Comparison of Horizontal Blind with Vertical Blind

© 2012 cbllind.com

1. Working with or against gravity?

2. Quality of view

3. Quantity of view

4. Intensity of diffused light

5. Direction of diffused light

6. Dust

7. Saving energy while enhancing comfort

Areas of Comparison

A. Horizontal slats are bent by gravity, vertical slats are not. To keep slats straight, horizontal blinds depend on strings. Strings obstruct the view and create clutter. Vertical blinds need no strings, thus provide an open view and no clutter.

1. Working with or Against Gravity?

3 strings per column

B. Because vertical blinds do not work against gravity, their slats could be thin. The thinner the slats, the less material, weight, and cost.

(Less slat weight also needs smaller headrail.)

C. When being drawn, vertical blinds slide, horizontal blinds are lifted. It takes more effort to draw horizontal blinds. The bigger the horizontal blind, the greater the effort.

(Motorized vertical blinds require smaller, less expensive motors, and consume less electricity than motorized horizontal blinds).

When open, horizontal blinds limit view of sky.

View limited by upper slats

2. Quality of View

horizontal blind

2. Quality of View

When open, vertical blinds do not limit view of sky.

Vertical blind

range of eye

People in a room move from side to side but not up and down. Vertical slats rotate side to side, horizontal slats rotate up and down.

When a vertical blind is partially closed, it provides view to much of the room, depending on where the occupants are. When a horizontal blind is partially closed, view is lost everywhere in the room.

horizontal blind vertical blind

3. Quantity of View

Horizontal

Diffused light coming from sky is the brightest. Horizontal blinds do not differentiate between direct sunlight and diffused sunlight coming from sky. Vertical blinds stop direct sunlight from sky but allow diffused sunlight from sky.

Diffused Light from sky

Diffused Light from sky

Vertical

4. Intensity of Diffused Light

Vertical blinds can create high-contrast light between the two sides of the room. When directing diffused light, horizontal blinds create less contrast than vertical blinds. Furthermore, directing diffused light with horizontal blinds reduces total incoming light more so than vertical blinds.

Less computer glare

5. Direction of Diffused Light

vertical blind top view

Vertical blinds are cleaner and easier to clean.

The reasons are:

•Vertical surfaces collect less dust than horizontal surfaces.

•There is a limit to how much dust a vertical surface could collect, but no limit to how much dust a horizontal surface could collect.

•Strings of horizontal blinds hinder dusting.

6. Indoor Pollution

7. Saving Energy while Enhancing Comfort

An office worker’s salary is about 100 times more than the cost of the energy used by the worker. Hence enhancing worker productivity is more important than saving energy. And comfort means more productivity.

Many products that save energy, reduce comfort. The ideal energy-saving product, instead of reducing comfort, enhances it.

The following section shows how a reflective vertical blind saves energy and enhance comfort at the same time.

Saving Energy while Enhancing Comfort,by Using a Reflective Vertical Blind

1. What is shade?

2. Shading a room

3. The greenhouse effect

4. Reversing the greenhouse effect by partially closing the slats

5. First problem with partially closing the slats: Less view

6. Second problem with partially closing the slats: Less diffused light

7. Solution to first problem using a vertical blind

8. Solution to second problem using a vertical blind

9. Effects of a partially closed reflective horizontal blind

10. Effects of a partially closed reflective vertical blind

11. Creating ideal shade using a reflective vertical blind

12. Saving energy while providing comfort

13. Example of a vertical blind creating ideal shade

Outline

1. What Is Shade?

• Direct sunlight stopped

• No greenhouse effect

• Indirect* sunlight allowed

• View allowed

shade

* Indirect sunlight is diffused sunlight

• Direct sunlight stopped

• No greenhouse effect

• Indirect sunlight allowed

• View allowed

2. Shading a Room

shade

2. Shading a Room

shade

• Direct sunlight stopped

• No greenhouse effect

• Indirect sunlight allowed

• View allowed

• Direct sunlight stopped

• Greenhouse effect

• Indirect sunlight allowed

• View allowed

3. The Greenhouse Effect

shade

When blinds are inside, they do not stop the greenhouse effect. Sun’s rays pass through glass, heat the blind, and the blind heats the air. Hot air can’t get out,

raising the indoor temperature.

warm room

4. Reversing the Greenhouse Effect

The only way to reverse the greenhouse effect is to use a reflective blind and partially close the blind with slats tilted away from the sun to reflect the sun’s

rays back out.

gla

ss

end view of slats

5. First Problem with Partially Closing the Slats

horizontal blind

Partially closing a horizontal blind reduces the view.

Diffused light from sky is the brightest. Partially closing a horizontal blind significantly reduces diffused light coming from sky.

Diffused light from sky

6. Second Problem with Partially Closing the Slats

horizontal blind

When a reflective vertical blind is partially closed, full view is provided to much of the room.

vertical blind

7. Solution to First Problem: Use a Vertical Blind

(window is facing east and

sun is in southern sky, for example. )

Diff

used

ligh

t fr

om s

ky

8. Solution to the Second Problem: Use a Vertical Blind

Vertical blinds are open to the sky. Partially closing a vertical blind, does not significantly reduce diffused light coming from sky.

vertical blind

horizontal slats tilted away from

the sun

9. Architectural and Energy Effects of a Tilted Reflective Horizontal Blind

(reducing glare)

(reducing artificial lights & the heat they generate)

(reducing the greenhouse effect)

zerolow

high

© 2012 cbllind.com

zerolow

high

vertical slats tilted away from

the sun

10. Architectural and Energy Effects of a Tilted Reflective Vertical Blind

(reducing glare)

(reducing need for artificial lights & the heat they generate)

(reducing the greenhouse effect)

11. Creating Ideal Shade Using a Reflective Vertical Blind

• Direct sunlight stopped• No greenhouse effect• Indirect sunlight allowed• View allowed

shade shade

Only a reflective vertical blind, tilted away from the sun, can provide all the four effects of shade.

=

© 2012 cbllind.com

less A/C use

saves energy

provides comfort

increases productivity

saves energyfinancial

ENERGY

1. stops direct sunlight

2. no greenhouse effect

1. allows indirect sunlight

2. allows view

thermal

12. Saving Energy and Enhancing Comfort at the Same Time

visual

less indoor lights

saves electricity

less A/C use

COMFORT

N

13. Example of Vertical Blinds Creating Perfect Shade

Top view of a floor with

vertical blinds

Early morning sun in summer, for

example.

Vertical blind in KPAX

Vertical blinds are simpler, use less material, and provide more light and view options than horizontal blinds.

Reflective vertical blinds save energy while enhancing comfort.

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