Windows open your home to views and light, provide natural ventilation and offer protection from the elements so it’s important to consider their placement and functionality.
Take advantage of surrounding views, maximise the flow of ventilation, ensure energy efficiency, provide safety and security to building occupants, while being strong and durable to stand the test of time.
Whilst there are lots of factors to consider, Breezway are here to make the design process easy. With over three generations of louvre window experience, our Design Assist Team can provide all the best louvre solutions to your needs.
Australia’s Varied Climate Zones
The first consideration for assessing housing energy efficiency and the materials best suited to the project is the climate zone the building site it sits within. Each climate zone will have different performance thresholds. The National Construction Code (NCC) divides Australia into eight different climate zones, with Climate Zones 1, 2 and 3 being the warmest regions (Hot Summers and Mild/Warm Winters) where the focus will be on materials that reduce solar heat gain.
In contrast, Climate Zone 6, 7 and 8 are typically cold alpine areas (Warm Summers and Cold Winters) where increasing solar heat gain will be important.
Climate Zones 4 and 5 are the most prevalent regions geographically, however each zone will have different solar heat gain requirements and allowances for windows on different orientations of the building based on summer and winter sun aspects.
Altair® Louvre Window Frame Options
Window framing plays a major role in the thermal performance of glazing assemblies. External windows require frames that are durable, strong and weather resistant. Some considerations include aluminium, timber, uPVC, or thermally broken frames to improve energy efficiency. With the recent move to 7-stars for most territories, certain frame materials will potentially be unsuitable for use, particularly in southern states. As it stands the least thermally efficient framing material is aluminium, and the most efficient is timber.
Aluminium Framing
Aluminium is a popular choice for framing in residential and commercial buildings. Breezway offers three framing options, all fully assembled in our local factory in Brisbane, Queensland. Options include:
Easyscreen™ Window System – Ideal for applications that require screening to the outside of the window.
Innoscreen® Window System – Provision for screening to the inside of the window maintaining the ‘louvre look’ to the outside of the window.
SL2® Window System – For narrow frame applications where screening is not required.
Our network of highly qualified fabricators offer aluminium framing systems where our Altair Louvre Componentry can be installed into so all window and door frames can be matched within a project.
Anodised or Powder Coated
Aluminium can be made available as an andosied frame or powder coated in almost any colour the heart desires, including high performance coatings for applications in more severe conditions. This material does not require regular repainting, making it a low maintenance and more durable choice over other frame types. Metal is also reusable and can be recycled.
It is important to note that aluminium conducts heat and cold efficiently, which means it is not a good insulator – i.e. aluminium conducts 1,000 times the amount of heat as timber. Those with thermal breaks provide better energy efficiency to keep the home cooler in summer and warmer in winter, or generally simply performs better in more severe climate zones.
Thermally Broken Framing
Thermally broken aluminium framing typically uses uPVC or polyamide sections between the aluminium to act as a thermal barrier to the internal sections of aluminium. There is movement towards this framing option within the Australian window industry at present.
Timber Framing
Timber is an aesthetically pleasing building material that can be painted or stained in any colour.
uPVC Framing
uPVC while comparable to timber in thermal performance, is not suitable for mid-to high bushfire levels and may require steel inserts in higher wind regions to add strength. It is a naturally warm, durable and easily cleaned material. It is good at providing insulation and reduces the risk of condensation forming. However it is more commonly used throughout Europe and North America.
Altair® Louvre Window Blade Types
Windows play a crucial role in how your home looks and feels. Selecting the right blade type can also impact on the energy performance of the louvres and affect the internal comfort levels within the home (i.e. u-values and solar heat gain coefficient).
Clear glass (i.e. monolithic untreated glass) is great for optimising views but can allow heat to be easily transferred inside the home. This can be reduced for warmer climates by introducing tinted glass.
Low e glass has a very thin layer of silver applied to one side which reduces the rate of which heat (or cold) passes through the glass (i.e. Low E glass can help keep the heat outside during summer and retain internal heat during winter). Ideal for bigger windows where heating or cooling costs can be reduced.
Tinted glass offers the benefits of thermal control and lower visible light transmission for greater privacy than clear glass.
Obscure glass is another great option for allowing lower light transmission and privacy for areas like bathrooms or internal windows.
Double glazing (i.e. The IGLU® System) is the latest release from Breezway where each blade comprises of two layers of 5mm low e glass with 12mm argon gas filler. This option further improves u-values.
By ordering your louvre blades from Breezway you can rest assured these will be accurately measured to fit your Breezway framing system of choice.
Hot Tip: The cost vs energy efficiency of each blade type should also be carefully considered for each project.
Colour Options for your Altair® Louvre Window Materials
Windows will absorb more heat the darker they are. NatHERS ratings show that adjusting the colour of the frame to suit the site can be a no-cost approach to improving performance and allowing for larger window assemblies. Dark frame colours more costly in QLD. Match the wall, roof and window frame to suit the climate and get a free 0.3 stars.
Book a meeting today to see product samples and learn about the full range of customising options available to suit your project and the latest NCC updates.
No project is too big or too small. We are here to help!
Contact our Design Assist Team through the chat box on our website, call 07 3847 0500 or email designassist@breezway.com.au
