Louvered Doors: Varieties, Components, Installation And Operation Features

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

About roller shutters from shutters to roller shutters

Shutters-shutters on windows, screens made of thin slats and other blinds are a common sight in European interiors. But in our area, jalousie doors are still a curiosity, so it is worth getting to know them better. After all, such doors emphasize the beauty of any modern interior and never go out of fashion, they are almost like a little black dress from Chanel.

Content

• 1 Design of louvered doors

  • 1.1 Varieties of shutter doors

    • 1.1.1 Wooden louvered doors
    • 1.1.2 Blind doors made of painted MDF
    • 1.1.3 Plastic roller shutters
    • 1.1.4 Painted metal louver doors

• 2 Where are louvered doors used?

  • 2.1 Louvered doors for dressing room
  • 2.2 Louvered doors for technical rooms
  • 2.3 Interior shutter doors
  • 2.4 Photo gallery: louvered doors in the interior

• 3 Manufacturing of louvered doors

  • 3.1 Making classic wood shutter doors

    • 3.1.1 Video: an original way of making blind doors with your own hands (part 1)
    • 3.1.2 Video: assembly of the blind door of the original design (part 2)

• 4 Features of installation and operation of louvered doors

  • 4.1 Components for louvered doors

    • 4.1.1 Video: detailed instructions for installing hinged interior doors
    • 4.1.2 Video: Installing an Accordion Louver Door
    • 4.1.3 Video: Installation of a sliding interior door
  • 4.2 Care of louvered doors

  • 4.3 Repair and restoration of louvered doors

    4.3.1 Table: Problems and Remedies

  • 4.4 Reviews of louvered doors

Louver door design

Louvered doors got their name by analogy with window blinds, as they also consist of many strips of the same width. As in curtains, slats can occupy both horizontal and vertical positions.

Depending on the opening system, louvered doors are subdivided into:

• swing doors are essentially ordinary doors, in which the panels are replaced by a set of blinds; such doors are divided horizontally by a wide crossbar;

  

  Simple shutter doors do not draw attention to themselves and almost merge with the wall

• sliding - they consist of a strapping frame and internal filling from strips; they move to the sides of the doorway;

  

  Sliding shutter doors are especially suitable for access to the terrace

• accordions - vertical blinds, and the strips in them are interconnected by loops, and there is no frame-strapping;

  

  The accordion door allows efficient use of space, since the leaf of the open door remains in the opening and does not interfere with the passage

• roller shutters - blinds, which, when opened, rise and wrap around the base (like roller blinds).

  

  The blinds are so compact that when closed they completely hide in the upper box

These types of doors differ significantly in design, but they always retain a common feature - they consist of lamellas.

Varieties of blind doors

The appearance, convenience and durability of this type of door depends on the material used. Classic models are found in wood, plastic and metal. Roller shutters are made only of metal, and accordions are made of plastic. But each of the materials shows its merits if the doors from it are placed in the right place.

Wooden shutter doors

Wood is a traditional material, and experienced carpenters use it to make all sash designs. An analogue of paneled doors is constructed from wood using blinds. And the lamellas are attached either to a separate frame or to a common door trim.

Venetian blind with fixed slats suitable for wardrobe

Advantages of wooden shutter doors:

• natural natural material;
• designs fit well into any interior style;
• fresh air and warmth penetrates through closed doors;
• lightness of the design: it loads the hinges and door frame less, which contributes to their durability;
• it is easy to replace a broken lamella with a new one: the repair is invisible;
• wood is painted in different colors, both with preservation of the texture, and with its complete overlap;
• the ability to assemble a harmonious set: jalousie doors are also made for cabinets, pedestals, there are internal shutters for windows, screens.

Dark wood blinds look especially good in interiors with wood trim and furniture.

Disadvantages of wood louver door:

• wood is prone to shape changes, so a strong door is assembled with a wide horizontal lintel, which makes it more massive;
• lets in the smell, so placing it in the kitchen is a bad idea
• thin lamellas are afraid of high humidity and need careful treatment with oil or varnish;
• models with wide spaces between the louvres do not provide the proper level of privacy.

Wooden shutter doors will last a long time in a bedroom or nursery, but they are categorically unsuitable as entrance or for wet areas.

If you plan to use jalousie doors in the house, choose models with oil impregnation and good tinting, make sure there are no knots on the lamellas. It is better not to use pine doors in the nursery and hallway: dents appear on the soft wood. Give preference to hard varieties: ash, beech, walnut, oak.

Venetian blind doors in painted MDF

Painted MDF was developed as an inexpensive alternative to solid wood. It is safer than chipboard, since it contains fewer binders, and is more moisture resistant than wood (due to the impregnation of paraffin and lignin). MDF is produced in the form of flat slabs, so it is easy to cut it into parts of any shape.

This allows you to create analogues of wooden blinds doors, as well as come up with exclusive designs. Louvered doors with paneled inserts of wavy lamellas look attractive. It is not difficult to assemble round shutter doors of any diameter from painted MDF: from a door for a cat to a full-fledged front entrance.

The best option for jalousie doors in the bathroom is painted MDF

Painted MDF louvred doors do not twist from moisture, so they are installed in wet areas and in the kitchen. The material is tinted in any desired color, achieving an exact match with the furniture, floor or baseboard. The only drawback is that they are heavier than models made of thin wooden planks.

Plastic shutter doors

Both traditional shutter doors and "accordion" models with vertical slats are assembled from plastic. The horizontal version is distinguished by wide lamellas and the absence of a characteristic texture, but in expensive models it is imitated. The lamellas of plastic models are movable: unlike wooden ones, they are not glued into the grooves.

Plastic blinds can be safely used in the bathroom, and best of all - in the form of partitions and shutters

The main advantages of such plastic doors in comparison with wooden ones are complete moisture resistance and low price. Doors with horizontal blinds are suitable for framing a panoramic wall with access to a terrace. They will protect the room from prying eyes and will not suffer from rain themselves. Their main drawback is a shorter service life and a tendency to yellowness in white models made of low-quality plastic.

Plastic jalousie doors can adequately decorate the front entrance to the living room

A popular version of plastic doors is an accordion made of vertical slats. Its strips are thin, and it is difficult to make an accordion out of wood (especially with glass inserts), so a light polymer is used for it. Folding doors make it possible to fully use the space of small rooms.

The main disadvantage of the "accordion" is the multitude of joints and the fragility of the plastic. Over time, such a door becomes flimsy, warps and loses fragments. It is advisable to install plastic blinds in rarely used rooms: utility rooms, utility rooms, technical rooms. When buying these doors, make sure the slats are not too thin and move smoothly.

Doors-blinds of the "accordion" design are even made of glass, but the panels will be wider than plastic or wood

In rare cases, the accordion door is made of hardboard or tempered glass. If your interior is supposed to have a special door, be sure to consider the option with transparent or matte lamellas.

Painted metal shutter doors

Metal shutter doors are not used in the interior of an apartment, but are found in summer cottages, garages or country houses, where high windows are to the floor. The main purpose of roller shutters is protection, noise and heat insulation of the room, therefore they are installed outside the building and only in tandem with a regular door, most often with a glass unit. This type of entry is popular in shops and shopping centers.

The design of metal roller shutter doors allows them to quickly roll up, giving access to the main door

Jalousie doors made of painted metal are made in the form of hinged leaves. Thanks to painting, they resemble wooden blinds, they are not afraid of moisture, durable and strong. But they are not installed as interroom because of the large weight, which requires reinforced hinges and a corresponding door frame.

Reliable protective metal shutter doors look more solid than conventional roller shutters

In the interior of the industrial design style, such metal doors can become a real highlight. But traditionally they are installed outside.

Where are louvered doors used?

Since shutter doors are made from fundamentally different materials, their scope is wide. They are appropriate both in a public technical building and in a stylish home interior. The main thing is to use the advantages of jalousie doors: light and air permeability, lightness and non-standard design.

Louvered doors for dressing room

Things are stored in the dressing room, so they provide it with good ventilation so that an unpleasant smell does not appear there, and moths do not start.

Folding shutter doors will help to create a dressing room in a wall niche without taking up a lot of space when opening

Dressing room (or a voluminous built-in wardrobe) is a private area, and they try to make the door to it invisible. Venetian blinds made of wood are painted using an inexpensive spray gun. Pick the same paint as the walls to get the exact color you want.

Wooden shutter doors are selected for the dressing room: from pine or other budget wood. Since they are used 2-3 times a day, such structures will last longer.

Louvered doors for technical rooms

A pantry for storing inventory, a boiler room, a utility room, a laundry room, and the like remain closed almost 99% of the time. Therefore, jalousie doors are ideal for them: they will provide ventilation and give an influx of heat to unheated rooms. And in boiler rooms, they also increase the safety of residents of the house, not allowing gas to accumulate in the room.

Louvered doors of dark color look monolithic, but at the same time they provide excellent ventilation of the room

Plastic shutters are suitable for technical rooms. This material is non-flammable (important for a boiler room), easy to clean, not afraid of moisture (evaporation from wet rags and sponges can damage wooden lamellas, but not plastic ones). With rare use, such doors will last for many years.

Interior blind doors

Living rooms are equipped with wooden shutter doors or painted MDF models. These materials are easier to remake in the desired color, they become unobtrusive and style-forming elements of the interior. Durable and shock-resistant, they will withstand intensive operation without harm.

Louvered doors from floor to ceiling are a great option for a mobile partition in a studio apartment

Louvered doors are also made in the form of a sliding screen and serve to visually divide the space into functional zones.

Louvered doors allow sounds and smells through. Therefore, if privacy is important, then in the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom, install blank canvases or with glass inserts with striped matting. For the rest of the rooms, you can choose doors of a similar design.

Photo gallery: jalousie doors in the interior

White jalousie doors fit perfectly into the interior with a touch of American classics

Due to the low weight of the canvases, the shuttered doors are durable

Louvered doors can turn into wall panels

Unlike conventional louvered doors, this model has lamellas not at an angle, but vertically

If you install such doors on the balcony, the room will begin to resemble a tropical bungalow.

Unobtrusively shining through the lamellas of the jalousie doors, clothes in the dressing room become an interior decoration

Perfect tandem of swing and sliding doors in one interior

Manufacturing of blind doors

Manufacturers offer many ready-made options for shutter doors of different designs and designs, but you can also assemble them to order in a specialized workshop. Most models are affordable and there is no need to make your own.

Wooden louvered doors are available in almost any size

Although a master with experience in assembling paneled doors will be able to make louvered doors, an experienced welder is able to build metal ones. When creating such a door, the main trick is to select the same grooves in the vertical bars that correspond to the width and thickness of the lamella and at a given angle. Therefore, carpenters use templates that limit the freedom of the cutter and set the correct pitch between the grooves.

Templates for drilling grooves in wooden blinds help speed up the blind making process

If the width of the lamella is equal to the width of the timber, the groove has to be made smaller, and the spike should be cut on the bar itself (as in the picture). This complicates the manufacturing process for classic blinds.

Consider an option where the entire structure is assembled on dowels - wooden cylinders that fit into the grooves of the fastened parts. This method of assembly is easier, because round grooves are needed for the dowels (drilled with a screwdriver with a drill, without a router). Their size does not depend on the width of the lamella, and the markings are simply applied in dots using a ruler.

We make classic wooden shutter doors

We decide on the width of the lamella - not only the design depends on it, but also the width of the horizontal slats. If you can slice the wood yourself, choose according to your taste. But if you don't have a tool or skills, you'd better focus on the manufacturers' suggestions. From bamboo and wood, it is easy to find strips with a width of 25 mm and 50 mm, while others have to be ordered. But you can buy lamellas already tinted in an interesting color and make two-color doors with contrasting trim.

The larger the width of the lamella, the more massive the horizontal connecting strip should be

If you find it difficult to independently determine the size of the beams, use the hint:

• upper, lower and connecting bar with a section of 23x40 mm - 3 parts equal to the width of the door minus two widths of the side bar;
• side bar with a section of 25x40 mm - two parts equal to the height of the door;
• a set of dowels (a stick with a section of 5 mm or a bar from 7x7 mm for making thorns) - twice the number of lamellas plus 12 for connecting the door frame;
• a set of lamellas 25–35 mm wide (calculate the quantity so that the horizontally laid lamellas fill the frame cells).

Approximate ratio of the dimensions of the louvered door elements

Of the tools you will need:

• jigsaw or band saw (loose the material);
• screwdriver (for drilling grooves for dowels);
• wooden mallet (hammer dowels into recesses);
• a bar with sandpaper of different grain sizes or a grinder (remove burrs);
• long clamps (for temporary fixation).

The frame is assembled with glue - buy a carpentry PVA or its analogue for working with wood in advance.

Let's start making:

1. Make markings for the dowels on the vertical beams, marking the attachment points of the upper, lower and central harness, as well as each lamella. It is better to mark them in parallel in order to prevent the slats from skewing. Put the same marks at the center point of the end of each lamella and horizontal bars. To make sure the markings are correct, place the elements of the future door on the table / workbench / floor and make adjustments if necessary.

   

   Simple hole pattern helps you line up quickly and accurately

2. Drill the dowel holes in the marked places. In order not to accidentally go deeper, wind electrical tape around the drill of a screwdriver, starting from a level that should not be hidden in the wood.

   

   Correct the drilling depth according to the chosen dowel fit

3. Insert the dowels into all holes of the left vertical bar and place horizontal elements on them, using a mallet. Place the dowels in the grooves of the right block and assemble the door dry. If the flaws are not surrounded, disassemble the elements and glue the connections at the attachment points of the horizontal bars (you do not need to glue the lamellas). Secure the assembled door with clamps and leave for 2–3 days.

   

   The longer the louvered door, the more clamps you need to fix it.

4. Remove the clamps and give the slats the desired angle of inclination. Do this carefully - the dowels hold tight even without glue.

   

   The angle of inclination of all lamellas is made the same to get a beautiful appearance

5. If necessary, sand the joints or fragments with protruding adhesive.

   

   Sanding stones are easy to make in the right size and format: bar, pen and sandpaper

The door is ready for painting, staining or mineral oil coating.

Video: an original way of making do-it-yourself blind doors (part 1)

Video: assembling a blind door of the original design (part 2)

Features of installation and operation of louvered doors

Many people refuse to buy jalousie doors due to the fact that they are not sure about the privacy of a closed room. Indeed, the photo shows that the objects behind the blinds are clearly visible. But such a gap width is typical only for doors with pivoting lamellas, and they can be reduced to comfortable parameters. Models with fixed lamellas will not allow prying eyes to penetrate into the room, through them, with all the desire, only the ceiling is visible. Therefore, feel free to install such doors in the bedroom or nursery.

Roller shutter accessories

In addition to the canvas itself, you will need to purchase:

• door frame (if you plan to change it or the existing one does not fit in size) - most often sellers offer 2-3 options to choose from;
• butterfly door hinges - 2 pieces per door (they are easier to install, suitable for lightweight canvases and allow you to keep the thickness of the vertical bar);
• handle of a suitable design (it is easier to mount a mushroom handle).

Such a kit is installed using a screwdriver with a bit for self-tapping screws and a feather drill.

Installation instructions for swing shutters:

1. Mark on the canvas the places where the hinges are attached - they should be at a distance of 200 mm from the top and bottom edges. Attach half of the hinge and mark the locations for the screws. Drill the holes and screw the hinges to the door.

   

   When marking, do not press too hard with a pencil - if you make a mistake, dents will remain on the end

2. Make markings for the handle with a lock and install them according to the instructions for the selected model. The standard handle height is 900 mm from the bottom of the door. Take a small lock so that the depth of the hole for it is less than 30% of the width of the vertical bar of the door. The best option is a lock with a ball: it will definitely hold such a light door.

   

   A beginner can install such a simple lock.

3. Cut the vertical posts of the door frame to the height of the opening in the wall, taking into account the parameters of the door. Place the box around the door on the floor before cutting. The horizontal planks are sold ready-to-fit. Remove burrs from rubbing surfaces with a file or sandpaper.

   

   A hacksaw and a miter box will help to make an even cut without chips strictly at an angle of 90%

4. Assemble the box on the floor using wood screws and install it in the opening. Place wooden wedges in the correct places to ensure the correct upright position.

   

   When assembling the box, carefully monitor the correct angles

5. Fix the box in the opening with long dowels so that the caps are completely hidden under the hinge and lock plates. Attach the hinges to the box.

   

   Precise drilling of the dowel hole will prevent cracks in the wood

6. Hang the door and cover the joints with platbands.

   

   The platbands are fastened with small studs without hats, due to the texture of the wood they are not at all noticeable

Installation of a louvered door does not differ from analogues. The only thing is that it is light, so they install it alone.

Video: detailed instructions for installing hinged interior doors

Video: installing an accordion louver door

Video: installation of a sliding interior door

Louvered door care

From time to time they are wiped from dust with a damp sponge or a special brush for blinds, and since the lamellas do not bend from light pressing (like window counterparts), it is easy to clean them.

With this tool, lamella cleaning is three times faster.

If your model is made of wood, it should be thoroughly varnished or protected from high humidity in another way before installation. Blinds made of MDF, plastic and metal do not require this. Do not place interior types of blinds close to heat sources: they dry out.

Such doors do not need to lubricate the hinges: their low weight does not overload the fasteners. This does not apply to metal models, but they are mounted on reinforced hinges, which also do not require special maintenance.

Repair and restoration of louvered doors

Damage to jalousie doors is not always a reason to call a master; some malfunctions can be dealt with on your own.

Table: Problems and Solutions

Louver door problems	Causes	Remedy	What do you need
The canvas has changed color over time	Burnt out in the sun	Paint from a spray gun or spray can in the original or any other selected shade. Make sure the paint matches the material and thoroughly clean the canvas before use.	Degreasing agent, paint.
There are scratches, dents, or chips	Mechanical shock	Remove loose parts, sand the surface with coarse sandpaper and smooth with a putty. After complete drying, sand the entire part (lamella, rack, lintel) with sandpaper and paint it in the color of the canvas.	Sandpaper, putty, rubber trowel, paint.
The lamella broke	Shock or other mechanical stress	Disassemble a fragment of the door, drilling dowels if necessary. Install a new lamella and reassemble the structure. If you don't have experience or tools, get help.	Screwdriver, jigsaw, dowels, wood glue.
Doors no longer fit into the box	Possibly skewed due to a loop	Adjust the fastening of the hinge to the frame and door leaf until the doors are in the correct position.	Screwdriver.

If the door does not lend itself to self-restoration or damage is more serious than described, it is worth contacting a carpenter. An experienced craftsman can easily help restore a door of a louvered structure.

Reviews of louvered doors

Now you will not get confused in the various offers of sellers and will select for yourself exactly those jalousie doors that you need. And if the jalousie door is assembled to order, then you can easily assess the quality of work.