There’s nothing better on a stinking hot Sydney day than the relief of a southerly buster.
Theres no better way to cool your house down fast than opening a window or even better opening a louvre window.
As a kid I remember lying in my hot Southwestern Sydney sweat box of a bedroom waiting for the roar in the trees of the southerly (pre aircon – of course). These days many dwellings are restricted to a 125mm opening to keep our children safe from falls but at what cost – no fresh air?
The louvre – the original ventilation hero was designed with maximum air flow in mind especially in the Northern part of Australia.
Not only do louvres evoke retro memories but their design has stood the test of time, as they say everything that’s old is new again. According to google.. louvres originated in the middle ages (approx. 1500 years ago). A wooden version erected into pitched roofs to increase circulation and remove smoke from internal fire places.
Here’s the real love story. A recent article from the Qld Courier Mail detailed;
The first patented moveable glass louvre window was invented by Proserpine, Cabinetmaker and sawmill owner Owen Herbert Gray. His grandson recalls that his grandfather made them for his wife Alice Edna, who couldn’t have her casement windows open when sawmill trucks passed by, through a narrow laneway.
“Grandfather said ‘I’ll fix that, I’ll make you a set of movable louvres’.”
His grandmother replied she didn’t want louvres as they would make the room dark.
“‘No,’ he said, ‘I’ll make them out of glass’,” said Eddie.
The Everlite louvre was patented in 1932 and business was underway.
Fast forward to 2024
Key benefits of glass louvre’s are simple:
- Improved ventilation
- Energy efficient
- Sleek aesthetic appeal
- Better natural light levels
- Great privacy and security
- Easy to maintain
Here’s what I know and love about my favourite brand Australia’s own Breezeway louvre windows:
- They let in an abundance of fresh air opening almost fully horizontal to 87%
- They look fabulous! Especially in glass (Yes they are available in timber and aluminium too)
- Easily customisable with colour frame, handle design, glass type including decorative, coloured, energy efficient (for maximum solar control in the heat of the day when in closed position).
- New in 2023 double glazed solution which won 2023 Design Award at the national industry AGWA conference.
- Automation available with the Power Louvre product for the hard-to-reach places.
- Installed to the manufacturer specifications, by trained installers they won’t leak.
- All Breezeway louvre window systems complete with glazing come with a design certification detailing the wind pressure and water penetration resistance.
- Yes, with some effort you can remove a blade or two (I have been asked many times how secure they are!).
- Extra security, can be achieved with:
- Key locks
- Breezeway Stronghold product design which mechanically fixes frame to glass
- Window security mesh
- Security bars
- The Stronghold system has been tested to allow for wider spans in some locations.
- Screening is available in security or standard insect mesh. To maximise the opening the blade height can be reduced to 102mm, in this scenario you will need to keep in mind that this may compromise the maximum width of your window.
- YES you need to be have conducted Breezeway’s specific training to be accredited to install the Stronghold or Power louvre products – which of course team Greater Glass is!
- Acoustic testing has been conducted so if noise is a problem the data is available.
- Bushfire zone – no problem there is a range to suit the needs of homes needing to comply with bush fire attack levels.
- Protection of Openable Windows/Fall Prevention can be achieved through a combination of the Stronghold system, blade restrictors and or a compliant window screen. The outcome of this design needs to ensure that the assembly will not permit a 125mm sphere to pass through it and resist a horizontal outward force of 250N.
- All Breezeway Altair Louvre windows are tested to meet the mandatory minimum specifications to AS2047 (including AS1288) as required by National Construction Code.
We LOVE louvres so if you’re thinking about loving them too, get in touch with our team.