The glass part of the plastic window occupies more than 90% of the area of the window opening. Therefore, it is clear that the criterion for choosing a double-glazed window is the most important and basic in terms of selecting a “warm” and “quiet” window. Let's figure out what an ideal double-glazed window should be and how to buy such an ideal in your home. We will learn how to choose a double-glazed window based on many parameters, properties and personal preferences.
All polls change old windows for new plastic ones. The reasons are obvious, PVC windows are much “warmer” than old wooden countertops. And the main merit of this is double-glazed windows, as an alternative to old window frames.
Modern double-glazed windows are better than the old ones to a greater extent only because of one reason. The glass in the new windows is placed very close to each other, at a distance of less than 20 mm. This is what gives "warmth" to European windows. Since with a decrease in the distance to such boundaries, convection (air movement) between the panes is almost completely excluded. As a result, the heat from the inner glass is not transferred to the outer glass as quickly and, as a result, does not pass to the street. Here is such a banal thing, it turns out. Therefore, even old wooden windows can be made warmer, although the distance between the glasses is only part of the whole structure, albeit the main one.
And now, when we have unraveled the main secret, we will begin the selection and analysis of other moments of the “warmth” of modern double-glazed windows.
According to European standards, double-glazed windows must have one or two chambers, that is, be one or two chambers. But these are the standards of Europe, where it is mostly warm everywhere and there are no harsh winters. With us, such windows are suitable only for the middle latitudes of Russia. Where frosts reach -40, three cameras, four or even six will not hurt. But do not forget, not only plastic windows save from the cold, they choose double-glazed windows and soundproofing characteristics. And the more cameras, the better the sound insulation, but let's talk about everything separately.
If we talk about a sensible choice, then plastic windows with single-chamber double-glazed windows are more suitable for southern latitudes. And in places where the premises are heated in winter, there is no point in installing such double-glazed windows at all. Firstly, their thermal insulation properties are very low and with such windows we overpay for heating. Secondly, single-chamber double-glazed windows often fog up due to structural features. So there is no need to save money here, even despite the fact that many people buy single-chamber options because of their cheapness. For cold winters, be sure to choose at least two-chamber double-glazed windows.
The sound insulation is the same, the more cameras, the higher the sound insulation will be, which is especially important for residents of noisy streets. And if you want to save, so save, but not on your health. In the kitchen, for example, you can install fewer cameras, in the bedroom and living room - maximum silence is important.
Glasses are used different, ranging from a thickness of 4-6 mm and ending with a variety of types of glass. Standard glass, which is most often used on inexpensive PVC windows, is M1 grade in 4 mm. If you want to improve the insulating properties of a double-glazed window, you can choose another type. For example, glass with a soft (I-glass) or hard (K-glass) coating is very popular today. The first ones are obtained using Off-line technology, in other words, a special film is applied to ordinary glass. The second ones are made using On-line technology, that is, the coating is a sputtering that is introduced during glass production. Best of all, these are i-glasses, here the insulating properties are very high, but their price is slightly higher. In addition, the i-glass film is slightly visible to the eye, which not everyone likes. If this is a problem, it is worth choosing k-glasses, which, although they insulate a little worse, are still more than twice as “warmer” as ordinary glass. This increased “heat” is facilitated by the ability of glass with a film or coating not to release heat from the room. It transmits light, but not thermal radiation, which effectively outperforms its old types in the form of tinting. By the way, these glasses can not only not let heat out of the house, but also not let it in from the street, which is very important in summer. That is, if k or i-glass is installed on the inside of the double-glazed window, thermal radiation will not leave the room, and if on the outside, from the street, the sun will not allow the rooms to warm up. And do not worry that in winter the sun will not warm, at this time it almost does not give heat, but in summer it is hard without an air conditioner. Therefore, it is definitely worth installing external k-glasses and the apartment will immediately become cool. And it is even more practical to order both external and internal glasses of a double-glazed window with a soft or hard low-emission coating, but not internal ones (for two or more chambers), this type is definitely useless there.
By choosing a double-glazed window with a low-emissivity coating, we more than double the thermal insulation.
We do not forget about other properties of a double-glazed window. A window can not only keep warm and save from heat, but also ensure safety in the house. For residents of apartments on the first floors, owners of summer cottages, country cottages, it is important to take care of this side. There is something to choose from and the first option in the list of safe double-glazed windows is tempered glass. This is the easiest way to slightly increase safety, more precisely by 5-7 times, which is how much ordinary glass becomes stronger when tempered. In addition, fragments from a hardened type will not harm anyone due to the lack of sharp corners. But best of all, if you choose triplex, glass with a polymer layer inside. Not only is it harder to damage, but it does not break into pieces at all, thereby making it a level more reliable. Triplex will not crumble from the same firearms, strikes, etc., so it is very effective in terms of security. Although there are even more reliable options, for example, with a reinforced metal mesh inside. Everyone can choose, but even in a safe area, it can be advised to put a triplex in a children's room.
Along with protection against burglary, shot or impact, it is sometimes important to protect against information theft. For these cases, their own types of glasses are provided. Mirrored - protect from eye contact from outside. Shielded double-glazed windows - save from wiretapping in offices.
Still, there are colored glasses, they are put on the windows to create the desired style. But here you need to be very careful, not everything is as simple as it seems. The problem with colored glasses is that they retain 30-70% of the light, or rather absorb it. As a result, heating occurs, which can lead to deformation of the double-glazed window due to uneven heating of the two glued glasses. Therefore, if there is a desire to make windows blue, yellow or greenish, we set the color on the outside of the plastic window. The outer glass is constantly blown with fresh air and thanks to this it is cooled to the temperature of the external environment; in the summer, without air conditioning, there is no such strong convection in the house.
It remains to talk about glass and sound. Many of the listed types have increased sound insulation, for example, the same triplex. But to a greater extent, protection from third-party sounds depends on the thickness of the glass, moreover, to a greater extent - external. If silence is important, then be sure to take glass from the street not 4 mm, but 5-6 mm. The same increased thickness is mandatory for the upper apartments of high-rise buildings, because they will also save from strong gusts of wind at the same time. The combination of gaps between the glasses in double-glazed windows is also important, more on that later.
We have already said that the distance between glasses in a double-glazed window should be less than 20 mm, according to standards - 6-16 mm. In single-chamber double-glazed windows - no more than 16 mm, in a two-chamber double-glazed window it is already less. The more cameras, the distance decreases to meet the norm of no more than 60 mm for the entire double-glazed window. But there is one nuance here, when a PVC window is formed from more than one chamber, many manufacturers make the distances different in each of the chambers. And this is the right approach, because this is the only way to improve the soundproofing properties even better, destroying the symmetry of the system, which leads to resonance. The task of the buyer is to make it so, because there are no standards that it should be the only way.
As for soundproofing, we must remember other points. For example, with an increase in the distance between the glasses by 3 mm, the sound insulation improves by 10%. Therefore, for silence, glass with a 16 mm ball is better. But it is even better to buy two-chamber ones, because they are 40-45% “quieter” in comparison with single-chamber double-glazed windows if they are made according to all soundproofing standards.
In a classic double-glazed window, there is air between the panes, which is carefully isolated from the external environment. But there are options when the space between the glasses is filled with inert gases, argon and krypton. This improves the thermal insulation properties by 5%. It would seem that they are trifles, but by attracting all the innovations to improve, you can keep at least 25% more heat leaving the street. In addition, double-glazed windows filled with inert gas are quieter.
Distance frames are frames that set the distance between the panes. In fact, this is already the work of the developers, but it is worth mentioning a little about this. So, it is important that the spacers are made of steel, not aluminum. It's all about the cold bridge that passes through these frames. And if the steel is less thermally conductive, it is more suitable for this process. While ideally it is better to use fiberglass or plastic, at the moment these materials have not yet gained widespread popularity.
As for the design inside the window, it’s even easier here, you can simply install additional decorative frames. They are placed inside the double-glazed window along the edge, transforming the steel edging into any “taste and color”.
According to the sealant, so there is even less talk. Just know that glass in an insulating glass unit is connected to a spacer using two types of sealants based on thiokol and butyl. One serves to isolate, the second - to create the desired physical properties. The main thing is that gluing does not take place with the help of double-sided adhesive tapes, which, although rare, happens in very unscrupulous manufacturers.
Now we can briefly analyze the knowledge gained. If we have a bedroom on the sunny side, on a noisy street and in winter frosts reach -30, then a three-chamber double-glazed window of the 5k-8Ar-4-12Ar-4k type is suitable for us. It stands for: 5k - external k-glass 5 mm; 8Ar - the distance between the outer and middle glasses is 8 mm, argon is pumped; 4 - medium glass 4 mm; 12Ar - the distance between the middle and inner glass is 12 mm, argon is pumped; 4k - internal k-glass 5 mm. In fact, this is the perfect choice for a "warm" and "quiet" bedroom window.
How to choose a double-glazed window? Yes, very easy!
Of course, all this will be correctly calculated by the specialist of the company in which you order plastic windows. But still, it does not hurt to carefully study the material yourself in order to really get what you want. Especially when you really want to save money.
It remains to tell how to inspect the already brought double-glazed windows. Firstly, double-glazed windows must have markings indicating the manufacturer and materials, as well as the date of production. Secondly, there should be no chips, cracks, optical distortions, moisture inside. Thirdly, the glass must be even, which is easy to check with any flat rail. Fourthly, the diagonals of the double-glazed window should not diverge by more than 3 mm (with a side width of 1.5 m) and 4 mm (with 2.5 m). Fifthly, the internal sealant inside and on the outside should not seep, everything should be smooth and neat. If everything is correct, you really have the correct double-glazed windows.
