Raffstore
The only shading system that can be adjusted: you stop the sun in summer and let it in in winter, from the same element.
Raffstore is the trade name of the aluminium external venetian blind: a pack of tilting slats mounted outside, in front of the glass, which can be raised completely and tilted to any intermediate position. That is what sets it apart from the external roller shutter, which has only one useful state — lowered and opaque — and from the fixed louvre, which stays in the same position all year.
Adjustment matters because the sun is not at the same height in July and in January. In summer the tilted slat cuts the direct radiation and still lets diffuse light in; in winter, open, it lets the low sun warm the room. A solar control unit cannot make that distinction: it filters the same in both seasons.
The principle
Why shading is done on the outside
An internal blind stops the light but not the heat: the radiation has already passed through the glass and turned into heat inside the room. Outside, the radiation is stopped before the glass and the heat stays out.
The barrier stands in front of the glass
The slat intercepts the solar radiation before it reaches the glazing. What heats up is the slat, in the outside air, not the air in the room.
It is adjusted to the position of the sun
The angle of the slat changes through the day and through the year. The same window can be shaded at midday and completely clear in the morning.
Light without direct sun
Tilted, the slats stop direct radiation but let diffuse light in. The room stays bright with no need for artificial light.
The view kept
Unlike a roller shutter, a tilted slat keeps the visual link with the outside. You can see out, but it is not as easy to see in.
It retracts completely
Raised, the slat pack gathers into the headbox at the top and frees the window opening entirely. In winter the façade looks as though the system were not there.
It counts towards the cooling load
A large part of a building’s cooling load comes through the glazed areas. External shading is the most direct way of reducing it, ahead of any services solution.
The slat
The slat types and what each one changes
The slat is the part that gives the system its character. The shape of the profile decides how well the pack closes, how quietly it works and how much darkness can be achieved.
C-type slat
A curved profile with a turned edge. This is the classic version: it closes well, but a gap remains between the slats for light to pass through. Suited where shading and solar control are wanted, not darkness.
Z-type slat
The profile interlocks: the edge of one slat engages the edge of the one below. It closes far more tightly against light than the C type, and the pack stands more steadily in wind.
Z-type slat rotating through 90°
The same interlock, but the slat can rotate as far as vertical. In the closed position you get almost complete darkening, which makes it suitable for bedrooms and for spaces that call for darkness.
The seal between the slats
The interlocking versions can be supplied with a seal along the edge. It serves two purposes: it closes better against light and removes the metallic noise between the slats when the system works in wind.
The guide rails
How the slat pack is held
The guide rail decides how much wind the system will take. It is the choice with the greatest technical consequence on this page, and it is made before manufacture, not after.
Guided on cables
Two cables tensioned vertically, one on each side. The most discreet solution visually: no rail appears on the façade. It takes less wind than rail guidance.
Guided in rails
Two aluminium profiles fixed at the sides, which the ends of the slats run in. The system becomes far more stable in wind and can be used on exposed façades and at height.
The bottom bar
The bottom profile, heavier than the slats, which tensions the pack and keeps it straight. With rail guidance, the bottom bar also closes the foot of the opening.
The headbox at the top
That is where the raised pack gathers. The shape and size of the headbox depend on the height of the opening and on the type of slat: the taller the window, the thicker the gathered pack.
Operation
How it is operated and how it is automated
On a Raffstore the operation has two movements, not one: raising the pack and tilting the slats. Any type of control has to cover both.
Manual, with a crank handle
The solution without power, suited to one or two reachable windows. It becomes awkward on tall windows and in buildings with many openings.
Electric motor
A tubular motor in the headbox at the top. It is the usual version today, because it allows wall control, a remote and integration into building automation.
Group control
Several blinds on the same façade can be operated together. The façade reads as one and the user does not have to adjust each window separately.
Sun sensor
The system lowers itself when the radiation passes a threshold and raises again afterwards. It is how shading actually does its job, without depending on somebody being at home.
The wind sensor is not an option
On motorised systems the wind sensor raises the pack automatically when the wind passes the permitted threshold. It is a function that protects the product, not a convenience: without it a gust can destroy the slats.
Integration into building automation
The motors can be tied into the home automation system, alongside lighting and air conditioning. The protocol and the compatibility are settled together with the motor, before ordering.
Before manufacture
What we decide together
When the decision is taken
The Raffstore is decided together with the joinery, not afterwards. The headbox and the guide rails need room in the opening or in the external insulation, and that room is allowed for at design stage.
The type of installation
Within the external insulation, under the window board, over the joinery, or in a headbox built into the masonry. Each version changes how the system shows on the façade and how it is maintained.
Façade orientation
To the south the sun comes from high up, and a horizontal slat works very well. To the east and west, where the sun comes in low, the pack has to be fully lowered to have any effect.
Exposure to wind
The area, the height of the building and its exposure decide whether cable guidance can be used or rails are needed. On tall buildings the wind criterion decides the configuration.
Access for maintenance
The system is outside and has moving parts. Access for cleaning and for any repairs is thought through at design stage.
The finish
The slats, the headbox and the guide rails are powder coated, in the same colour range used for the aluminium joinery, so that the whole reads as one.
Slat profiles
What changes from one system to another
The letter in the name gives the shape of the slat and the figure its width in millimetres. The shape decides how well the pack closes, how much wind it takes and how far it darkens the room.
C-shaped slat
The classic curved profile. The C65 and C80 systems cover ordinary openings; C65, with its narrower slat, is the version for small, narrow windows.
Z-shaped slat
The Z70 and Z90 slats overlap one another when closed and let through far less light than the C profiles. The supplier supplies them with rubber seals along the edge, which reduce the noise the wind makes.
T-shaped slat
The T80 system uses an 84 mm profile, stiffened on both sides. The greater width reduces deflection over long spans and improves wind resistance.
50 mm slat
The INT50-EXT50 and EXT50-V systems cover small areas and situations where the space for installation is tight.
Guide rails
An 18 × 20 mm guide rail, single or double, in anodised or coated aluminium. For openings where no rail can be fitted, the supplier offers the cable-guided version.
Sealing and noise
On Z profiles, the seals along the underside of the slat reduce noise from outside and help the pack close completely.
Dimensional limits declared by the supplier
| System | Width (mechanical) | Width (motorised) | Height | Max. area, mechanical | Max. area, motorised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C65 | 420–5000 mm | 500–5000 mm | 400–6000 mm | 9 m² | 29 m² |
| C80 / C80-S | 420–6000 mm | 500–6000 mm | 400–6000 mm | 9 m² | 29 m² |
| Z70 | 420–5000 mm | 500–5000 mm | 400–6000 mm | 9 m² | 29 m² |
| Z90 | 420–6000 mm | 500–6000 mm | 400–6000 mm | 9 m² | 29 m² |
| T80 | 420–6000 mm | 500–6000 mm | 400–6000 mm / 400–4000 mm motorised | 9 m² | 20 m² |
The values are those published by the supplier for each system. For F80, INT50-EXT50 and EXT50-V we publish no limits: the supplier does not declare them on the system page, and we do not infer them from other models. We confirm them at quotation stage.
On the Z90 system the supplier declares operation in winds of over 80 km/h. The wind class tested to EN 13659 is not published on the system data sheet, so we do not state it: it is requested from the manufacturer for the configuration ordered.
Colours and finishes
The blind palette
The slat, the headbox and the guide rails are finished in the same coating system. The supplier declares a wide RAL palette, of a different extent from one slat profile to another.
The shades confirmed for every profile
These are the colours the supplier lists explicitly in the system data sheets.
- WhiteRAL 9010
- Anthracite greyRAL 7016
- Metallic silverRAL 9006
- BlackRAL 9005
- BrownRAL 8014
- BeigeRAL 1013
- Golden oak
The number of shades differs by profile: the supplier declares nine standard colours for the C65 slat, over twenty for C80 and over thirty for Z90, plus metallic and wood-pattern finishes. We confirm the exact palette of the chosen profile at quotation stage.
Operation and automation
From a crank handle to a scene
The operation is chosen before manufacture: it changes the make-up of the barrel, the electrical runs and, sometimes, the size limits. Below are the versions we fit on this type of product.
No power — mechanical operation
Crank handle with a 45° joint
The mechanical version Suntech supplies, with a 100–150 cm rod. The same crank handle raises the slat pack and tilts the slats.
Switch control — wired motorisation
Single-phase 230 V motor
Suntech supplies the blinds with a 230 V / 50 Hz motor, with end-of-travel limits at both end positions.
Somfy J4 WT and J4 WT Protect
The wired range Somfy declares for external venetian blinds. It is a separate range from the roller shutter one, because the tilting movement needs different control.
Radio control — motors with a radio receiver
Somfy J4 RTS
The one-way radio version of the same range for external venetian blinds.
Somfy J4 io and J4 io Protect
The io-homecontrol® version, with feedback from the motor and access to scenes and remote control.
For blinds with tilting slats Somfy has a dedicated range — J4. Roller shutter motors are not fitted to a Raffstore: they do not control the tilt of the slat. The area limits Suntech declares are 9 m² with mechanical operation and up to 29 m² with electric, depending on the system.
Control technologies
What RTS, io and TaHoma mean
Three levels, in increasing order: a wall switch, a radio remote and a unit that ties everything into a scene. They can be added later, but the motor has to be chosen from the outset for the level wanted.
Wired control
A switch wired directly to the motor. The simplest and the cheapest solution, but it needs an electrical run at every opening and does not centralise easily.
Somfy RTS
One-way radio at 433.42 MHz, with a rolling code and 16 million combinations. The command is transmitted three times, to be sure of arriving. Somfy declares a range of 20 m through two concrete walls or 200 m in the open. The motor carries out the command but does not confirm it.
Somfy io-homecontrol®
Two-way radio: the motor confirms what it has done and reports its position. It scans three frequencies between 868 and 870 MHz and picks the free one, and the communication is encrypted on 128 bits. The same declared range as RTS.
SIMU-Hz and SIMU-BHz
SIMU’s own radio, with the receiver built into the motor or separate. The BHz range also works in the 868–870 MHz band. It is used where the motorisation is SIMU.
Somfy TaHoma
The unit that ties the equipment into a single app: remote control, groups, timed programmes and scenes. Somfy has supplied it since 2008 and declares compatibility with over 280 products, including through the io-homecontrol® partners’ protocols.
Control points
Smoove wall switches, Situo and Telis remotes, Nina io and Nina Timer io screens. Roller shutters are routinely operated from a Smoove or a Situo remote, and io systems can be added to TaHoma.
Sensors — the automation that works on its own
Sun sensor
It lowers the shading when the radiation passes the set threshold and raises it when the radiation falls. Somfy lists Sunis io Wirefree in the io range and Soliris RTS, which combines sun and wind, in the RTS range. SIMU has an external sun sensor in the BHz range.
Wind sensor
It retracts the system before the wind loads it. Somfy lists Eolis RTS, Eolis 3D io and Eolis Wirefree io. It has to be discussed on screens and awnings, where the fabric is the exposed part.
Temperature sensor
Thermis io measures the temperature and can start the shading before the room heats up. It works on the same io network as the rest of the equipment.
The sensors and the control units are chosen to match the motor’s technology: an io sensor does not control an RTS motor, or the other way round. Which is why the technology is settled together with the motor, not after installation.
A professional note
The wind resistance class is declared per system and per size
Raffstore blinds come under product standard EN 13659, which classifies them, among other things, by wind resistance; the test is carried out to EN 1932. The class is not a property of the product in general but of one particular configuration: a rail-guided system on an opening 1.2 m wide is classified differently from the same system cable-guided at 2.5 m.
That is why you will not find classes, slat widths or maximum dimensions on this page. We settle them at quotation stage, on the actual opening and the exposure of the building, and record them in the project documentation, with the declaration of the manufacturer of the system chosen.
Technical details
The data sheet comes with the system chosen
The maximum dimensions, the declared classes, the profile sections and the drive data belong to the particular system and to the configuration ordered. We settle them at quotation stage and send them to you with the manufacturer’s documentation.
Technical documentation
Do you need the data sheet?
Tell us the dimensions of the openings and the type of installation. We will send you the data sheet for the right system, for the configuration you are interested in.
Applications
Where they are used
- Detached homes
- Flats
- Office buildings
- South-facing façades
- Public buildings
- Bedrooms
- Façade refurbishment
- New build
Next step
Do you have a façade that calls for adjustable shading?
Send us the drawings or photographs of the façade, with its orientation and the dimensions of the openings. We will come back with the right configuration and a quotation.
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