8 tips for choosing windows for an apartment

Sooner or later, the time comes when old wooden windows must be replaced with more advanced modern designs, and here anyone can be plunged into shock by the variety that pleases the modern market. Manufacturers offer windows made of different materials, with different types of glasses, different thicknesses and configurations. To correctly choose a window for an apartment, you must be familiar with what the market offers us, to know about the advantages and disadvantages of different types of structures. This will be discussed.

We recommend working with plastic windows - selection, installation, adjustment and maintenance from our partners - Windows Expert.

No. 1. Profile material

First of all, attention should be paid to the material of the profile, since it largely depends on what characteristics the window will have. For now Manufacturers offer the following options:

• plastic profile;
• wooden profile;
• aluminum profile;
• wood-aluminum windows (wooden windows with aluminum trim).

Plastic profile

Plastic windows - real modern hit. Such windows are massively installed in apartments, private houses, at dachas, enterprises and in public buildings. The profile is made made of polyvinyl chloride and reinforced with steel, which gives it the proper strength. Inside the profile is divided by partitions on multiple cameras: some of them are hollow, some are filled with reinforcing material or are intended for fittings. The more chambers in the plastic profile, the better its heat and noise insulation properties.

The structural features of the plastic profile allow us to talk about the many advantages of plastic windows:

• high level of tightness. High-quality plastic windows are able to retain heat and not let street noise into the apartment;
• durability. Such windows will last at least 20 years, since they perfectly tolerate the effects of precipitation, sunlight, as well as temperature differences;
• fire safety. The plastic profile is difficult to ignite and has self-extinguishing properties;
• aesthetic appearance. The profile can be made in any color, and thanks to laminating films it can imitate the surface of wood or stone. The shape can be not only standard, but arched or round;
• ease of care. PVC profile does not require the use of special detergents; it is unnecessary to process it with protective agents;
• security. Plastic windows are absolutely harmless to human health, do not emit toxic substances into the air.

Among the shortcomings of the plastic profile note:

• inability to pass air and maintain optimal humidity conditions, so additional ventilation. In fairness, it is worth noting that more natural wooden windows, although they allow air through, but this is still not enough;
• non-repairability. If a scratch or other damage has formed, then it will be impossible to get rid of it;
• high electrostaticity of the PVC profiletherefore, dust will be collected on it more intensively than on other types of profiles.

Experimental data show that with the same thickness, the plastic profile is inferior to the wooden one in terms of heat and sound insulation.

Wood profiles

Wooden windows - This is an ageless classic and benchmark. True, modern wooden windows are different from those that were universally used a couple of decades ago. The profile of wooden windows consists of three-layer glued beamrather than a solid wood array. The wood fibers in the layers are located in different directions; safe water-repellent adhesives are used for joining. The finished profile is much more durable and tough than the profile of the array. Most commonly used pine, oak and larch wood.

Main advantages:

• naturalness. In order not to negate the unique natural properties of wood, it is important that the varnishes, impregnations and paints used are environmentally friendly and safe;
• chic appearance natural wood;
• excellent performance heat- and soundproofing, higher than that of plastic counterparts;
• high strength;
• durability and maintainability;
• wood does not attract dust.

Minuses:

• high price;
• heavy weight;
• necessity process regularly material by protective means, so that the tree is resistant to negative environmental factors;
• ability to maintain combustioneven if the material has been treated with flame retardant compounds.

Despite the fact that today, wooden windows usually mean constructions with double glazed windowsstill on sale traditional wooden windows, which are essentially no different from those that were used a hundred years ago. True, now such windows are supplied. sealing circuit, which allows you to get rid of gluing for the winter, the large distance between the individual window sashes allows us to talk about good heat and sound insulation properties.

Wood-aluminum windows

Wood-aluminum windows are kind of wooden windowsbut they should be considered separately. A feature of this profile is the presence of an aluminum lining on the outside. They are reinforce the structure and protect the tree from the negative effects of the external environment. Some windows have not just an aluminum overlay, but are made of two frames, aluminum and wooden.

Aluminum windows

Not so long ago aluminum windows used only in non-residential premises, as they could not boast of proper thermal insulation and decorative properties. Now the situation is radically different. Aluminum windows are made by hot pressing. aluminum alloy with magnesium and silicon. The wall thickness of the profile is 1.5-2 mm. For non-residential premises, single-chamber aluminum profiles are used (cold profiles), which can not boast of normal thermal insulation. Designed for living quarters warm profilein which between two aluminum profiles is located polyamide layer 1.5-4.5 cm thick, due to which the proper level of heat and sound insulation is ensured.

The advantages of aluminum windows:

• strength. The profile is able to withstand a double-glazed window of any weight, therefore it is used for panoramic glazing;
• ease. Even the most massive structures will weigh a little, without creating additional load on the supports;
• security;
• fire resistance;
• durability. Windows can last 70-80 years, and analogues are ahead of this parameter;
• ease of care;
• weather resistance;
• maintainability;
• plastic, allowing you to create windows of any shape;
• variety of design. The profile is painted in any necessary shade, with the help of painting the wood texture can be imitated, and the best option is the use of decorative veneer lining for the inside of the profile.

disadvantages:

• cost. It is not so high, but higher than that of plastic analogues, although it is completely justified by durability and practicality;
• aluminum windows do not let air in, additional ventilation is required.

No. 2. Glass unit specifications

The double-glazed window, the transparent part of the window, occupies the largest area, so the characteristics of the entire structure directly depend on it. The double-glazed window is designed to protect against noise, heat and cold, and also to be an obstacle to attackers, so manufacturers are constantly improving the strength and insulating qualities of their double-glazed windows.

Double-glazed window consists of several glasses, and the space between them is called cameras. At the edges of the glass are enclosed in a common frame, and many manufacturers additionally use hygroscopic granules to absorb excess moisture that seeps through the glass into the glass.

By the number of cameras, double-glazed windows are divided into single-chamber, two-chamber, three-chamber, sometimes even 4- and 5-chamber double-glazed windows can be found. The more chambers, the better the insulating properties of the structure. In the conditions of central Russia, single-chamber double-glazed windows are not recommended.

Two-chamber double-glazed windows are most in demand, and thickness of all glasses it can be not only standard (4 mm), but also increased (5-6 mm), due to which additional sound insulation is achieved. Distance between glasses in a double-glazed window with two or more cameras can also be uneven, which positively affects noise and heat insulation. About the characteristics of the glass unit says its formula. For example, the formula 4 * 16 * 4 means a single-chamber double-glazed window with a glass thickness of 4 mm and a distance between them of 16 mm, the formula 6 * 14 * 4 * 14 * 4 says that you have a two-chamber double-glazed window with an outer glass 6 mm thick, and the formula 4 * 16 * 4 * 12 * 4 suggests a different distance between the glasses.

The space between the glasses can be filled with one of the following substances:

• drained air - the most common and most affordable option;
• sulfur hexafluoride rarely used, but provides higher thermal insulation properties of the glass;
• inert gas. The cheapest is argon, krypton is more expensive, but has better properties, and xenon is used very rarely due to the high cost. Inert gas is used to create low-emission double-glazed windows: it not only interferes with heat transfer, but also protects the coating of i-glasses. The thermal performance of a double-glazed window filled with argon is 24% better than that of a double-glazed window filled with air.

When choosing a double-glazed window with inert gas, you need to understand that it will have to be pumped again every 10 years, because even with the highest quality sealing it disappears at a rate of about 3% per year. Unscrupulous manufacturers can give out dried air as an inert gas, since it is impossible to verify this when buying.

No. 3. Type of glass in a double-glazed window

The properties of the entire window structure will depend on the properties of the glass used. The following types of glasses can be used:

• ordinary float glass;
• low emission glasswhich, with a high level of transparency, have improved thermal insulation properties. Kglass are made by coating tin oxide on hot glass, the coating is literally baked, so it is durable. The technology has been used since the 70s, therefore it is outdated and inferior in efficiency iglass. The latter is obtained by applying silver or titanium oxide ions to cold glass. The coating is sensitive to external factors, therefore it is used inside a double-glazed window, and the chamber is filled with inert gas, but the efficiency of i-glass is 1.5 times higher than k-glass. Low emission glass allows you to keep indoor heat in winter, and cool in summer;
• toughened glass. This includes triplex and tempered glass. Triplex made by pressing several glasses with a polymer film, the result is a durable impact-resistant material. Triplex is even used as bulletproof glass, such glass does not shatter into sharp fragments - as a result of damage, all parts remain on the film, forming a pattern of cracks. Triplex has unrivaled soundproofing properties. Tempered glass obtained by applying special paint or enamel to the surface and further processing with high temperature. The color can be any, and the enamel becomes a single whole with the glass, due to which additional strength is achieved. With strong impacts, fragments with rounded edges are formed;
• sun glasses may be a replacement jalousie and curtains. There are currently several types of sunscreens. Glass tinted in bulk obtained by adding dye at the manufacturing stage. Vacuum tinted glass is made by applying metal oxides to transparent glass, and glass tinted glass obtained by gluing a tinted film on the finished glass;
• self-cleaning. New expensive technology allows the window from the outside to always remain clean without human intervention. Organic pollution does not stick to the surface of the window, but under the influence of sunlight they are destroyed, residues are washed off by rain, stains on such glasses do not remain. Self-cleaning glass is not widespread, since it is expensive, and not in every region the sun regularly shines brightly and it often rains.

Number 4. Window shape

The shape of the window affects the perception of the interior, can make it unique, but depends on the characteristics of the house. If in a private house you can actually use any windowsthen apartment buildings involve the use of designs of standard forms.

Modern manufacturers offer such a window shape option:

• rectangular and square;
• round and oval;
• arched;
• triangular;
• trapezoidal.

Partitions created at the discretion of each. Moreover, a double-glazed window in a window can be decorated decorative layout - thin rods that give originality to the structure, as well as slightly strengthen it. Another way to decorate a window is to use stained glass window.

No. 5. Opening direction

Depending on personal requirements, you can choose windows with different opening methods. There are many options:

• rotary way the most common, allows the sash to open its entire width, freeing up maximum space for air circulation. Sashes open, as a rule, inside. If the window consists of several wings, then both can open inward, or one of them may be deaf;
• folding. Assumes opening the sash vertically at an angle of 45 degrees. The option is used in basements and utility rooms when there is no room for rotary opening;
• swing-out method familiar to all of us and involves opening the window in different positions with the same handle. Allows you to get rid of window panes and transoms, increasing the transparent part of the window;
• hanging method involves opening the bottom of the window;
• swivel. When opened, one half of the window goes outside, the other inside. Great option for round windows;
• parallel sliding. The shutters move in parallel, recalling the principle of the wardrobe;
• folding way reminds an accordion, it is used very rarely.

Number 7. Ventilation

The high tightness of modern windows does not allow fresh air to enter the apartment and exit the wet exhaust, so it is better to use one of the following ventilation systems:

• micro-slot ventilation. At a certain turn of the handle, the sash comes off, forming a small gap.It is sufficient for air circulation, but does not significantly degrade the heat and noise insulation of the window;
• combs allow you to fix the sash at the required distance from the frame, providing the desired degree of ventilation;
• vents - the long-known and easiest way to ventilate, but the organization of the window leaves a decrease in the translucent part of the window;
• ventilation valves - The most modern and effective way of airing. It allows you to let in fresh air at a certain speed and remove humid air from the apartment. Valves can be automatic and mechanical. Slit and seam type valves can already be installed on the finished window construction, its aesthetics will not be violated. If necessary, you can install a ventilation valve in the wall near the window.

Number 8. What else to consider when choosing a window?

You should also pay attention to the choice accessories and related trifles for the window. Fittings include pens, loops and locks. Shape and color of pens can be any, and functionality depends on the wishes. The handle may have an anti-burglary function or have protection against unwanted opening of the window by children.

Hinges can be standard overhead, mortise or screw. A special variety is anti-burglar hinges, which are useful for extra security. The window can be equipped locks or locks. Hardware directly affects the quality and durability of the window, so it is better to give preference reliable hardware manufacturers: Roto, Aubi, Winkhaus, Siegenia, Maco and some others.

Do not forget to immediately equip the window structure mosquito net - it is a protection against insects and debris; it can be inserted into the frame or swing open outside the window. Besides windowsill and platbandsalso need to equip the window low tideThanks to which the waterproofing of the window will be kept as long as possible.

Finally

A wide variety of window construction materials and their design allows you to functionally and stylishly design any room, protect it from drafts and noise. Only once it is worth spending a little time studying the intricacies of choosing a window, so that you can enjoy a solid and durable construction for decades.