I'd be concerned with freezing and ice build-up on the rollers and tracks. Also, the cost of the roll-up shutters is prohibitively expensive, traditionally seen only on very expensive homes. My home was about 2000 sq ft and the cost for shutters was more than $30,000.00 and they weren't even eelectrically powered, strictly manual roll-up.

If you are trying to increase the efficiency of your new home by limiting the amount of sunshine through the windows, and the outside noise, discuss these concerns with your designer as I believe there are less expensive and perhaps even better ways to address these things, such as orientation of rooms or windows and roof overhangs for example, just to name a couple.

Reply to
creative1986

Will they block a 200 mph 2x4?

Reply to
creative1986

Don's thing about the 200 MPH requirement is due to Florida being hurricane central USA, and the insurance industry pushed through the requirement to limit their losses paying out on insurance claims for broken windows. Since Finland probably doesn't see much in the way of hurricanes, and breaking glass is not the issue, you don't need to have the shutters on the outside of the building.

Have the shutters on the inside, or built into the wall, so they won't freeze. A pretty standard thing in hot climates, which is surprisingly similar in its requirements to a cold climate, is to have the shutters fold out from the extra-deep wall thickness - the shutters appear to be paneled window jamb extensions.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

hello Lorenzo-With new construction its very easy to install"pocket"windows and shutters.I have built up some for my place to deal with the seasonal differences we have here in SW Pennsylvania in the US.All of the various panes are at least 6" larger than the opening ,so I get a good seal,and when the shutter panels are closed,I have equal or greater R value at the windows as in the walls.The screen panel gives better ventilation than same sized double-hung or casement windows.I put these together for less than I could have bought hi-end insulated windows because with the ability to either close a separate"storm window"glass pane or just close the shutter,I dont need the hi R values or the low E glass. The low performance glass panel actually allows me to soak up more solar heat on my S side in the winter,then as soon as the gain drops off ,the shutter can be closed-allowing me to retain the gain.The 6"+ oversize on all sides- closer to 12" with the solid shutter panel yield great security also,as it would be easier to gain entrance thru a wall than thru the windows.I have a electric and a pneumatic actuator for 3 panels rigged up-strictly prototype stage and would like to automate via an old computer and sensors to transmit insolation and delta T data.These could be retrofit,but would require a much bigger rough opening for the same sized window,new or additional header,jack studs etc.In new construction it would be easy although the number of panels I have in mine requires an 8"wall,but I have 3 additional panels that are "optional".If anyone manufactures these I haven't found them,and I would assume the novelty would make the price astronomical-but they need not be-tracks are easy to find or build-up and all the other panels are stationary-type, low performance glass and the shutter panels dont need to be elaborate-I made-up some raised panels-but it was purely aesthetic. wow sorry to ramble on-didn't realize how long this post was getting-I was just trying to draw the best mental picture I could-Good luck with the house-------------GEOD P.S. dont u guys use alot of "air-lock" style entrance doors over there?-just asking because of design similarity-

Reply to
GEOD998

Hello and thank you everyone for your comments.

Yes, most new houses are planned with air-lock style entrances, and it's a very effective way to keep the cold and noise outside. For some reason there is a trend toward "passive heating" housebuilding too, but I am not taking the plunge.

It would mean that the house is so well insulated, that the heating is provided by the various appliances and people living in the house, with no need for any heating (except for the coldest days of the year). The houses are kept as always underpressurized, to avoid moisture in the walls, and the warm air exiting the house is used to warm up the incoming air.

I finally found some roller shutter dealers over here, so let's see what deals they have to offer :)

Lorenzo

Reply to
Lorenzo Sandini

I don't see anything wrong with passive heating if in fact its doable, and I'm not convinced it is, but I would certainly have some sort of mechanical back-up just in case, like maybe a wood burning stove and several cords of hard wood. Curious, how big are the airlocks you mentioned and are they at all exterior entrances? We don't have one on our house but we do have a storm door that sort of acts like one. I know someone that has one and its sort of like an enclosed foyer, about 8' x 8', with 2 sets of exterior doors and its a very expensive home too.

Reply to
creative1986

Good idea, interior insulated shutters. Never heard of them though, does somebody manufacture them? We had wood louvered interior plantation shutters on our FL house but they were more for looks than anything else.

Reply to
creative1986

SNIP

Our air-lock will be about 4' x 8' (120cm x 250cm), just a bit bigger than the standard size. Usually only the main entrance is done like this, backyard doors and less often used doors do not need this. If interested, here is what the floorplans look like:

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(1st floor)
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(2nd floor)

Lorenzo

Reply to
Lorenzo Sandini

Cool, neat little crib. Nice size rooms. Clearly, ya'll do stuff differently over there. Instead of bedroom closets you have what, cabinets? Also, inside the large bedroom on the right on the 2nd floor is another smaller room, what is that, a den or study? Has this been built? If so, I'd like to see a couple pix of the exterior if you have any. Thanks.

Reply to
creative1986

I once designed a house for a doctor that was on some acreage and much of it was encased in an 8' concrete block privacy wall 12' away from the outside of the house. This wall was on both sides and across the rear and all of the bedrooms had sliding glass doors instead of windows. Each of the bedrooms had their own little private porch with slab floor and a pergola overhead.

Reply to
creative1986

Some do closets, some prefer cabinets. It will be cabinets for us, we've "always" had this solution and it suits us well.

The master bedroom has a separate closet, that will be used as an mini-office for a few years, until one of the kids decides to leave home. I need to have a VPN connection to the hospital to see x-rays and EKGs without having to drive to work at night when my younger residents are on call. The closer it is to my bed, the better. On the other hand, I don't want to work in my bedroom... Then the office will be turned into a closet and one of the smaller bedrooms into an office/library.

We're starting to build in June, and hope to have a roof and windows before it starts snowing in october. After that the inside work will happen at a slower pace and we hope to move in during the next summer or so.

Lorenzo

Reply to
Lorenzo Sandini

$20k? Thats all? LOL To be fair, I don't know the market over there so I can't say much about improvement to the design. I do seem to recall the outside walls were rather thick, maybe 10-12" or so, not that there's anything wrong with that. You can grow lots of stuff on them big window sills. heh

Reply to
creative1986

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