To increase the safety class of windows to the required level, you need to use reinforced or armored double-glazed windows to complete them. The level of protection of modernized models depends on what materials and technologies were used in the process of their manufacture. Externally, they are practically no different from ordinary windows. However, their doors and frames still have structural differences. There are other individual features of reinforced structures - this article will tell you about all the individual features and safety classes of armored windows.
Scope of armored windows
Structures with reinforced frames and double-glazed windows have a wide range of applications, as they provide effective protection against professional burglars and armed criminals. Armored windows, which can be purchased from a limited number of manufacturers, are most often ordered for:
- banks;
- objects with museum and historical values;
- offices with a high level of security;
- municipal facilities where protection of government officials is required;
- apartments and private properties;
- windows of expensive stores.
At the request of the customer, armored windows for home, office and any other institution can be supplemented with an infrared barrier that blocks the operation of night vision devices. This expands the scope of application of such products to facilities where, along with increased security, confidentiality is required.
Modern armored glazing from
Our company produces custom-made armored glazing and undertakes all installation and service work. To call a specialist to your site for free, just fill out the online order form on our website.
We are sure: bulletproof structures for your home or office should look modern and aesthetically pleasing. They should not stand out from their peers, attracting the attention of intruders and as if indicating that something truly valuable is stored behind this door or window. Our armored glazing is a classic concept of security and absolute reliability, embodied in structures manufactured in accordance with the latest engineering developments in the field of security systems. One of these is the “Anti-sniper” system we use, which allows us to impart enhanced protective properties to seemingly ordinary glass.
Anti-sniper glass technologies are most in demand in the banking and jewelry industries. Our regular customers are government agencies and commercial facilities. However, recently representatives of the private sector have become increasingly interested in armored glazing. Specialists know everything about the production and installation of armored and bulletproof structures. We are ready to provide you with a full range of services in the field of anti-sniper glazing.
Protection classes of armored windows
Reinforced double-glazed windows are designed for different operating conditions. A window with armored glass can be simply shockproof or bulletproof. The protection class is determined by laboratory tests. Moreover, for each security level, its own tests are carried out:
- class “A” - checked with a ball;
- class “B” - the strength of the product is tested with a hammer or an ax;
- class “C” – will be tested with small arms.
Depending on the technology, materials used and test results, each product is assigned a specific class. The cost of windows and their scope of application depend on this parameter. When choosing the right model, you need to take into account that the classes are divided into separate categories.
Class "A"
The strength of products is tested using a metal ball, which is thrown from different heights onto a glass surface. Based on the test results, the final strength class is determined:
- A1 – height 3.5 m (applied force – 141 J);
- A2 – height 6.5 m (applied force – 262 J);
- A3 – height 9.5 m (applied force – 382 J).
The ball is dropped three times to make sure that if the integrity of the glass is damaged, the fragments will remain on the film.
Class “A” windows are installed only in cases where it is necessary to provide protection from flying fragments. They are not designed for more, since such glass can be broken without any problems if force is applied.
Class "B"
The purpose of windows in this category is burglary protection. Such glass is tested for strength with a heavy hammer or ax. They must withstand at least 30 strong blows. In this case, product safety is systematized as follows:
- B1 – withstands from 30 to 50 blows;
- B2 – withstands from 50 to 70 blows;
- B3 – withstands more than 71 blows.
Class “B” window models must be assembled from reinforced profile systems and equipped with anti-burglary fittings. Only with this configuration will they be able to provide the required level of safety. Otherwise, installing impact-resistant double-glazed windows loses all meaning - windows made from ordinary profiles and fittings are easy to break into by other means.
Class "C"
Models of this class are of greatest interest to buyers of armored windows. They provide protection against small arms and almost completely eliminate the possibility of hacking. Currently, manufacturers offer 6 types of bulletproof glass:
| Kinds | Degree of protection |
| C1 | from Nagan and PM (Makarov) from a distance of 5 meters |
| C2 | from a Tokarev pistol, hunting rifles and a special small-caliber pistol |
| C3 | from AK 74 and AKM with non-hardened bullets |
| C4 | from the Pecheneg machine gun, SVD and AKM rifles with a special B3 bullet |
| C5 | from an SVD rifle with a heat-strengthened 9.6 g bullet |
| C6 | from the OSV-96 rifle |
Today, manufacturers can additionally protect armored glass from fogging and icing. Such features of products must be specified immediately when ordering. The higher the level of protection, the thicker and heavier the structures. This also needs to be taken into account immediately when preparing a facility for the installation of bulletproof structures.
To classify armored windows, both the Latin alphabet - A, B, C, and the Cyrillic alphabet - A, B, V can be used. The characteristics of the products in such cases are absolutely the same.
Armored windows
An armored window, the price of which depends on the safety class of the glass unit and the type of frame, can be made of wood, aluminum and plastic. It is also possible to assemble structures from combined profiles.
Wooden armored windows
For a window with a wooden frame to be considered armored, it is not enough to equip it with reinforced double-glazed windows. This model can only be classified as burglar-resistant. Real armored wooden windows are protected along the perimeter of the frames and sashes with durable steel or titanium plates. Such models are able to withstand shooting. Thanks to the reinforcement with plates inside the timber, bullets do not penetrate through the wooden elements of the window frame.
In the manufacture of sashes and frames, traditional species for our regions are used - larch, pine and oak. Since armored models of this type are most often used for glazing objects with respectable interiors, manufacturers offer clients luxury fittings. At the customer's request, windows can be decorated with carved wooden elements.
Aluminum armored windows
Aluminum is a soft metal, therefore, without additional reinforcement, profiles made from it are not able to provide a high safety class. Systems with steel liners and modernized walls that have transverse stiffeners have been specially developed for armored windows. They are able to withstand a shot and the impact of a cutting tool. It is also possible to use conventional profiles with steel plates in the internal chambers, since the main protection is provided by durable liners. To prevent aluminum windows from letting in the cold, special “warm” systems are used for their production.
Combined armored windows
These models have decorative wood overlays. The main profile of such structures is aluminum. It has reinforcement ribs and steel liners. On the inside of the room, the frames and sashes of the armored windows are decorated with wooden elements. This configuration option is perfect for those cases where the expensive interior of the premises is decorated in a classic style. Thanks to aluminum, the outer side of the structure is invulnerable to the effects of precipitation and ice, and from the inside the windows look expensive and respectable.
A combined armored window, which costs more than basic aluminum models, is not only more beautiful, but also energy efficient. Internal wooden linings additionally serve as a heat insulator. Taking into account the use of metal in the manufacture of such windows, an additional barrier to the cold is a plus for the entire structure. In combination with polymer liners, wooden linings improve the thermal insulation properties of sashes and frames.
Plastic armored windows
At best, armored plastic windows assembled from PVC profiles will provide protection against professional burglary for some time. As a result, in most situations there is no point in equipping them with bulletproof double-glazed windows. This configuration makes sense only in the manufacture of armored plastic windows for cash registers, which are installed indoors. In other cases, PVC profiles and reinforced double-glazed windows are used to assemble class “A” and “B” structures.
Types of decoration of impact-resistant windows
In addition to a high level of protection, such window designs can become a decoration for your home. For this, various decoration methods are used.
| Laminated windows | Stained glass | Tinting of double-glazed windows | Layouts |
For plastic windows, you can apply lamination and, instead of the standard white, you can get any other color or give the plastic an external resemblance to wood - both in color and texture. You can decorate an armored double-glazed window and give the windows individuality through stained glass, as well as using decorative layouts - frames and false frames. If you want to protect your personal space from prying eyes or reduce the intensity of bright sunlight, you can make impact-resistant double-glazed windows using tinting film.
Armored double glazed windows
Reservation of double-glazed windows is carried out during their assembly at the initial stage. This procedure involves gluing several glasses using a special PVB film. Polymer coating must be used for several reasons:
- for shock absorption
- to absorb the impact force of an object hitting the window; - for safety
- cracked glass remains on the film and does not fly apart in different directions; - to increase impact strength
- the coating makes the glass more resistant to impacts.
Reserving double-glazed windows with film is the most common and affordable method.
Thanks to the use of this technology, manufacturers have reduced the weight and cost of double-glazed windows. Windows with different safety classes have their own thickness of polymer film. Its minimum value is 300 microns. The use of this coating has little effect on the light transmittance of structures. It is 85-90% for armored windows. Also, reinforced glass does not have image distortion. To increase strength, the “layer cake” of polymer sheets and glass is glued together in an autoclave. If window film armoring is carried out in violation of technology, delamination is possible. The use of recyclable materials is not allowed, since the polymer coating made from it is less durable and turns yellow over time. Color changes lead to deterioration in the optical characteristics of windows.
For the manufacture of models of increased strength, special tempered glass is used. In combination with a polymer film, this “multi-layer cake” provides reliable protection against bullets fired from automatic weapons and sniper rifles.
What double-glazed windows are used for vandal-proof windows?
For the production of double-glazed windows, tempered glass, triplex glass or shockproof film are used.
| Shockproof film is made from thin polymers applied to glass in several layers. The film can be of different thicknesses and its main task is to prevent the scattering of traumatic fragments in the event of glass breaking. The film not only holds the glass in the frame, but also prevents the spread of fire in the event of a fire. | Tempered glass is ordinary glass that has gone through a process comparable to tempering steel. The glass becomes very durable, but if it is broken, it will crumble into small, non-traumatic fragments. | Triplex is a structure that consists of several glasses glued together using a special film or resin and pressed using the autoclave method. Triplex double-glazed windows can withstand serious impacts; they can be transparent or colored, energy efficient and noise-proof. |
Double-glazed windows with triplex glass, in addition to excellent protective qualities, also have increased sound insulation characteristics and are often used in the production of sound-absorbing windows.
Window armoring with film
If the armoring film is applied to the windows by their owner already during their operation, the shockproof properties can only be improved. Such modernization is most often carried out for structures made of PVC or conventional aluminum profiles. It is impossible to provide protection from firearms and professional burglars in this way. Windows covered with film can withstand a blow from a ball, fist or small pebble. It is unrealistic to replace real armored products with them.
Most often, the film is glued to double-glazed windows to protect children from splinters on the interior side. This is done when, for various reasons, it was not possible to immediately install impact-resistant triplex windows. How to properly stick the film onto a double-glazed window yourself, read the instructions on OknaTrade. When increasing the level of child safety, it is recommended to additionally install fittings that prevent the child from falling out of the window.
