How to choose the glazing?
Glass has established its reputation as material for filling the light holes because of its transparency, excellent resistance to atmospheric conditions and pollutions.
Glazing takes about 90 % from the window surface and therefore, its choice defines the quality of the window such as heat transition and light permeability.
The main criteria for right choice are:
- Purpose of the premises - bedrooms, living rooms, offices etc.;
- Exposure - East, West, North, South;
- Noise - proximity to streets, stations etc.;
- Presence of shadow elements;
- Danger related to burglary.
When glazing places with many visitors, one of the safety glasses should be used - hardened glass or triplex.
Hardened glass has 4-5 times higher robustness against bent than the usual. When braked, it divides into very small pieces which can't hurt anybody.
Triplex does not disintegrate in case of braking. Its advantage is that it protects you against undesired entry and improves the noise insulation.
Which are the constructive window elements?
- Profile case;
- Profile wing;
- Wing;
- Movable divisor;
- Decorative frame bars;
- Water protector.
What is "mullion profile"?
Third option:
Both of the fields can be opened and during opening there is a vertical divisor in the middle. This divisor is called immovable.
What is the function of drainages?
PVC profiles don't have the necessary static strength as the aluminium profiles. That's why in one of chambers is put metal reinforced profile with different configuration (closed profile "box", "П"-shaped, "L"-shaped as well as modifications) but they must be zinc coated.
Reinforced profile is joined by self-drilled screws to the PVC profiles in distance of 300-350 mm for the white and 200-250 mm for the coloured profiles.
What is the glazed window?
Glazed window is improved modern option of double glazing.
Its quality can be estimated based on its heat isolation, noise insulation and sun light protection. A glazed window consists of two or more glasses separated by aluminium, plastic or steel spacer (usually perforated). The glasses are agglutinated to the spacer by butyl rubber and the system is sealed hermetically with special material - butyl rubber (hotmelt), silicon, polysulfide or polyurethane. There is a dryer in the spacer which ensures that the air in the space will be dry.
Replacement of the dry air with gas (most often argon) leads to improvement of heat isolation. Good manufactured glazed window can "live" up to 10 years which is its exploitation period. Sealed hermetically windows with silicon are not filled in with gas because the argon can pass through the silicon.
How to
protect ourselves from the sun and overheating in the premises?
How to ensure less heat loss during the winter?
How to achieve good noise
insulation?
Noise insulation becomes better if:
- The window is made of glasses with different thickness, for example 4+5 mm;
- Thicker glasses are used, for example 5 and 6 mm;
- One of the glasses is replaced by triplex (laminated glass);
- Increasing the distance between the glasses.
For special premises - stations, airports etc. are used glasses laminated with special noise absorbing resins.
How to protect our home and office from burglary and entry through the window?
Laminated glass is safe and doesn't disintegrate in case of breaking. It consists of two glasses agglutinated by special resin which keeps the broken pieces into a whole and does not allow passing (similar to the front car glasses). Replacing the usual glass by laminated protects your home or office and at the same time achieves better noise insulation.
Mould?!
Wooden, PVC and aluminium joinery with glazed glass ensure better hermetization than the double glazing. If the external walls have worse insulation than the joinery, especially in panel buildings, the moisture will condense on them. Joinery is part from the whole heat isolation in the premises. Correct and often ventilation is most important for avoiding condensation and mould.
When ordering, choose a construction which allows access to each point of the frame and glass in order to ensure efficient cleaning. If you prefer window which is not accessible and can't be opened before window that can be opened, in order to save money, that could be future loss because of shorter life of the window due to bad maintenance.
The glass must be washed at least once per year in order to be avoided decrease in the transparency due to chemical reactions on the surface.
The so-called self-washable glasses exist - they have an active coating on the surface which helps for transformation of the dirt and its natural washing by the rain.