ᐅ Two external blinds or fingerprint scanners – which would you choose?

ludwig88sta schrieb:

I believe that for blinds and venetian shutters there is always a setting where both let in the same amount of light.

Opinions are not something to argue about, so I’ll leave that to you. The difference is simply that the slats of venetian shutters are positioned more or less horizontally, casting a shadow on the slat below. This allows the slats to create a patterned shadow without fully closing off the area to view. In this way, direct sunlight is blocked while reflected light can still enter. Roller shutters have vertical slats that cannot shade each other.

ludwig88sta schrieb:

*Edit: a permanent canopy always blocks some sunlight. This means that during transitional seasons, when you could save on heating, your house also warms up less.

That's true. The canopy can be designed with an overhang so that in summer, when the sun is high, the light is kept outside, while during transitional seasons, when the sun is lower, the light reaches inside. We applied this on the south side with the roof overhang. In summer, direct sunlight only penetrates a few centimeters into the living room, but in winter, it reaches about 5m (16 feet) deep. A great effect achieved with a simple construction solution.

hampshire schrieb:

This way, direct sunlight stays out, but reflected light can enter. Roller shutters have vertical slats that cannot shade each other.

That’s true. It’s the reflected light that keeps the room brighter with Venetian blinds than with roller shutters.

@ludwig88sta There is a huge difference between venetian blinds and roller blinds.
With roller blinds, it’s either dark or hot. Venetian blinds allow for light and keep it cool—there really is no comparison.
Shading under the canopy can also be done flexibly with an awning. But depending on the sun’s position, even that doesn’t block all the heat.

apokolok schrieb:

@ludwig88sta There’s a huge difference between venetian blinds and roller blinds.
With roller blinds, it’s either dark or hot. Venetian blinds allow light while keeping it cool, really no comparison.
Shade on the porch can also be controlled flexibly with an awning. But depending on the sun’s position, awnings don’t keep out all the heat either.

Hmm, maybe we should finally get used to venetian blinds!? Perhaps it’s possible to customize the color so they don’t remind me so much of an office feel?

*Edit: Since there seem to be quite a few venetian blind fans here, do any of you also use additional roller blinds at night for insulation? Or is it more like accepting one downside: we prefer the heat insulation benefits – obviously, at night more heat escapes compared to a house with only roller blinds.

You definitely need venetian blinds if you have a lot of windows or no other shading solutions planned. However, you usually only need them on the south-facing living/dining room area. It’s common to see roller blinds used on the upper floors.

Venetian blinds are often marketed as a cure-all, but I’ve had some and was only moderately satisfied for the following reasons:

- They get dirty very quickly and are difficult to clean
- I don’t particularly like the look
- They are significantly more expensive than roller blinds
- They are almost always left down because they move up and down very slowly (watch for yourself—people are too lazy to raise and lower them frequently, even in winter)

Roller blinds, shutters, and similar options also have their downsides. Venetian blinds are often a good compromise. However, it’s better if your architect plans the house and the necessary shading from the start. This can include sun sails, canopies, house orientation, and of course, the best natural shading is provided by trees!