Wooden Houses Jalousie Windows

Earthquake resistant wooden houses in tropical region often use jalousie windows (usually located above or beside the glass windows) as ventilation system for the cooling of rooms. Generally, glass louvred jalousie windows are installed at the front walls near the verandah or at the living room where house owners receive their guests. The louvre windows brighten the indoor rooms because they allow not only the fresh air to enter the houses but also the sunlight. 

Since the day temperature can reach 31 degrees Celcius at night and 27 degrees Celcius at night, the ventilation holes will be not fully closed. This is different from houses in northern and southern region of the earth where the temperature can reach zero degrees Celcius or where there is snow during winter season. 

To filter the dust from the street from flying into the rooms, house owners usually install transparent curtain sheets or drapes behind the glass louvred windows. 

Green and flower plants are natural air filter that people in tropical region usually grow at the front-yard of the houses.

The curtain also improves the privacy of the house owner because people cannot easily see the interior of the house except at nights when the lamps are on. The glass windows can be covered by curtain if the owner does not want people from the street to see the interior of the house. Hardwood jalousie windows can usually be seen in the walls of bedrooms. 

Typical Wooden House in Tropical Indonesia

Glass-louvered windows

The combination of jalousie hardwood ventilation holes with glass-louvre windows is the most common type of ventilation system in tropical houses. Because wooden houses use timber for the frames, walls and windows, they have to be specially treated. Wooden structures need to be covered with paints or varnished to protect them from water vapor that can cause them to rot. 

In tropical region, jalousie windows are considered environmentally friendly because they don't need electrical energy to enable air circulation. This ventilation system allows trade wind to flow naturally into and out of a house. However, malaria is a serious disease in tropical region, all of the jalousie louvre windows have to be covered with mosquito nets to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house, especially the bedrooms at nights. by Charles Roring