Features and differences between the object profile and class “A” profile

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I haven't written anything on the site for a long time! I'm correcting myself :) Today we'll talk about high-quality and safe Class A windows, which are considered the highest class and even elite. Glazing an apartment with plastic windows is a serious expense for a family. When choosing the “right” window company, they can become an investment in a comfortable and carefree life for a long time, eliminating additional costs (repairs, painting) for a long period.

Poor quality windows can, on the contrary, become a waste of money: their lifespan will be just as short as that of ordinary wooden ones. How to evaluate a plastic window when purchasing? After all, at first glance, all windows are the same...

As you know, you cannot prepare an edible dish from rotten food. So you can’t make a high-quality window from bad plastic. How good the profile really is can be evidenced, for example, by international certificates of expert centers that independently verify the quality of window systems.

In accordance with the European standard DIN EN 12608, PVC windows are divided into 3 classes: A, B, C.

Plastic windows class A - highest class, elite quality

Another standard that buyers of plastic windows know little about in Russia is RAL, one of the most stringent, tested and respected industrial standards in Europe. RAL applies to the components of a plastic window, such as profiles and fittings.

Speaking about the importance of this standard for the window industry, it is enough to cite one single fact: not a single manufacturer of plastic windows in Germany will use for their production profiles whose markings do not contain the “RAL Quality Mark”.

This standard does not imply different classes of PVC windows: A PROFILE THAT HAS RECEIVED A RAL CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY MUST HAVE AN EXTERNAL WALL THICKNESS OF 3 MM, otherwise it will not receive this certificate.

This may seem strange, but control over the production of PVC profiles in Europe is carried out not by the state, but by independent experts. However, their court is stricter and tougher: their reputation is always at stake, and for an expert this is their main capital. A window company that has a RAL certificate must be ready at any time for a visit from auditors and experts.

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VEKA Rus became the first company whose Russian products successfully passed testing for compliance with the most stringent and proven industry standard - RAL.

Advantages of class A windows:

• Higher resistance to heat transfer: the coefficient for class A windows cannot be lower than 0.75-0.8 m2x0C/W.
• Higher sound insulation: PVC windows of the highest class A are able to muffle sounds up to 36 dB.
• Ability to withstand wind loads: Class A windows can easily withstand a wind load of 1000 kgf/m2 (to create such a load, the wind speed must reach 40 m/s or 144 km/h).
• Better weather resistance. During operation for 40 years, the thickness of the outer wall decreases by 0.7 mm. Thus, for economy series profiles (class B), after 40 years of operation, the wall thickness will be 1.8 mm, which means the window will turn into a “house of cards”.
• Protection from cold and noise. Save up to 25% on heating costs per month.
• Longer period of safe use of the window. For a profile with an outer wall width of 3 mm, this period is 50 years. If a window made of a thin-walled profile is subjected to a similar load, the service life of its corner connections is significantly reduced.
• The strength of corner welded window joints of class A profiles exceeds by 15-20% the same value of class B profiles.
• High-quality production also makes a significant contribution to the long and reliable service of your window. Only a company with a modern plant with expensive and high-precision equipment and rich production experience can produce high-quality windows.
• High-quality installation in accordance with GOST - 60% of the performance properties of your window structures. Professional installation will prevent freezing and heat loss in the room, and will allow you to save on heating costs, while enjoying the comfort of your home or apartment for many years.

Which profile is suitable if you need colored windows?

Laminated, painted and lined with acrylic – these are the types of colored windows. All of the listed plastic window profiles are on sale today, but most buyers do not know how to choose the most suitable one. In order for the designs to fully meet the client’s needs, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate:

• service life of decors;
• operating conditions of coatings;
• cost of color profiles.

In addition to systems lined with decorative coatings, manufacturers offer body-painted profiles. They retain their aesthetic characteristics throughout the entire service life of the structures.

If windows with dark lamination are planned to be used on the sunny side of the building, you need to find out whether PVC can withstand overheating for a long time. Inexpensive profiles quickly soften under such conditions, which ultimately leads to deformation of the sashes and frames.

Energy efficiency classes of VEKA plastic windows

Depending on the profile system used and the characteristics of the installed double-glazed window, the window may be assigned a certain energy efficiency class. Let's consider two types of energy efficiency: winter (indicated by the “snowflake” icon) and summer (indicated by the “sun” icon).

Winter energy efficiency of windows is the ability of a window to prevent cold from penetrating into a room, which is especially important for most Russian regions.

From the side of the profile, this parameter is influenced by its installation width (from 58mm to 82mm, the larger it is, the greater the obstacle the cold must overcome in order to penetrate the room), the width of the double-glazed windows and the presence of glass with a special coating.

Energy efficiency factors are assigned to windows if the reduced heat transfer resistance of the window is:

• A ≥ 0.65 ≤ 0.8 m2 x °C/W
• A+ > 0.8 ≤ 1 m2 x °C/W
• A ++ > 1 m2 x °C/W

Summer energy efficiency

A window can not only protect a room from the cold in winter, but also prevent it from overheating in the hot season.
To do this, it is necessary to use double-glazed windows, the construction of which uses glass with a special coating.

Windows with such double-glazed windows receive a summer energy efficiency coefficient of A+, windows with a regular double-glazed window receive class B.

Window durability (lifetime of safe operation)

For example, plastic windows made from VEKA profile have the highest durability class A++. The basis for this classification are:

• the window retains its functionality when tested for the maximum possible number of opening cycles
• maintaining the dimensional stability of the window according to the results of laboratory tests in climatic chambers, as well as according to the results of full-scale tests.

Burglary resistance

The burglary resistance classes of windows are given in accordance with the requirements of the DIN V ENV 1627 1630 standard. The necessary burglary resistance is ensured by the appropriate fittings and can be implemented within the framework of any European fittings program.

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It should be noted that windows made from VEKA profile, even in standard configuration, have a higher burglary resistance due to the geometry of their reinforcement used in the frame and impost.

Source: dveriokna.org/14-okna/126-plastikovye-okna-a-klassa.html

Briefly about the main thing

The main components of the window include the profile system. The frame is responsible for the strength of the structure and insulating properties.

The main criteria for choosing a profile include its width, chamber design, thickness of internal partitions and external walls, classes of thermal insulation and strength characteristics.

Externally, quality can be determined by the condition of the plastic: smooth and evenly colored. The information on the protective tape and in the accompanying documentation is also taken into account.

Impact-resistant films protection class A0, A1, A2, A3

Impact-resistant glass of class A0, A1 is installed at the following facilities:

• not having significant material assets and being under centralized or internal physical security (industrial premises, food stores, restaurants, bars, institutions, offices). When material assets are constantly located near shop windows and windows, the stability class of protective glazing increases.

Impact-resistant glass of class A2, A3 is installed at the following facilities:

• having material assets of high consumer value, historical and cultural values ​​and being under centralized or internal physical protection;
• in operating rooms of banks, premises of administrative bodies and authorities (if installation of bullet-resistant glazing is not required), trading floors of jewelry, weapons stores, pharmacies;
• in museums, art galleries (in the form of screens, showcases to protect individual exhibits in exhibition halls).

Testing

The method consisted of determining the minimum mechanical strength of impact-resistant glass, resistant to impact from hard objects, when dropping a steel ball of a specified mass and diameter from a certain height, which at the moment of impact has a normalized kinetic energy.
The ball was dropped from a set height according to the table three times for each sample. Sample dimensions: 1100 mm x 900 mm. Samples of impact-resistant glass were considered to have passed the test if none of them was pierced by a ball under conditions according to the table, and the tested glass was assigned the appropriate impact resistance class.

Installing protective films on glass, for example, on windows, shop windows, glass canopies, etc., allows you to solve the following problems:

• Glass armor (protection class K4, A1, A2, A3)
• Shatterproof (analogue of triplex)
• Explosion safety
• Fire resistance
• Heat saving
• Sun protection (absorbs 99% of UV rays)
• Increased sound insulation

What to choose if you need secure windows

To manufacture secure windows, you need a profile with such an offset of the fitting groove that will allow the installation of anti-burglary fittings. In addition, it is necessary to equip the structures with reliable steel reinforcement. The more cameras a profile with an increased installation width has, the more difficult it is to open such windows from the street side.

Attempts to break into windows with a high level of security can cause minor damage to profile structures. As a result, for the manufacture of such models it is recommended to choose systems made from environmentally friendly plastic.

Glass armoring

Protective films are usually installed where there is a direct threat of damage to glass - accidental or intentional - by stones, bottles and similar objects, where there is a real threat of access to equipment or information by violent means.

Hitting the glass creates a hole in it approximately the same size as the impact weapon, and a significant number of blows are required to create a hole large enough to allow access into the room.

The protective film prevents theft by withstanding impacts that would immediately shatter uncoated glass into fragments. At the same time, even if the glass covered with film is damaged, it still remains in the frame, and, as practice has shown, it detains the attacker or, in most cases, forces him to abandon his intentions.

How to choose the right profile at a good price

Systems that meet all the most stringent requirements belong to the premium class.
But this does not mean that buying high-quality windows excludes savings. With the right approach, you can reduce your costs a little. Firstly, you will need to first find out, when ordering inexpensive plastic windows, which profile to choose for your climate. Not all regions require maximum thermal insulation values. Secondly, take into account the location of your window openings. If the windows face the courtyard, then there is no point in overpaying for increased sound insulation characteristics.

If you absolutely require structures that retain heat well, do not allow noise to pass through and make it difficult to break into, use our tips on how to purchase windows at a good price without sacrificing quality.

Selecting a profile is the first priority from which you should begin the window purchasing procedure. This process requires prior knowledge of the basic information necessary for a successful search. You can find all the latest information about components for assembling window and door units on the OknaTrade website in the “Useful Articles” section.

Fire resistance

Typically, glass cracks under the influence of temperature, and as a result, the influx of oxygen instantly increases the speed of fire spread tens of times. When applied to glass, the protective film forms a fire-resistant composition that can contain fire for up to 45 minutes, which, according to the standards of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fire Defense of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, corresponds to fire resistance class II.

Under the influence of an open flame, a short surface burning is observed on the protective film without advancing the fire front. When the source of fire is eliminated, the flame goes out immediately.

A fire localized in this way will certainly cause significantly less damage, and no toxic fumes will be generated. For example, a film with a thickness of 112 microns is capable of holding back fire for 30 to 37 minutes (the film itself does not burn, it only melts), which corresponds to fire resistance class II.

Requirements of regulatory documents for PVC structures

The requirements for plastic windows are regulated by clause 5.5 of GOST 30674-99 “Window blocks made of polyvinyl chloride profiles”, as well as technical conditions that are developed individually by each manufacturer. According to the text of the regulatory documentation, all profiles for PVC windows must meet the following basic requirements :

• 
  Before the manufacture of each new type of profile, design and technological documentation must be developed, in which the geometric parameters of the products are indicated, and thermal engineering calculations are also performed.

• Materials must meet strength conditions and also withstand temperature changes when seasons change.
• It is recommended to make all window profiles white, or add pigment to the viscous mass during production.
• When manufacturing bent PVC structures, the minimum radius of curvature must be at least 5.5 times the thickness of the product.
• Designs must meet sanitary, hygienic and environmental requirements. The materials from which the profiles are made should not cause irritation to the respiratory tract when heated.

Despite the existence of state standards, many manufacturing enterprises often set their own, more stringent requirements for their products, which increases their popularity among consumers, since such steps are part of their marketing policy.

Heat saving

One of the main advantages of films, which is taken into account during design and construction, is low thermal conductivity. According to some data, the use of films reduces heat loss by 35-40%.

In the cold season, films, depending on the type of spraying, can reduce heat loss by 16-35%, reflecting back into the room the heat that would otherwise go outside through bare glass. The films seem to even out the cold and warm zones in the house, unifying the temperature inside the building.

What to look for when choosing

It is difficult for the buyer to determine the quality of the profile on exhibition samples. In most cases, you have to rely on the integrity of the seller and the manufacturer of window structures. There are some features that will help you avoid buying a low-quality product:

• Availability of markings with the brand logo, information about the time and place of manufacture.

• Structure of plastic. High-quality products have a flat, smooth surface. A grainy texture indicates the use of cheaper types of plastic or a low level of mechanization in production. Such windows are more likely to change color or deform under load.
• Coverage quality. Options painted or coated with a textured film should have a uniform color over the entire surface without variations.

Sun protection

Solar radiation is unsafe. The ultraviolet range is that part of the solar spectrum that causes burns and, if overexposed, can cause serious illness. Ultraviolet rays are also the main cause of fading of furniture, carpets, wallpaper and items displayed in store windows.

The solar control film filters out up to 99% of ultraviolet radiation, and ultraviolet rays are successfully absorbed not only by tinted, but also by transparent films.

Accessories

Window fittings include metal parts that serve to movably connect parts of a window structure. The fittings, no less than the profile, determine the service life of the installed product. The ease of use of the window, the possibility of periodic adjustments and maintainability depend on the level of its quality.

According to their functionality, fittings are usually divided into several groups:

• hinges are the most important elements on which the durability of the entire structure depends;
• opening elements (pivot, hanging, tilting, sliding fittings) – ensures the opening of the sash in a given mode;
• locks, blockers, limiters, handles - designed for convenient and safe use;
• This also includes a seal that ensures the tightness of the product and performs sound and heat insulation functions.

When choosing a plastic window, it is important to remember that this is a high-tech product. This means that a high-quality profile is only one component of success. Performance properties depend on many factors, including the level of fittings, type and quantity of glass, correct measurement and installation.

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