A plastic window in a house should perform a number of practical functions. But since the potential buyer is offered a wide variety of different branded double-glazed windows, it is difficult to immediately figure out which one will ideally perform its functions in each specific case.
In such a double-glazed window there will be two chambers and three glasses, respectively. Two air chambers are formed between the glasses. Thanks to the presence of two chambers at once, rather than one, the thermal insulation and noise insulation properties are significantly improved. Such windows are used not only in residential buildings, but also in industrial and commercial premises, which means their characteristics allow use in demanding premises.
Important!
The three-glass design is one of the most advanced on the modern market. In those regions where winter temperatures drop to minus forty, as well as in large cities with high noise levels, such structures are simply irreplaceable.
Benefits of triple glazing
Three-pane windows are much more durable and reliable than their two-pane counterparts. They have increased resistance to unauthorized entry and burglary, and if a protective film is applied to the inner glass, then the likelihood of thieves breaking into the house is zero.
The air chambers between the glasses are, in fact, not filled with air. They are filled with certain noble gases, such as krypton. This is done in order to improve the quality characteristics of the structure, because the thermal conductivity of inert gas is several times lower than that of air. Thus, the gas will perform a thermal insulation function, and even in the coldest regions, condensation will not accumulate on the seal in winter, and the windows will not fog up.
An additional improvement to the two-chamber system is a special metal coating on two glasses. It reflects infrared light in the long-wave region, and thus significantly improves the thermal insulation of the window. Such glazing is characterized by low heat transfer coefficients, often below unity.
Some manufacturers offer double-glazed windows with a heat transfer coefficient of 0.5 - such windows are already used in modern energy-saving new buildings.
Note!
One of the advantages that becomes decisive when choosing is noise insulation. In large cities, or near industrial facilities, the noise level exceeds permissible standards even during the daytime. Triple glazed windows provide maximum sound insulation.
In those houses where the heating is not centralized, but autonomous, such windows can significantly save on heating costs, since heat loss is reduced significantly compared to double glazing, and the largest amount of heat escapes through window and door openings.
Criteria for selecting a profile, depending on its thickness
Sectional profile. Click to enlarge.
An important characteristic of a PVC profile is its thickness. It depends, first of all, on the number of chambers and indirectly speaks about the ability of the window to retain heat: the wider the profile , the warmer it is, as a rule.
When choosing the optimal profile width of a plastic window, it is necessary to take into account that there are only a small number of options, of which the following should be highlighted:
58 mm . The profile, 5.8 cm wide, is the most popular in the Russian window market. Compared to other, thicker brothers, it stands out due to its low price and fairly tolerable characteristics. As they say - cheap and cheerful. However, if the buyer pursues the goal of glazing a window opening without pretensions to super-results, then plastic window models with a 58 mm profile will fully satisfy his desire.
70 mm . The profile width of 7.0 cm allows the product to accommodate from 3 to 5 cameras. This thickness is more than enough to provide the glazed room with the appropriate level of heat and sound insulation.
90 mm . The widest profile option for PVC windows, which best copes with the issue of heat retention in the apartment. Contains up to 6 cameras. The main disadvantage of this 9.0 cm solution is its price, which is significantly higher than other similar products that have a smaller thickness.
There are also designs whose profile width is quite impressive 110-130 mm! Such windows are also called “Danish” or “Dutch”. They are, so to speak, designed for the amateur.
Disadvantages of triple glazing
Such glazing also has a number of disadvantages that preclude their installation in a number of individual cases. For example, the significant weight of such a structure. Three glasses with a thick profile are quite heavy, which is why such windows are not installed in old, dilapidated houses, as well as wooden houses without additional reinforcements. Not only because it is unsafe, but also because the walls may simply not withstand the applied load, even if they are load-bearing.
When glazing a large area, some difficulties also arise. In large areas - such as popular mirrored facades - heavy glass must be reinforced to improve safety and reliability.
For this purpose, jumpers, vents and other elements are installed. And the heavier the glass, the more such elements there must be, otherwise the glass may simply fall out. But such fortifications significantly worsen the appearance of the facade, complicate installation work, and therefore are considered a disadvantage.
Selection of profile depending on manufacturer and class
When choosing a suitable window profile, in addition to its characteristics, you should take into account its brand and class. Regarding the manufacturers of this type of product, it can be noted that today on the domestic window market you can find a fairly large number of brands that produce various models of plastic windows, differing in their constituent elements and, accordingly, characteristics.
Important! This issue was most fully covered in our previous materials, entitled “Manufacturers of PVC windows” and “Rating of the best plastic windows - top 3 profiles of companies producing PVC structures.”
Now a few words about choosing a profile class. There are two classes of such products:
- A
- B
Class A profile can be used both in residential buildings and geometrically complex facade structures. It has a long service life and has a wall thickness of at least 3 mm.
Class A profile. Click to enlarge.
Due to the design features, the class B profile is usually classified as a budget solution. The main factor influencing the price is the presence of a thin wall of the product. It is precisely because of the savings on the thickness of the material used for the chamber wall that manufacturers of Class B were able to keep prices for their products extremely low. Price comes at a price, however, the buyer should remember that such a marketing ploy cannot but affect the service life of a plastic window equipped with such a profile - the service life of the system will be significantly shorter.
Important! Read about how long plastic windows can last here:.
To summarize all of the above, I would like to draw attention to a very obvious fact: all the elements of a plastic window are interconnected. When choosing a warm double-glazed window, you should also take care of purchasing a warm window profile. Otherwise, the design, due to significant differences in technical characteristics, may turn out to be unbalanced.
Which glazing to choose
When choosing glazing, a number of external and technical factors should be taken into account. For example, the defining parameter will be
- number of floors in the building,
- changes in indoor temperature,
- climate.
In addition, an important determining characteristic is not only the number of glasses, but also their thickness and the type of profile used in the double-glazed window.
Expert opinion!
Triple glazing will be the best option in those rooms where increased sound insulation is required, for example, in a nursery, in a bedroom, in institutions such as schools and kindergartens. If the windows face a noisy street, or the apartment is located on the ground floor, a two-chamber system will come in handy.
In those regions where winters are very cold and protracted, triple glazing is required. Double ones are used on verandas and loggias rather as protection from winds and precipitation.
If the apartment is located on the top floors of a multi-story building, two cameras will also play a protective role from strong winds. But in warm, subtropical climates, double glazing is sufficient. For a balcony, entrance or loggia, a standard single-chamber double-glazed window is quite sufficient.
If the house in which you plan to install windows was built a long time ago or is made of wood, it is better to go with the single-chamber option. There is no point in loading dilapidated buildings and structures that may suffer due to the applied load.
How many cameras should a plastic window have?
The image is clickable.
When considering the characteristics of the light-transmitting PVC structure model you are interested in, special attention should be paid to three points:
- glass unit;
- profile;
- accessories.
The most significant characteristic of a profile is its chamber size, that is, how many chambers it consists of. Their number directly determines how well the plastic profile retains heat.
Profile with three cameras . For residents of regions where cool weather conditions reign most of the year, the most preferable option is a three-chamber window profile. Three chambers reliably protect the structure from blowing, which means they perfectly retain heat in the room. In addition to this, they have a built-in metal frame designed to strengthen the plastic sidewalls. The three-chamber profile of a plastic window, as a rule, has a width of 5.8 cm.
Profile with four or five cameras . Products containing four or five chambers are intended primarily for use in areas of the country where the summer season is not long and the temperature conditions clearly leave much to be desired. The protection provided by a profile with such an increased number of chambers copes with even the lowest temperatures (30 C and below). Therefore, inside the room, glazed with windows with a multi-chamber profile, it will be warm and cozy in any weather. It is worth noting that the use of such windows in warm regions of the country is little justified due to: mild weather conditions; prices that significantly exceed the cost of their three-chamber “brothers”.
Single-chamber and double-chamber profiles. They are mainly used for glazing apartments and private houses located in the southern part of Russia. The design flaw, which does not allow them to efficiently retain heat at low temperatures, is more than compensated for by their price - it is significantly lower than the cost of plastic window models, the profile of which has a larger number of chambers.
Structural elements of plastic profiles. Clicking on the mouse enlarges the image.
As a result . If you need maximum protection from the cold, opt for plastic window models with a 4 or 5 chamber profile. If there is no need for maximum heat conservation in a glazed room, for example, in the southern regions of the country where hot weather prevails, one- or two-chamber PVC structures should be chosen.
For most buyers, the best solution for their home would be to purchase three-chamber systems.
