How to correctly calculate the size of windows in a private house?

Every owner of his own home wants his home to always be warm, light and cozy. To achieve this, a sufficient amount of natural sunlight must penetrate into the premises. Therefore, even at the building design stage, it is necessary to take care of the correct location, size, shape and number of windows in each room. When designing windows you need to consider:

• location of the house (in relation to the cardinal points);
• number of rooms and how they are located;
• parameters (dimensions) and number of window openings.

The saturation of the modern market with various models of window structures (wood, PVC and aluminum profiles) allows the consumer to quickly and easily choose the most suitable option for themselves. However, if mistakes were made during the development of the house project, then even the best window systems will not save the situation.

Properly placed window openings will not only help create an optimal internal microclimate. Due to the fact that a lot of natural light will enter the premises, you can significantly save on heating the premises and paying for electricity.

What determines the size of windows in a private house?

The basic rule that guides designers is: the window area should be at least 1/8 of the room’s floor area. For example: in a guest room of 10 m2. the window must be at least 1.25 m2. approximately 1000x1250mm (WxH). In a large living room of 40 m2. The minimum window size will be 2000x2500 mm (WxH).

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Modern energy-efficient windows are rarely small; rather, on the contrary, they are becoming larger, trying to occupy the entire wall area. The article discusses all the important components for correctly calculating the size of windows.

Installation of plastic windows: choosing a double-glazed window

In most of the territory, due to climatic conditions, it is mandatory to use windows with at least two cameras in a double-glazed window.

Single-chamber with ordinary glass can only be used in the extreme southern and western regions of the country.

The width of the chambers, that is, the distance between the glasses, must be at least 8 mm, and the optimal indicator is 10-12 mm in the south and extreme west of the country and 10-16 mm in the rest of the territory.

The heat and sound insulation qualities of a window are increased by the use of glass or chambers of different widths in one double-glazed unit.

To make an energy-efficient double-glazed window, glass with a special coating is used - low-emissivity or selective, which allows short-wave solar radiation to pass into the room, but prevents long-wave thermal radiation from escaping outside.

Location of windows in the wall and their heating

Distance from window to ceiling

The optimal distance from the ceiling to the top of the window is 240-250 mm - this way the sun's rays can reach the most remote corners of the room.

What not to forget when determining the distance from the ceiling to the top of the window:

• Think about how the window will be designed. Will these be curtains, blinds or roller blinds. Each type of design has its own type of fastening and, accordingly, a place for it.
• You need to leave at least 150 mm under the roller blinds so that when rolled up they are higher than the opening and do not interfere with opening the window.

Photo: for curtains, it is better to choose in advance the shape of the cornice and the method of hanging the curtains themselves. For example, curtains with grommets require at least 100 mm above the cornice

• Consider the level of the “clean” ceiling. If you are planning a suspended or suspended ceiling, then subtract about 50 mm from the “draft” ceiling.

Distance from window to walls

This size is determined by two parameters - the type of wall decoration and, again, the shape of the cornice.

• If you plan to cover the walls with wood or plasterboard, then the size of the window must be calculated from the “clean” wall.

On average, about 250 mm from window to wall is enough for any decoration and any cornice.

Distance from window to floor and heating

This is the most difficult size, which depends on many factors.

The first thing to consider is the size of the heating appliances. To prevent the window from becoming covered with condensation, it must have access to warm air from the radiator. Therefore, the distance from the window sill to the battery should be 80-120 mm. There should be at least 100 mm from the battery to the clean floor for comfortable cleaning. It turns out that with a battery height of 300 mm, the distance from the finished floor to the window will be about 500 mm.

The second factor is the purpose of the room and the furniture that is planned in it.

For example, a window in the kitchen. Now it is fashionable to create a countertop with a sink and a work area under the window.

Photo: Roto Inowa windows with Swing designer handle - the optimal solution for the kitchen. When the tabletop is combined with a window sill, the distance from the floor to the window will be 850-870 mm (at the level of the kitchen countertop) In a children's room and office, it is useful to take into account how the desktop will stand. If it’s next to a window, then it’s good when the window is no higher than its level, i.e. no higher than 750 mm. This ensures a better level of illumination and less harm to the eyes.

Features of panoramic windows

Fashionable full-wall windows require the most careful approach, especially from a heating point of view. Without a heating device, the panoramic window will become covered with condensation.

Solutions:

• The window is mounted at the level of the finished floor, and the heating device of a conventional model is placed at a distance of 300 mm from the window. The simplest, but not the most beautiful solution.

Photo: a floor radiator cannot be placed close to the glass. Minimum distance – 30 cm

• The built-in convector allows you to create a “window to the floor”. It is mounted in the floor, does not create barriers to passage and does not spoil the appearance. But it requires high special preparation - ties from 80 mm, which greatly increases the cost of repair work.

Photo: floor convector designed for heating a room with panoramic windows

• Vertical batteries - located on free sections of walls next to floor-to-ceiling windows. But this option is not suitable for wide windows; the heat flow may not be enough to heat the entire plane of the window. As a result, one side of the window will be heated, while the other will remain cold. Uneven heating can lead to window deformation and cracks in the glass unit.

Photo: a wall-mounted radiator will not warm the entire window space

• Heated baseboard - has a height of 140-150 mm and is quite suitable for installation under panoramic windows. It provides enough heat to cut off the flow of cold air from the window. In this option, the distance from the finished floor to the window will be 150mm

Photo: heated baseboard is an ideal solution for panoramic windows. Taking into account all of the above factors, you can decide on the size of the windows. In order for it to serve for a long time and without failure, you need to take into account the characteristics of the material - the rigidity of the profile and the capabilities of the fittings.

Windows with access to the sunny side.

Before starting to coordinate the project with the relevant organization, the owner of the house needs to think about the future arrangement of the rooms in terms of their lighting.

Bedroom with windows facing East.

The eastern side of the building is ideal for placing bedroom windows . By nightfall, a bedroom located in this way will give off excess heat accumulated during the hot day. Therefore, in this case, the rest of the owners or their guests will not be interfered with by overheating of the room. This fact will have a positive effect on the mood and energy level of the residents.

As you know, in most cases the hottest place in the house is the kitchen . As a result, the most optimal location, in terms of air temperature, is the northern or eastern side.

Technical rooms , in which light is needed only in small quantities, should be located in the northern part of the building, or “go” to the ground floor.

Windows oriented to the south side of the building are most suitable for rooms such as: living room, study, children's room, gym, etc. After all, the inhabitants of the house spend the maximum amount of time in them during daylight hours.

By planning the proper location of the windows of the house at the design stage, you can achieve the highest level of illumination in each room, as well as significantly save on energy resources consumed.

Window sizes depending on the material of the walls of the house

In a stone house, the size of windows does not greatly depend on the material of the walls. You just need to take into account the height of the finished floor.

But in a wooden house, window installation has its own peculiarity. To prevent damage to the windows when the house shrinks, they are mounted in a casing.

Photo: on the left - the window opening is reduced by installing a frame; on the right, the window opening corresponds to its original size and does not require a casing. Casing box (jam) is a wooden frame that protects the window from the pressure of the upper logs when the house shrinks. The thickness of the box is 40-50 mm on all sides of the window, and 70 mm on top. These gaps must be added to the window opening so as not to end up with a window that is one size smaller.

Seals

Seals deserve special attention - gaskets around the perimeter of the window between the frame and sashes, which perform heat and sound insulation functions. For our climate, light-colored silicone seals are preferable: unlike rubber ones, they do not harden in the cold.

The main feature of a high-quality seal is elasticity (it should quickly and completely restore its shape after compression).

Manufacturers promise up to 30 years of seal service life, which is comparable to the service life of the window as a whole. In reality, temperature changes, dust accumulation and rubber drying reduce their operating time to 5-10 years.

To extend the life of the seal, it must be cleaned of dust and lubricated with silicone for rubber once or twice a year. But if the windows begin to noticeably let air through, and moisture seeps in during slanting rain, the seal must be replaced.

Source: superdom.ua

Window configuration depending on size

Window sizes depending on profile

The influence of profile strength on window size is mainly related to the thickness of the reinforcement (internal steel liner). The thicker the reinforcing profile and the more complex its shape, the larger the window size can be made.

For panoramic windows, the minimum reinforcement thickness should be 2 mm.

The maximum window sizes are individual for each company. They depend on the capabilities of the equipment and the materials used. The market average is 2500x3500 mm. Larger structures require special calculations to select the appropriate profile.

Photo: additional bends on the walls of the reinforcing profile increase strength. If the reinforcement is chosen incorrectly, the profile will bend under the weight of the double-glazed windows, temperature and wind load. Such windows rarely survive the first frost - their profile corners and double-glazed windows begin to crack.

Window sizes depending on fittings

The dimensions and weight of the opening window elements - sashes - depend on the capabilities of the fittings.

Incorrectly selected fittings will lead to:

• Sagging of the sash, when when opening the angle of the sash drops below the opening and it is difficult to close it;
• Severance of hinges and falling out of the sash;
• Blowing;
• Rapid window breakage.

Let's look at possible sash sizes using the example of windows with Roto fittings from a world-famous concern. The comparison shows three models of window fittings - Roto Ok (economy version for project construction), Roto NT (model with a 20-year history) and Roto NX (new for 2022).

Comparison of maximum sash sizes using Roto windows as an example

As can be seen from the table, Roto NX fittings have maximum opening capabilities.

This is the result of the painstaking work of the company’s testing laboratories engineers.

Following the trend towards increasing window sizes, the manufacturer increased the thickness of the metal, which made it possible to obtain a loading capacity of the fittings of up to 150 kg.

Can curtains be used?

Curtains serve the function of protecting the home. They prevent unwanted light and prying eyes from entering. Curtains decorate your home and create a cozy atmosphere in it.

It is recommended to use curtains made of lightweight material in light shades, since dark colors make the room gloomy and contribute to the accumulation of negative energy in it.

The color of the curtains is selected depending on the location of the glazing of the house. The southern side corresponds to red shades, the northern – blue. The eastern and southeastern colors are green, and the northwestern and western ones are white. Shades of yellow are preferable to use on the southwest and northeast sides.

What else should you consider when calculating window sizes?

When choosing the size of a future window, you need to take into account the comfort of opening/closing the sash, namely the location of the handle.

As a standard, the handle is placed in the center of the sash. On high doors it may end up in a place that is inconvenient for constant use.

Photo: in Roto windows it is possible to move the handle down to a height of 500 mm or place it on the bottom of the sash*

An alternative option is automatic door opening with the Roto E-Tec Drive option.

What accessories are needed for plastic windows?

Handles, hinges, locks and all simple and complex opening/closing mechanisms should not have power parts made of plastic.

An indirect indicator of reliability is the smooth and quiet operation of the fittings: a high-quality window opens without effort, the handle moves easily, without jerks or squeaks. You should also check the fit and security of the screws in the window frame.

To ensure long-term operation of the fittings, it is advisable to lubricate them every six months with an oil composition that does not contain acids and resins.

In addition to the main one, additional useful fittings can be installed on the windows. For example, the handle in a child's window is equipped with a lock with a key: while the lock on the handle is locked, it cannot be turned.

The rotation limiter will lock the window in its extreme open position. The latch will help keep the window slightly open during strong winds.

Read also

What is a quarter in a window opening?

When carrying out window installation work, you can often hear the phrase “quarter window opening.” Let's take a closer look at what a quarter is and why it is needed.

The quarter is a protrusion of the outer part of the wall about three centimeters wide. That is, the size of a quarter of a window opening is a quarter of the width of an ordinary brick. It is necessary for reliable installation of the window unit from the inside and is located along the entire length of the glass unit.

Previously, when predominantly brick masonry was used in the construction of houses, the openings were necessarily made with a quarter. Times and building materials have changed, but the name has remained the same, although in the construction of many modern buildings this important structural element of the window opening is neglected.

The dimensions of a quarter window opening can be determined by measuring its width from the outside and inside; the resulting value divided by two will be the required size. The design of quarter-panel window openings prevents atmospheric moisture and solar radiation from entering the joints between the window and the wall. It also serves as an additional fastening for the frame and prevents the window unit from falling out.

Properly installed window openings help conserve heat in the house, delight its inhabitants with a good level of natural light, and fit well into the overall architectural appearance of the building. Window profiles made of lightweight aluminum structures have a modern look; high-quality plastic double-glazed windows provide good sound insulation and retain heat in winter. Window profiles made of wood are good environmental friendliness - a natural material that breathes, unlike artificial plastic.

For non-residential premises and production

The shape of the window frame is not the same for rooms of different purposes. For non-residential or industrial buildings, certain types of structures are used that have a simpler manufacturing option. As a rule, these are blind frames with no sash that can be opened. They are intended only to illuminate the interior space, and therefore do not require additional mechanisms.

In some cases, simple window designs that can be opened are used. Most of these products only use the tilt function, where the top of the sash swings halfway down, stopping at a 45-degree angle. This is quite enough to obtain the fresh air necessary for people to work comfortably. Photos of such products can often be found on enterprise websites.

There are also combined forms, when blind structures are diluted with a transom located in the upper part. This type is large in size to provide high-quality lighting for the space inside a workshop or warehouse. It is worth noting that the cost of such PVC windows is quite low, which attracts many managers.

Heating and cooling glass

What else is the difference between plastic windows and all others? The presence of a double-glazed window, which makes these designs unique. There are two types, differing in the number of spaces. Double-glazed windows with one chamber are cheaper, but also less temperature-resistant. For severe frosts and high heat, double-glazed windows should be used. Only with the help of such PVC windows will the interior be cool in summer and warm in winter.

The strength of the profile when using a double-glazed window with two chambers should be maximum. Otherwise, if you open such a sash, it may not hold up and become deformed, rendering the structure unworkable. But for elite products this is unacceptable. Therefore, all types of window structures are made from reinforced profiles.

Shutters

Should I put shutters on the windows? You decide. Today they perform only a decorative function, having given up protective functions to more reliable roller shutters and grilles.

On the other hand, shutters can significantly change the appearance of your home. And if you are looking for an inexpensive solution to spruce up its look, then this is what you need.

If you decide to install shutters, designers recommend choosing them according to the intended architectural style. If the task is not only to change the appearance of the house, but also to emphasize the shape of the windows, it is better to opt for shutters in bright colors. Don’t be afraid to use bold colors: cornflower blue, azure or violet, combinations of terracotta colors, tangerine, amber, apricot shades.

Variety of types for residential premises

If production areas require simple structures, then for residential buildings products of more complex configurations are used. This is due to the desire of the owners to obtain beautiful and multifunctional window systems that provide comfortable living. Therefore, in manufacturers’ offices, buyers carefully study every photo of the product offered.

Most often, for apartments, a design with two doors is chosen, one of which can be opened in several planes (turn and tilt).

Triple-leaf plastic windows are also used for spacious rooms. In this case, one part always remains blank, since it does not play a key role either in ventilating the room or in caring for the structure. There are also types in which a blind transom is located at the top. She is responsible only for the light space.

For the construction of buildings according to individual projects, exclusive plastic windows are required. This involves manufacturing not according to accepted standards, taking into account the design of the facade, which looks harmonious when viewed from the street. Such designs look impressive not only in photos, but also in a real project. Arched profile bends are almost always present in such structures. But there may not be so many opening sashes, since the main function of these plastic windows is aesthetics and beauty. But the structures will be reliably protected from external precipitation, as well as wind and other troubles.