This blog is all about the free area with your property’s louvers from Hercules Custom Louvers.
Finding the best balance between energy usage and airflow is crucial for creating a robust HVAC and exhaust unit, and that is where custom louvers will play a role. No building outside is complete without them, but it is very wise to know that the way they are made and installed will dictate how well they work. Read on to learn about the free area with your property’s louvers from Hercules Custom Louvers.
What is a Free Area, and What Is Its Role?
The free area is known as the set minimum area where air can go through a louver. It is essentially the total opening area that is unobstructed by blades and frames. Typically higher free area will mean enhanced and improved total airflow, but it also allows for better penetration of rainwater or debris.
How to Correctly Calculate Your Free Area
To help calculate the free area, take the total open area by removing obstructions, the blade, and the frame out of the equation, and then divide the figure by the overall opening of your wall. This will give you a set comparison of the louver openings to the wall openings. Free areas are typically around 35 to 40 percent of a wall opening. Typically, a bigger percentage is better since a lot more air could enter through a smaller wall opening, potentially reducing the amount of overall costs. However, this must be balanced against a water penetration that a higher free area can bring too. A well-designed louver set will help maximize the free space while minimizing water penetration as well.
How Louver Factors Impact the Free Space Performance
It is quite important for you to remember that free areas all differ by size, shape, screens, and the louver model too. These different factors could severely impact the free space you get, so make sure you’re considering each factor while picking the louvers for your building. A louver that is about four feet wide by eight feet tall may not have the exact same free area as another louver that is eight feet wide by about four feet high. Every louver model has different kinds of blade shapes and spaces so that they can carry the free space for the size of the louver. If you would like to learn about free space measurements before your next louver installation, the professional crew from Hercules Custom Louvers is more than happy to tell you!
QUALITY LOUVERS FROM HERCULES CUSTOM LOUVERS
When you are ready for quality louvers, the professionals at Hercules Custom Louvers are ready to help. For more information and to learn how we can meet your custom louver needs, contact Hercules Custom Louvers online or giving us a call at 1-800-331-2590. We will ensure your investment serves your property for years to come! For updates and to see projects we’re working on, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.