Hello everyone,
our roller shutters let in an extreme amount of light at the bottom left and right corners, causing the entire shutter to be illuminated. This is very disturbing, especially in the bedroom and children’s room. The pictures show the roller shutters fully closed, yet the light only comes through the bottom corners.
Someone from the company took another look (only from the outside, they did not check from inside) and said this is how it’s supposed to be. I have never experienced such light penetration in any apartment before, so I find this quite strange. Here is the response we received by email afterwards:
Depending on the type of roller shutter and the guide rail construction, more or less light can enter here. The roller shutter type and guide rail construction were requested by us as specified in the scope of work, and we offered and finally installed exactly this construction.
According to the RAL guidelines, the roller shutter guide rail must not align flush with the window drip edge; there must be at least 8 mm (0.3 inches) of space, less is not permitted, and we have achieved these 8 mm (0.3 inches) in your case.
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Of course, our service contract from the architectural firm did not state that the shutters should let in as much light as if there were no shutter. I would not understand why such constructions should even exist either.
My questions now are:
How is it with you? Do you experience this kind of brightness? How do your corners look? Would you say this is normal?
our roller shutters let in an extreme amount of light at the bottom left and right corners, causing the entire shutter to be illuminated. This is very disturbing, especially in the bedroom and children’s room. The pictures show the roller shutters fully closed, yet the light only comes through the bottom corners.
Someone from the company took another look (only from the outside, they did not check from inside) and said this is how it’s supposed to be. I have never experienced such light penetration in any apartment before, so I find this quite strange. Here is the response we received by email afterwards:
Depending on the type of roller shutter and the guide rail construction, more or less light can enter here. The roller shutter type and guide rail construction were requested by us as specified in the scope of work, and we offered and finally installed exactly this construction.
According to the RAL guidelines, the roller shutter guide rail must not align flush with the window drip edge; there must be at least 8 mm (0.3 inches) of space, less is not permitted, and we have achieved these 8 mm (0.3 inches) in your case.
---
Of course, our service contract from the architectural firm did not state that the shutters should let in as much light as if there were no shutter. I would not understand why such constructions should even exist either.
My questions now are:
How is it with you? Do you experience this kind of brightness? How do your corners look? Would you say this is normal?
J
Jesse Custer21 Jun 2024 09:37Addendum regarding the 8 mm (0.3 inch):
Is that the distance between the guide rail and the window sill surface, or between the last slat and the outer edge?
Because while I think the downward distance is completely fine, I’m a bit concerned about the rather large horizontal gap on the left side in your last picture... the “measuring” there was probably more like “messing up”...
And again about the “guiding up to the window sill” situation: I see a significantly higher effort required for cleaning... I’m glad this is not the case for us—otherwise, there would probably already be a flower bed in that corner behind it...
Is that the distance between the guide rail and the window sill surface, or between the last slat and the outer edge?
Because while I think the downward distance is completely fine, I’m a bit concerned about the rather large horizontal gap on the left side in your last picture... the “measuring” there was probably more like “messing up”...
And again about the “guiding up to the window sill” situation: I see a significantly higher effort required for cleaning... I’m glad this is not the case for us—otherwise, there would probably already be a flower bed in that corner behind it...
B
Buchsbaum06621 Jun 2024 09:38Yes, the picture seems to have been a bit misleading.
I don’t quite understand the purpose of the short track. But now it can’t be changed anymore. The roller shutter installer will probably try to justify it since he measured the tracks too short. What else could he say?
I couldn’t quickly find anything about the 8mm (0.3 inch) gap. He probably made that up. It’s nonsense. There is no such guideline. The track must rest on the windowsill with the plastic end piece.
In the measurement instructions for the side guide rails from an online supplier, it clearly states: clear window dimension plus 5 cm (2 inches).
I don’t quite understand the purpose of the short track. But now it can’t be changed anymore. The roller shutter installer will probably try to justify it since he measured the tracks too short. What else could he say?
I couldn’t quickly find anything about the 8mm (0.3 inch) gap. He probably made that up. It’s nonsense. There is no such guideline. The track must rest on the windowsill with the plastic end piece.
In the measurement instructions for the side guide rails from an online supplier, it clearly states: clear window dimension plus 5 cm (2 inches).
H
Hausbau1221 Jun 2024 09:49It’s great that you wouldn’t even notice because you don’t close the blinds. I’m really happy for you. It’s irrelevant in my case, but it still makes me very glad.
I definitely notice when my roller shutter is illuminated from the bottom along its entire height. By the way, my two-year-old notices it too. Every morning, when the sun is shining. Two hours before we would like to wake up.
Since I have lived in five apartments / semi-detached houses where this was not the case, I’m allowed to have some doubts about your “it’s fine” statement.
Our guide rail is not 8mm (0.3 inches) away from the windowsill, but 2cm (0.8 inches).
I definitely notice when my roller shutter is illuminated from the bottom along its entire height. By the way, my two-year-old notices it too. Every morning, when the sun is shining. Two hours before we would like to wake up.
Since I have lived in five apartments / semi-detached houses where this was not the case, I’m allowed to have some doubts about your “it’s fine” statement.
Our guide rail is not 8mm (0.3 inches) away from the windowsill, but 2cm (0.8 inches).
N
nordanney21 Jun 2024 11:16No technical defects, everything was done cleanly. The fact that some light comes through is just how it is. In my opinion, this will not lead to any enforceable corrections.
P.S. It looks similar at my place, and from my experience at work, this is considered "correct."
P.S. 2 It would even have been acceptable if the roller shutter slats had not been notched out at all, but if the entire shutter ended on the window sill end pieces. That is also permitted.
P.S. It looks similar at my place, and from my experience at work, this is considered "correct."
P.S. 2 It would even have been acceptable if the roller shutter slats had not been notched out at all, but if the entire shutter ended on the window sill end pieces. That is also permitted.
J
Jesse Custer21 Jun 2024 11:16@Hausbau12 You are free to doubt as much as you like – and I will do everything to ensure that this remains so in the future, because this is a free country.
Nevertheless,
- the question of where the "at least 8 mm (0.3 inches)" comes from (I also have not found any reference) remains unresolved
- in my view, it is not certain that you won’t still get light coming in with a lower strip that really slopes downward, especially given the quite variable width of the bottom rail.
Nevertheless,
- the question of where the "at least 8 mm (0.3 inches)" comes from (I also have not found any reference) remains unresolved
- in my view, it is not certain that you won’t still get light coming in with a lower strip that really slopes downward, especially given the quite variable width of the bottom rail.
H
Hausbau1221 Jun 2024 11:29@Jesse Custer meanwhile, I have found several articles and guidelines that suggest a maximum of around 8mm (0.3 inches). Of course, I’m not familiar with the regulations and don’t know who exactly they apply to. I’ve been googling through everything for ages and am slowly getting smarter. One is mainly for Baden-Württemberg and probably Austria. We are in Bavaria. For example, there is also a Technical Guideline 121 for roller shutters. In the section "Distance to the Window Sill" it says: "Unless otherwise agreed, this distance up to a dimension of 8 mm (0.3 inches) is considered proper and does not justify a complaint." But of course, I have no idea if that applies to us.
Conveniently, the representative from the window company left out any mention of a maximum value (if it even exists for us).
I also don’t think this would completely solve the problem, but I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t make things worse. If that semi-transparent finishing strip were anthracite (like on all our neighbors’ houses), then maybe the world (or at least the bedroom) would look a little better or, well, darker.
@nordanney so you also don’t know of any maximum allowed gap between the guide rail and the window sill?
Conveniently, the representative from the window company left out any mention of a maximum value (if it even exists for us).
I also don’t think this would completely solve the problem, but I’m fairly certain it wouldn’t make things worse. If that semi-transparent finishing strip were anthracite (like on all our neighbors’ houses), then maybe the world (or at least the bedroom) would look a little better or, well, darker.
@nordanney so you also don’t know of any maximum allowed gap between the guide rail and the window sill?
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