What Is a Louver: Definition, Uses, and Types Explained
When it comes to building design, louvers are often an afterthought. Most people have a vision for what type of exterior they want and what material they’ll use.
However, louvers are an essential part of any building exterior—be it commercial or industrial—and they’re far from having no value or impact.
But what is a louver, exactly?
Let’s completely break down louvers, including their different types and uses.
What is a Louver? Here’s The Breakdown
Let’s start with the definition:
A Louver is a series of slanted pieces that control the sound, light, and airflow in a building, which typically covers plenums and other ventilation openings.
They are designed in such a way that is meant to facilitate the flow of fresh air and block out wind-driven rain, stormwater, insects, and even line of sight from passersby.
What Are the Uses of Louvers?
There are a variety of different uses of louvers. To name a few:
Create Privacy
Manage the humidity within a building
Protect the billing interior from moisture
Improve exterior building aesthetic
Create a flow of fresh air.
What Are Louvers Made Of?
When it comes to manufacturing, louvers can be made of a variety of materials, including aluminum, wood, glass, and, most commonly, metal.
Types of Louvers
There are also a number of different types of louvers.
Some louvers are designed for style and airflow, while others are created to protect buildings from water, sand, fire, smoke, or a combination of things.
However, there are a few main types of louvers that are commonly used by building owners worldwide, such as:
Standard Louvers
Standard louvers are stationary louvers that cannot have their slats moved or adjusted. They are not drainable, have no gutters, and are typically there to keep rainwater out of an open building They can also be found within HVAC openings as well as commercial or industrial windows where style and specific performance isn’t of the highest concern.
Adjustable Louvers
Adjustable louvers are louvers that can be closed tighter or opened wider. They are often electronically controlled and are great for those who want a wider level of adaptable control over their louvers.
During sunny days, they can be adjusted to let light in, whereas during rainy days they can be closed or left slightly open to reduce humidity. They can also be adjusted for privacy’s sake as well.
Architectural Louvers
Individuals looking for louvers that are on the outside of buildings are usually asking the same question:“what is a window louver?”
These types of louvers are also called architectural louvers, and they fit the definition pretty well.
These louvers are designed primarily with style in mind, because they are usually placed over the outside of larger windows to create shade and privacy indoors.
They may also feature other characteristics such as adjustability or drainability, but they are specifically designed with aesthetic beauty in mind.
Hidden Louvers
Many people don’t want their louvers to be seen at all. This is where hidden louvers come in.
They are designed to function as normal louvers but are made to blend in with the exterior facade of a building so that they are hardly noticeable—often appearing as just a stylistic aspect of the exterior design.
Drainable Louvers
The main con to all louvers is that when they deflect large amounts of water, they create a cascade effect where the water flows down the side of the building like a waterfall.
Unfortunately, water cascades down the front of every type of louver, and this creates an unsightly appearance, especially for larger buildings.
Drainable louvers, however, feature slats that catch the water and drain it towards built-in gutters, directing the water through an inner channel and back outside without creating such an obvious, problematic waterfall effect.
In addition, drainable louvers are often considered the most high-class form of louvers because they address every negative aspect of water drainage and nullify it, optimizing aesthetic and functional performance to the highest degree.
Acoustical Louvers
Acoustical louvers are another type of louver and are typically what people think of as wall louvers.
These louvers are designed primarily to block sound coming from inside of a building, such as the noise that comes from a room with generators buzzing and whirring.
Storm-Resistant Louvers
Storm-Resistant Louvers are made to resist storms with high volumes of wind and rain. They are made to minimize water intrusion and provide a high-volume intake as well as exhaust ventilation under the most severe weather circumstances.
Who Makes the Best Louvers? Air Renaissance by OSA!
If you want the highest quality louvers around, Aire Renaissance by OSA should be one of your first choices. We make elite drainable louvers in a variety of styles including architectural, standard, hidden, acoustical, and storm-resistant.
We even make sand-trap louvers to help you filter out large particles of dust from the air to help filter and maintain high-air quality.
Roof louvers, also known as equipment screens, are another one of our product offerings, and they’re used around sections of a building to block unsightly equipment such as A/C units, cooling towers, parking garages, and more.
Aire Renaissance by OSA is the Answer to Your Louver Needs
Aire Renaissance by OSA has chosen to specialize in louvers, and as such, we’ve cornered the market with highest quality louvers of all the types. We also work with world-class designers and specialists of all types to design each louver to offer the highest performance level possible.
With our specialization in top-of-the-line louver technology and proven track record of customer satisfaction, we make it hard to choose any other specialized louver company. Want to know why?