SAM KIT slats· 3 min read
Vertical Rotating Slats: When to Choose Them and How Many You Need
When vertical rotating slats beat horizontal ones, what limits they have with SAM KIT and how many slats and pairs you need — two worked examples.
Rotating slats are usually drawn horizontal, but SAM KIT can also be fitted vertically. The slats then stand upright, the SAM KIT bodies sit at the top and bottom, and the slats tilt sideways. When does that make sense, and how does the calculation change?
When to go vertical
It depends on where the sun comes from. Scotland's Building Standards Technical Handbook notes that horizontal devices shade south facades most effectively, but are not suitable for east and west facades because the sun is too low there. For east and west it recommends vertical fins and adjustable devices such as rotating shutters.
- South (north in the southern hemisphere) — high sun; horizontal slats shade and still let daylight in.
- East and west — low morning or afternoon sun; vertical slats turned against it catch it better.
- View — open vertical slats let you look sideways, horizontal ones up and down. Try what suits you from where you sit.
What changes in the calculation
- 1A vertical slat is as long as the clear height minus 36 mm for the SAM KIT bodies — not the width.
- 2The slats line up side by side at a 95 mm pitch and fill the clear width minus 25 mm of clearance.
- 3Splitting into more sections does not shorten a vertical slat. Wooden slats (max. 1.5 m) therefore only suit lower openings, up to a clear height of 1,536 mm. Taller openings need aluminium (max. 3 m).
- 4The calculator keeps one section of vertical slats at most 1,500 mm wide; a wider opening is split into equal sections.
Example 1: a lower terrace opening, wood
An opening of 1,400 × 1,500 mm with wooden slats. Vertical: 15 slats 1,464 mm long (buy 1.5 m) and 3 SAM KIT pairs. Horizontal would be 16 slats 1,364 mm long (also 1.5 m) and 4 pairs.
Example 2: gazebo wall, aluminium
| Opening 2,400 × 2,200 mm | Sections | Slat length | Slats | SAM KIT pairs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical, aluminium | 2 × 1,200 mm | 2,164 mm (buy 2.5 m) | 26 | 6 |
| Horizontal, aluminium | 1 × 2,400 mm | 2,364 mm (buy 2.5 m) | 23 | 5 |
| Vertical, wood | — | not possible, slat would be 2,164 mm | — | — |
The vertical layout needs 3 more slats and 1 more pair here, because the opening is split in two and each section keeps its own clearance. Vertical wood does not work at all — the slat would be longer than 1.5 m.
SAM KIT slatsOpen the vertical slat exampleExample 3: vertical wood in a wider opening
An opening of 2,400 × 1,500 mm with vertical wooden slats. The slat is 1,464 mm, so wood works. The 2,400 mm width is over the 1,500 mm per-section limit, though, so the calculator splits the opening into two 1,200 mm sections: 26 slats in total (buy 1.5 m) and 6 SAM KIT pairs.
Step by step
- 1Find out which direction the sun hits the opening from at the times you use the terrace.
- 2Measure the clear width and height of the opening.
- 3For vertical slats, check the height: up to 1,536 mm wood or aluminium, taller only aluminium.
- 4Enter the sizes in the calculator and switch the slat direction. If it splits the opening, plan a post between the sections.
Practical tips
- Before deciding, check where the sun hits your terrace at different times of day, then choose the slat direction.
- For vertical slats, switch the calculator to “Vertical” — enter width and height just as you measure them.
- If an opening is just over the wood limit, you can lower the clear height, for example with a bottom sill, and keep wood in play.
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