External Venetian Blinds - Frequently Asked Questions

External Venetian Blinds are an outdoor shading solution with tilting and retracting aluminium or cedar slats, fitted over vertical glazing. Blinds can be manually tilted/retracted or can move automatically according to environmental variables such as sun angle, sun intensity, wind, rain, temperature (inside and out) and several other factors. Slat profiles have been developed to meet a multitude of performance characteristics such as wind stability, light blocking, privacy and minimal disruption to the view out. Speak to us about the slat options that best match your needs.

External blinds have three main benefits over other common external shading systems:

• Reduced artificial heating and cooling: Slats stop UV light before it reaches the glass, which prevents internal heat gain and decreases the need for artificial cooling.  In cooler months, External Venetian Blinds trap a layer of air between the slats and the glass, which acts as insulator and reduces heat loss through glass. This insulating effect reduces the energy needed to maintain the internal temperature and therefore reduces heating costs.
• Abundant natural light without glare: The tilting action of the slats eliminates glare but allows the maximum amount of natural light to enter. This provides both a healthy and comfortable internal environment and can reduce the need for articial lighting. When there is no direct sun, the slats can be tilted to the open position or the blinds can be completely retracted for unrestricted natural light and view.
• Privacy: Slats can be tilted manually or according to a program, and can provide excellent privacy.

The cost of Warema External Venetian Blinds is a complex equation. External Venetian Blinds are sophisticated facade elements within the price region of other complex facade systems. External systems are typically at a higher price range than internal products, but they return the investment in energy savings.

When evaluating different External Venetian Blind options, the differences can seem minor but they have a substantial impact on the continual smooth operation and life of the blind. Warema has invested heavily in research and development over several decades, and the quality of every component is outstanding. We typically see at least 10 years of trouble-free operation from our customers, and usually a service is all that is required to keep them going for much longer.

Blinds are most commonly operated by a motor but may also be crank operated.  Warema External Venetian Blinds use very high quality motors as the blinds need to be reliable. Special motors are available for different applications such as quiet motors, high torque motors (large applications), slow turn motors and fast motors for use on emergency exits. 

Blinds can be operated by wall switches, remote controls, phone App via WiFi or by using a more advanced integrated control system with sensors. They can be linked to most home automation systems.  Read more about our control systems here.

The maximum height and width available vary with blind types and the installed location. Standard rolled edge and flat edge slat blinds can be ordered up to 5.5m wide with a max area per of approx. 20sqm per blind or linked set of blinds.

Yes.  Warema provides a range of Asymmetric blinds that can be fitted to odd shaped windows such as triangular gable ends. While the tilting action of these blinds is the same as regularly shaped blinds, a unique telescoping base rail allows the blinds to retract even though the two sides are of unequal height.  Read more about Asymmetric External Venetian Blinds here.

All of Warema External Venetian Blinds are available in a large array of colours and finishes.  To find out more, see Slat Colour Options.

We are asked about the stacking depth of the blinds regularly because designers want to know the height of the pelmet (if used) or the depth of the recess that needs to be built in to the soffit. To make this easy we have developed a spreadsheet calculator that can be downloaded here.

For all information about product cleaning and care, including downloadable instructions, please click here.  As an additional service, we offer professional cleaning and maintenance checks for our Warema external venetian blinds range.