A louvre — in Dutch a jaloezie — is a sunshade or window covering made of a row of adjustable, usually horizontal slats. By tilting the slats you decide how much light and heat enters, without fully blocking the view or ventilation. The word comes from the French jalousie (jealousy): you could look out through the gap without being seen yourself.
Types
- Interior blind (venetian blind) — horizontal slats of aluminium, wood or plastic hung inside the window, tilted and raised with a cord or wand
- Exterior louvre / lamella screen — heavier, weatherproof slats in front of the facade; they stop the heat before it reaches the glass and so protect better against overheating
- Louvre window (jalousie window) — a window with tilting glass or timber slats in the frame itself, giving shading and ventilation at once
Application
Louvres suit any spot where you want to fine-tune the light: offices, bathrooms, kitchens and workspaces. Against overheating an exterior louvre works best, because the sun is stopped before the glass.
Points to note
- Allow enough depth in the window reveal so the slats run freely
- Fix the head rail level, so the slats tilt and lift evenly
Related terms
- Window frame
- Facade
- Sun shading
- Architecture
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