6 tips for choosing and installing windows in a wooden house

The wooden house is a cosiness, warmth and special aroma. Today, when the frantic rhythm of the big city is boring, like the abundance of reinforced concrete, wooden buildings are regaining their former popularity. In exchange for numerous benefits houses from timber and logs have to be put up with their features. For example, it will not work to select the first plastic windows that come across and install them using standard technology - a special approach is needed here, otherwise there is a risk of changing the windows in a couple of years, no matter how high-quality they are. We figure out which windows to choose in a wooden house, and how to install them so that they work out the deadline declared by the manufacturer.

No. 1. What windows are placed in wooden houses?

Previously, only wooden windows were installed in wooden houses, as, indeed, in all others, there were no other options, only their quality was very different. If the old wooden windows are preserved in good condition and it is a pity to dismantle them, then it makes sense to restore them and insulate. Nevertheless, in most cases it will be most logical to replace the old windows with new double-glazed windows, and here we are faced with great difficulties. Question window selection for a wooden house is also acute for those involved building a new house. Also, a lot of attention will have to be paid to the correct installation of the window.

Such windows are suitable for a wooden house:

• ordinary wood;
• wooden eurowindows;
• plastic windows.

Aluminum windows - taboo for a wooden house. Their design is such that condensation can form not only on the glass, but also on the frame, and contact with moisture will not benefit the wooden structure. Among the possible consequences are the appearance of mold and deformation of the structure.

No. 2. Wooden eurowindows and ordinary wooden windows

Looking ahead, we note that wooden windows – the best way for a house made of wood in plan aesthetics and environmental friendliness. Many rightly believe that building a house of natural wood and installing unnatural plastic windows is completely illogical. Really, advantages of wooden windows:

• beautiful appearance. Wooden windows harmoniously fit into a house built of timber or logs;
• naturalness and environmental friendliness;
• good indicators of heat and sound insulation;
• strength;
• wood is a flexible material, so you can get a frame of almost any shape;
• maintainability. Scratches and dents that inevitably appear during active use can be easily removed.

Not without cons. Wooden windows are more expensive than the main competitor - plastic. Despite the fact that the design passes a special antiseptic treatment during production, in the future (already 5 years after installation) it will be necessary to regularly apply protective equipment to the frame so that it does not rot and does not crack. But wooden windows are subject to restoration, which means they have a longer life than plastic ones.

Wooden euro-windows are equipped with modern double-glazed windows, and make a frame not from solid wood, but from three-layer glued beamand the elements are arranged so that the wood fibers are in different directions.This approach allows us to provide structures with a higher level of durability, strength and resistance to negative environmental factors than old windows from solid wood.

The choice of wood species affects some of the performance of the windows. Typically, these breeds are used:

• Pine - The cheapest option, but not the most durable. Wood breathes well, exudes a pleasant aroma, and in the presence of a large number of resins (a kind of pine resin) it also receives additional resistance to moisture. Pine wood is quite soft, which means it is easily processed and can take any necessary shape, but scratches on it remain easier;
• larch - the strongest conifer, its wood in contact with water becomes more durable and actually turns into stone. At the same time, it costs a little more than pine, but cheaper than the main competitors in terms of durability;
• oak - This is expensive, hard, durable wood, which has a long service life. Oak decently weighs and is slightly worse than conifers, retains heat.

If you have a solid budget, you can look in the direction of more expensive breeds, which differ not only in excellent performance, but also in a unique appearance.

From wood, in addition to wooden eurowindows, they also make:

• wood-aluminum windowswhich are distinguished by the presence of an aluminum lining on the outside of the structure. It protects the window from the negative influences of the street, but such a solution will very rarely be appropriate for a wooden house - you must carefully choose the color of the aluminum part;
• ordinary wooden windows with ordinary glasses, not double-glazed windows. They will cost less than the European analogue, it’s easier to install, and at the same time they look elegant. Modern samples are equipped with a sealing circuit, so carry out warming measures in anticipation of winter it will not be necessary, but nevertheless, in terms of tightness, such structures are much inferior to Euro-windows. It makes sense to install them if you plan to spend a little time in the house.

No. 3. Plastic windows for a wooden house

If in ordinary city apartments installation plastic window there is no doubt that when it comes to a wooden house, many developers and private builders question their relevance. There are several main reasons:

• appearance. Plastic is not a tree, it's hard to argue here, but a modern plastic window will not look alien, standing out in white against the background of the beam. Manufacturers have learned to give frames any shade and pattern using lamination, so plastic can easily repeat the structure of wood of any breed;
• plastic does not let air in. This is true, but in a situation where all the wooden walls of the house breathe, non-breathing plastic, occupying a small area, will not change the situation much. If in doubt, the design of the plastic window can be completed vent valves and regulate the amount of air entering the apartment.

Today more and more often plastic windows are installed in wooden houses, because they have a lot of the benefits:

• low price;
• high level of tightness, heat and sound insulation;
• simplicity in leaving, lack of need to carry out processing regularly by protective means, as is the case with wood;
• high resistance to negative environmental factors, including to mold;
• variety of colors.

To serious disadvantages non-repairability of the plastic profile refers - scratches cannot be removed from it. Of course, putting them on the material is not easy, but over the years of operation, they will appear sooner or later. When there are too many such defects, the only way out is to replace the design, because scratches are slowly starting to blacken from the dust accumulating there. By the way, plastic attracts dust much better than wood.

According to the level of thermal insulation the wood and the plastic profile are almost equal, but this statement is true if the plastic profile is made qualitatively, so it is better to order windows and their installation only in trusted companies.

If a wooden profile in itself is a reliable heat insulator, then in a plastic analogue to achieve the same indicators there should be several cameras, i.e. cavities filled with air or reinforcing material. The more cameras, the better the thermal insulation. In the harsh domestic climate it is better to choose a profile with 5 cameras and no less. On sale you can even find 8-chamber profiles.

Not the last role in ensuring maximum thermal insulation of a plastic window is assigned sealant. Rubber - the cheapest, but short-lived, silicone - is good in all respects, but expensive and almost never used. Remains ethylene-propylene rubber and thermoplastic elastomer: the first is an ideal choice, the second is a little worse.

Number 4. Choosing the right double-glazed window

A good profile is only half the battle. Important yet choose a quality double-glazed windowbecause it makes up about 90% of the total window area. We will not consider ordinary windows of the old model - today, in all respects, glass units are better, which may differ in such characteristics:

• number of cameras. Under the camera understand the distance between the glasses. Two glasses are a single-chamber double-glazed window, three - two-chamber, etc. The more cameras, the better the heat and sound insulation qualities. For the domestic climate it is better to take double-glazed window - single-chamber is suitable only for technical non-residential premises and southern regions, where in winter the temperature does not drop below -5⁰C, but his soundproof qualities are still not very good;
• glass type can significantly change performance. Popular today are low emission glasswhich, thanks to a special coating (the most common option is silver ions) in the summer do not let in heat, and in winter they do not let out heat from radiators. As a rule, only one glass in a double-glazed window is low-emission, and its effectiveness can be estimated already by the fact that a single-chamber energy-saving double-glazed window in terms of heat transfer resistance catches up with a conventional two-chamber. In addition to energy-saving, there are double-glazed windows with protection from sunlight, noise, burglary and fire. Also appeared dirt-repellent double-glazed windows and double-glazed windows that change the level of transparency;
• distance between glasses affects heat and noise insulation. With an increase in the chamber to 16 mm, the insulating properties increase, then with an increase in width to 24 mm, they remain unchanged, and then deteriorate, as the process of convective heat transfer begins to turn on. In order for the double-glazed window to have increased sound insulation, the width of the cameras should be different. Also, the different thickness of the glasses increases the sound insulation, so on sale you can find double-glazed windows, where the outer glass is made using triplex technology. This technique, by the way, allows you to increase burglar resistance;
• double-glazed cameras they are usually filled with drained air, but inert gases show themselves much better, since they more effectively inhibit thermal convection. The cheapest cost is filling with argon. Xenon and krypton are even better in terms of thermal insulation, but they are very expensive, as is a very promising solution for creating a vacuum in the chamber.

No. 5. Size and method of opening

The size of the windows largely depends on the interior and facade design, but common sense should not be left. Too small windows will not let in enough light, and too large windows can make the wooden house colder. The generally accepted norm is according to which at 10 m² area relies 1m² glazing, but you can retreat from it when the room is pulled in length or width.The maximum level of natural light should be in the living room, children's room, study, so these rooms have windows to the south and east, but the bedroom, kitchen and technical rooms can be facing north and west.

Today is very popular Scandinavian stylewhich features large windows. In wooden houses large glazing area It looks appropriate, but it is important to know some safety standards. If ordinary double-glazed windows are used, then it is undesirable to make the total area of ​​the glazed structure more than 6 m² - It may not withstand the wind load. Each leaf should be no more than 2.8 m²Otherwise, strong pressure will be created on the glass frame and fittings. If you plan to install an arched window, then the radius of the arch should not be less than 35 cm.

Best option for panoramic glazing - double-glazed windows of tempered glass or triplex. They will cost more, but the glazing area can be any, and the design itself is maximally safe.

The opening system may be:

• rotary;
• re-folding;
• movable.

The first two do not need an introduction - they are familiar to us. The sliding system is used for panoramic glazing, while the doors move like doors in wardrobes.

Windows with a decorative layout layout look spectacular in a wooden house.

No. 6. Features of installing windows in a wooden house

When it comes to a wooden house, the installation of windows is somewhat more complicated compared to brickconcrete and other houses. The reason is strong tree shrinkage, especially in the first years after the construction of the building. Shrinkage occurs due to the loss of stored moisture by the wood, and the worse the wood was dried, the greater the volume it will lose. For a year, shrinkage can be up to 1.5 cm per meter of height, these processes are most active for the first 5 years, then the tree can also change volume, absorbing and giving away moisture. If you install the window using traditional technology, then in the first year you may not notice any problems, because under the weight of the tree the layer will be compressed polyurethane foam, but then the structure itself will begin to deform, and eventually the glass will crack.

Whatever design is chosen, you will need casing or piglet. This is an indispensable element of a modern wooden house, which allows you to make the window structure independent of the movement of the walls. Piglet does not allow the logs to move in a vertical plane in the area of ​​the window opening, but it does not interfere with shrinkage and normal breathing of the tree. In addition, the pigtail allows you to further strengthen the wall.

If installed window in a wooden frame, then installation can be carried out using simplified technology. It is enough to make a vertical groove in the ends of the logs measuring 5 * 5 cm, a wooden beam of the appropriate size is inserted into this groove, this will be the casing.

Second option somewhat more complicated, can be used for any type of window. It consists in cutting a ridge in a log, on which a vertical beam with a groove, called a gun carriage, is installed. You can make a groove in a log, and a comb on a carriage. The tongue-and-groove construction will allow the log to slide freely without shifting vertically. Installation in this case is carried out in the following sequence:

• installation of the lower jumper;
• stuffing carriages;
• institution in grooves and installation of the upper jumper;
• the whole structure is fastened screws, but the crest cannot be captured at the same time, otherwise the much-needed mobility will be violated. It remains only to foam or hammer tow gaps between the casing and logs.

Installing a window into a prepared pigtail comes down to such actions:

• preparation of small (5-10 mm) grooves for securing the windowsill;
• window sill installation using a level and its fastening with screws. A plastic window sill requires the use of a rubber washer.Holes are made in those places that will eventually be closed by a window;
• alignment of the window frame and its fixation with anchors, followed by foaming;
• checking the frame for vertical and horizontal, installation of double-glazed windows;
• installation of glazing beads, foaming cracks.

Of course, it is best to entrust the installation of a window in a wooden house to a professional - here you will need to know the intricacies and details on which the durability of the installed structure will depend.