Dominica Blind Proving a Hit With Self-Builders

Large expanses of glazing in the guise of sliding / bi–folding doors along with rooflights, continue to remain popular in self build projects and will continue to do so thanks to the endless feeling of open space, along with natural light and free solar gain in the Winter. However, with the warm Summers of late and a warming climate and now coupled with Part 0 of the building regulations (which came into effect on 15th June) which dictates that shading of some description is required on new build projects (if large expanses of glazing are to remain) attention is being turned to ensuring solutions are installed to prevent overheating and that’s why our latest innovative shading solution launched in March this year – the Dominica External Blind, is proving so popular.One of the key details with the majority of self build projects is the clean, sleek lines of the façade. The Dominica Blind was developed specifically for these projects, as it is designed, at construction stage to be integrated within the façade, so when not in use, the blind is unobtrusive, built within a pocket inside the building fabric and when deployed, as if appearing from out of nowhere the fabric extends protecting the glass from the outside, absorbing and deflecting the suns infra-red heat rays to prevent overheating, ensuring the indoor space remains cool.  

Its slim profiles require the smallest of recesses to slot the blind within and a simple mounting, with the headbox supported via the side guides means the blind is effortlessly installed, making it the most cost effective shading solution for self builders to install to prevent overheating (as required by Part 0). Ziplock technology^TM concealed within the side guides, seals the fabric in place at every place rendering the blind windproof and as an additional benefit acting as an insect screen. TEXgard impregnated fabrics generate a self clean effect to ensure the shading solution keeps a clean, visual appearance whilst solution dyed acrylic fibres won’t fade and are warp, stretch and tear resistant. The extruded aluminium framework is corrosion resistant and can be finished to any RAL colour to compliment the façade / windows & doors, whilst convenient motorised operation, through radio remote control is both effortless and requires the minimal of wiring.  

The Facts (Eco Credentials): 

• When selecting a dimout fabric (where the view through the fabric is maintained) upto 95% heat block (g-value 0.05¹) can be achieved 
• When selecting a blockout fabric (ideal for bedrooms where no view through is needed) upto 97% block (g-value 0.03¹) 

To put this into perspective, a double low-e glazing unit admits (transmits) 59% of solar heat (g-value 0.59), whilst even a high performance triple glazed unit admits 40% of solar heat (g-value 0.40). 

In real terms the Dominica external blind can reduce interior room temperatures by upto 18 degrees centigrade2 and can reduce the energy consumption otherwise needed to cool down a hot room by over 80%³. 

The benefits don’t stop there though…

During the Winter months thanks to the ziplock technology^TM which seals the fabric within the side guides, air is trapped between the glazing and fabric, providing an extra layer of insulation to the glass, helping to slow heat loss and therefore improve the U value of the glazing by on average 18%.  

The best performance comes when combining the Dominica Blind with Double Low-E Glazing, which in turn saves the self builder money on the cost of glazing (double glazing instead of triple glazing). In fact this saving can in turn offset the cost of adding external shading. This combination allows a high heat transmission in the Winter to warm the building – on average 59% heat through and a heat block upto 97% in the Summer ensuring buildings don’t overheat. In the Winter when the building has reached the desired temperature the blind is deployed to help retain heat (slow heat loss) and in the Summer in the evening the blind is retracted to allow internal heat build up to ventilate (escape) overnight.  

All in all this results in a thermally and visually comfortable space all year round, with minimal demand on any installed heating and cooling systems. A blind system that saves energy, in turn saving money on spiralling energy costs and carbon emissions that are polluting our planet.  

Find out more about the shading benefits of our innovative external blind systems in our Shading Guide or alternatively if you have a live project, contact one of our knowledgeable team on 0344 800 1947 to discuss your requirements and the best solution(s) for your application. 

_{1. Performance data is purely indicative and has been calculated according to EN 13363-1 with double glazed unit: U = 1.2 | g = 0.59.} 

_{2. Source: BBSA} 

_{3. Source: Sattler AG}