Before you go to buy or order new windows for your home, it would be a good idea for buyers to find out what design features affect their main characteristics and what elements a high-quality and reliable product should include.
The text of this article will help readers become familiar with the main differences between different types of plastic windows and learn about the manufacturers considered the best on the Russian market. Useful tips will help you make a more conscious choice when purchasing and navigate among the many models on the market.
So, let's move on to the differences:
First - profile view
The profile is rightfully considered the basis of the window - it is the frame for the double-glazed window and must ensure its reliable retention throughout its operation. Profiles consist of one or more cameras. Products in which there are more than three are considered high-quality. The insulating characteristics of the window (heat and noise) depend on the number of chambers - the more chambers, the better the window retains heat in the room.
The materials from which window profiles are made also differ.
They may be based on:
- PVC;
- wood;
- aluminum
When it comes to the difference between plastic windows from each other, most often it is the difference in the materials used to produce their profiles that is meant. In Russia, in addition to domestic brands, buyers give preference to such well-known foreign brands as Veka, Rehau and KBE.
Blitz survey: Which brand of plastic windows is the best? From our reviews of window manufacturers you can find out the advantages and disadvantages of each brand of plastic windows: KBE, Deceuninck, Proplex, Brusbox, Schuco, Grain.
Recommendations for selection
Understanding the difference between plastic or aluminum windows, you need to determine the scope of application of the profile. If you need to reduce the load on the structure, then it is better to take metal types. The structures are ideal for glazing houses built before 1980. Light frames exert virtually no pressure on the structure, so there is no fear of the balconies collapsing.
How to choose the right profile Source secretbalkona.ru
Professionals recommend installing PVC windows in small and medium-sized openings of high-rise buildings and cottages. When operated in standard mode, the models do not overload buildings. Polyvinyl chloride options are suitable for use in extreme climatic conditions.
When choosing plastic or aluminum sliding windows for a loggia, it is better to choose metal types. Narrow frames take up little space, saving usable space. When installing a two-slide system, the doors can be driven to any side of the balcony, opening the structure wide.
“Cold” aluminum profiles are used in non-residential premises. The models are suitable for glazing loggias, unheated verandas and gazebos outside the city. “Warm” views are ideal for panoramic windows. Frames are used for balconies and terraces with heating.
Panoramic glazing Source sofos-okna.ru
The second is the type of glass unit
The second most important place in the window design after the frame is occupied by a double-glazed window. It is larger in area than other window fragments (up to 90% of the entire product) and consists of glass and inert gas filling the space between them. Any double-glazed window has at least two glasses, which are located at some distance from each other. The space between the panes is called a chamber, and its presence plays an important role in the window's ability to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room.
The main difference between double-glazed windows concerns the number of their chambers, as well as the thickness and properties of the glass from which they are composed. Most modern houses use windows with one, two or three chambers - this number optimally combines the insulating characteristics and cost of the structure. Of course, a triple-glazed window will better protect the room from noise and street cold, however, its cost is incomparably higher than that of a single-chamber analogue.
What are the types of slopes and window sills for plastic windows?
The finished look of the glazing is given by the slope and window sills. They increase the moisture and heat protection of the opening, hide the installation seams and the niche above the radiator, and visually increase the space of the room. Only plastic slopes are suitable for PVC glazing. Forget about crack-prone plaster. PVC slopes must have the same thermal expansion index as the frame.
The most popular PVC window sills manufacturers:
- “Stained glass” - with protective and decorative film;
- Möller - with an extended form-supporting profile; they are stable, withstand loads, do not deform at low temperatures, are covered with Elesgo-Plus on top ® film, which reliably protects the base from scratches, dirt, and exposure to the sun;
- Crysta llit - designed for 70 years of operation while maintaining the original properties, made of PVC without harmful substances, and looks modern.
Third - inert gas used to fill the glass chambers
To reduce the thermal conductivity of plastic windows, the chambers of their double-glazed windows are filled with inert gas. It increases the insulating characteristics of the structure by 5-10%. The value, of course, is small, but in regions with severe frosts even such insulation plays an important role.
The amount of increase in heat capacity depends on what kind of inert gas is pumped into the glass unit.
Modern manufacturers use three main varieties:
- argon
- xenon
- krypton
In the manufacture of standard windows, argon is usually used - its cost is relatively low, but its insulating characteristics leave much to be desired. Xenon has the maximum heat capacity, but it is an expensive substance, and therefore is used only for custom-made plastic windows or for VIP models.
Expert commentary
Vladislav Dobronravov
Leading technical specialist at Okna-Media company
The chambers of inexpensive windows for standard buildings are often filled with ordinary compressed air.
Fourth - accessories
The differences between plastic windows include what fittings they are equipped with. The group of window fittings includes a solid list of mechanisms and components that facilitate the use of the structure or its configuration. Both Russian and foreign companies produce window fittings, but today the most reliable and high-quality products are considered to be products from German brands.
Fittings from Germany are convenient, beautiful, safe and can withstand more than 50 thousand openings/closings, while most standard products are designed for only 20 thousand.
Fifth - options for opening the doors
Methods of opening modern windows
Another characteristic feature that distinguishes windows from each other is the method of opening them. Most standard models open:
- The method of turning the sash around a vertical axis is rotary.
- The method of tilting the upper part of the sash with partial rotation around the horizontal lower axis - tilting.
- Using a combined method - they can turn and recline, switching between modes.
Of course, most buyers prefer windows with a combined opening system - it is the most convenient and practical to use. However, it is worth remembering that tilt-and-turn windows are significantly more expensive than structures with one type of opening.
links to materials supplementing this article: Colored profile of a plastic window - suitable for any interior!
Round, triangular, oval plastic windows - original and stylish!
Blinds inside the window - a novelty among plastic double-glazed windows
Sixth – equipped with useful accessories
A ventilation valve on plastic windows is the best solution for effective ventilation of the room.
There are a number of additional accessories that increase the usability of the window or certain of its characteristics. Such accessories include: mosquito nets, child locking handles, ventilation valves, etc.
The presence or absence of such devices also refers to the significant differences between plastic windows and each other.
The six listed features are among the most important. These are the ones you need to pay attention to first if you want to purchase a truly high-quality and durable window for your home that will delight the whole family with its characteristics.
How to choose the right metal-plastic windows?
Combined windows are rightfully considered the standard of quality, because they combine the advantages of several materials at once. The most common windows are made of metal and plastic: they are durable, resistant to large temperature changes, have an excellent appearance and amazing thermal insulation and noise absorption properties. If you decide not to skimp on quality and install windows in your home that will last for decades, you will undoubtedly need complete and detailed information on how to choose the right metal-plastic windows.
