ᐅ Exterior Blind Housing - Request for Tips

We have basically finished the planning phase. The building permit application has been submitted. Now we are moving into the details.

We started with the windows and have reached a standstill. I hope you, and especially you @11ant, can help us.

It concerns our floor-to-ceiling aluminum windows in the open-plan living area. Both are designed as lift-and-slide windows. Clear ceiling height is 270cm (106 inches), window height 240cm (94 inches). We don’t want a corner window—the structural engineering would be too complicated. It has been agreed with the structural engineer that a 24x24cm (9.5x9.5 inches) concrete support column plus insulation will be placed in the corner. (The picture still shows a longer masonry wall, but this will be changed.)

Which solution should we choose for the roller shutter boxes?

a) Flush-mounted box matching the masonry made from Poroton. The problem here is the lack of a bearing surface on the side of the concrete support column.
b) Flush-mounted box made of EPS (36.5cm (14 inches), width fitting the brick), installed flush with the window, meaning it does not require a bearing surface.
c) Increase the window frame depth by 30cm (12 inches) and use a 15cm (6 inches) wide metal roller shutter box. This could be ordered either flush-mounted or façade-flush with a visible metal cover.
d) Instead of increasing the window frame, install an approximately 18cm (7 inches) wide lintel consisting of 3.5cm (1.4 inches) EPS plus a 15cm (6 inches) metal roller shutter box.
...

Of course, we would prefer floor-to-ceiling windows in the open-plan room at 270cm (106 inches) height. Aside from the additional costs now... the only solution I could still consider would be surface-mounted (external) roller shutters. What do you think about that? In front of the windows is an undeveloped southwest-facing side with a large field/orchard meadow. How do surface-mounted roller shutters behave in the wind?

Do you perhaps have another solution?
@11ant – what is your opinion as a professional?

What you are looking for is a mounting box. You probably described it in variant B.

A full-height window with a roller shutter housing will not work in solid masonry, except as a surface-mounted installation.

The issue with lift-and-slide doors is the relatively large frame proportion. So, you lose quite a bit from the window height (make sure to get profile cross-sections!). However, 2.4m (7 ft 10 in) is generous and should be sufficient. Our height is 2.25m (7 ft 5 in) – and I would appreciate every extra centimeter. Floor-to-ceiling would be too complicated and is unnecessary at 2.4m (7 ft 10 in).

guckuck2 schrieb:

Floor-to-ceiling window with drapery won’t work in monolithic masonry, except surface-mounted

Yes, I suspect so too. A high-end solution might be possible, but it’s not necessary.

I know 240cm (94 inches) is already tall enough. The question is which box system is best. I often see discoloration or moss growth around the box area, so obviously there is some thermal bridging (in this case a surface-mounted solution would probably be better).
How should I best fill the 30cm (12 inches) above the window then?

Or a curtain wall façade. You can fit it in there as well. :p

rick2018 schrieb:

Or a curtain wall. You can fit it in that way, too. :p

Don’t be cheeky... 😉
I want to treat myself to a bit of “luxury” here as cost-effectively as possible (see: larger windows), and you come at me with a curtain wall... 😎