Where can roller shutters be dispensed with?

Hello everyone,

we are currently in the construction planning phase with our architect and are working on the details for the shell construction.

We are currently dealing with the window question.
Roller shutters are desired, yes. Also electric ones. But do you really need roller shutters everywhere?
Where did you do without them and do you find that good or afterwards rather bad?

In all bedrooms and living rooms, electric roller shutters are planned. In the dining area possibly Venetian blinds [Raffstores] (south and west doors).

The following rooms/windows still have a big question mark:

• Pantry (east window) - currently with roller shutter for thermal insulation?
• Living room (light strip on the west side) - currently with roller shutter because of evening sun (TV)?
• Utility room/technical room (terrace door on the north side) - burglar protection?
• Guest WC (north side) - ground floor burglar protection?

• Upstairs hallway (almost floor-to-ceiling window on the east side) - currently roller shutter planned for thermal insulation
• Upstairs bathroom (light strip east side and window north side) - currently planned without roller shutter
• Attic bathroom (small east window and roof window north side) - currently planned without roller shutter.

Is it worth it in terms of price / living comfort to do without these roller shutters? Or rather which ones are necessary?

Thanks in advance.

milkie

So quite simple: For thermal insulation, the roller shutter is hardly relevant. For thermal protection, however, it is important! As a burglar protection, it is rather uninteresting again – hardly any withstand a lever attack, and at least the plastic roller shutters don’t make that much noise.
Skylight: What roof pitch? <60°? Then definitely with roller shutter, even on the north side.
We have exactly 3 windows without roller shutters – 2 basement rooms that anyway only lead to the light shaft / ventilation shaft, as well as the stairwell on the north side. The window is positioned so that nobody can look in anyway, and only some light falls into the stairs. All other windows have either roller shutters or venetian blinds. Also the bathroom window on the north side – would be debatable if the bathroom did not also have a window to the east, and one window with, one window without roller shutter in the same room doesn’t work. Besides: bathroom at night, outside dark, inside bright, and then no blind – my girlfriend would strike!

Yes, I meant thermal insulation, of course. My mistake.

So you mean we can do without the north ground floor windows?

Bathroom and hallway on the upper floor will have blinds on the inside, so privacy would already be ensured. But yes, there are also east-facing windows. Maybe roller shutters here after all for thermal insulation? Even with triple glazing and U-value 0.6?

milkie

Hello everyone...

I have to tell you that I would never do without roller shutters anywhere (except for light wells in the basement). On the floor plan, it's always easy to say here and there to leave out a roller shutter, but does it really bring such a big saving if you now leave out 2 roller shutters? You should also consider that retrofitting is always more expensive and visually changes the whole thing.

Whatever you decide: For thermal insulation reasons, we have installed roller shutters on the patio doors, East (2 sqm), South (6 sqm), and West side (4 sqm). This is what the architect recommended. We have hardly used them for these reasons - and that despite what felt like the last 60 days of sunshine (we already had summer here in the north ). Twice in the south, half-closed, that’s it. Of course, the roller shutter on the south bedroom window was used more often - it just doesn’t work without it there. It has also stayed open more and more often in recent weeks as a privacy screen - because we created an awesome garden and want to be able to see it But if you want, you can… that is probably the main argument for roller shutters. And of course: the main window is sometimes closed because you can nicely look through the gravel path behind our property into the dining table. Our sofa is protected. Of course, there are people (seen in the neighborhood) whose windows are closed from 8 p.m.… even in this paradisiacal weather - to each their own. In the north, we have completely dispensed with them; upstairs we enjoy the brightness after getting up - in the dark season we did not miss them upstairs.

It may also depend on how close the neighbors are, right?
For us, it's only about the east and north. On the north side, we have 20m of garden until the back neighbors have another 10m of garden. Overlooked? Well, hardly. And as mentioned, a blind is planned for the bathroom anyway.
The east window in the bathroom (light strip) isn't visible anyway, and the hallway window will be fitted with a blind from the inside. Our main concern here is thermal insulation. The building plot next door is still undeveloped but is family-owned. It will eventually be built on by my sister-in-law.

For the utility room, it occurred to us to possibly install a side entrance door with a window, if it would lead to any savings. Then the shutter issue here would be settled anyway. Does it otherwise have any disadvantages?