10 best tips for choosing plastic windows

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Profile - these are plastic beams from which the window itself is assembled. It differs in the number of chambers, the thickness of the outer walls and internal partitions. The profile is classified by the first three letters of the Latin alphabet: A, B and C. The purpose of the future window and its technical characteristics depend on the class:

Profile	External wall thickness (mm)	Thickness of internal partitions (mm)	Purpose
Class A	2,8	2,5	Apartment, private house, any living space.
Class B	2,5	2,0	Premises with minimal heating: balconies, pantries.
Class C	2,0	Less than 2	Industrial premises. Non-residential buildings without heating.

Class C profile is not used in residential areas. It is very cold and, due to the weakness of the structure, such windows are usually made without opening sashes. Class B is suitable for installation on a balcony or loggia. It already holds heat, but there is no complete insulation. Accordingly, if you have an apartment or a private house, then class A should be taken. This is the only option for residential premises with heating.

Since the profile has external walls and internal partitions, it has air chambers. It is they who make the window warm. That is, the more chambers, the better the cold will be contained. In addition, the number of cavities makes the structure more durable and reliable. Many who installed plastic windows at the dawn of their appearance remember how they crumpled over time, and the plastic deformed. This was due to the lack of cameras. Today it is almost impossible to find a single-chamber profile, and if it is, then its class will be industrial, and the manufacturer will not put opening sashes on the window.

Based on the foregoing, we can give a comparative table that will show where and how best to apply the profile, and how to choose the number of cameras in it:

Number of cameras	Approximate profile thickness (mm)	Temperature norms
1-2	40	Mostly positive temperature or frosts not lower than -5⁰
3-5	58	Up to -30⁰
4-8	70	Up to -50⁰

Simply put, if you live in central Russia and the thermometer in your region rarely drops below -30 degrees, then buying a five-chamber profile simply does not make sense. You will significantly overpay for options that you simply do not need. Accordingly, in the south there is an opportunity to save a lot. Profiles with one or two chambers are the cheapest, but here you need to look at the presence of a metal insert.

Often windows are called metal-plastic. The metal here comes in the form of an insert inside the chamber. It does not serve to create heat, but it strengthens the structure and prevents it from deforming. If the profile has only one or two chambers, then such a design will be very weak and a metal insert must be required. However, almost all modern plastic windows come with it.

Previously, glass or two were simply inserted into wooden windows, so the concept of "double-glazed window" did not exist. Today, technology has completely changed. In the modern window, it is the package that is used. In fact, this is a block of several glasses, hermetically soldered together. Not just two glasses, but a one-piece design.

Heat is retained between the panes, respectively, the more packages you have, or rather cameras, the warmer the window will be. Looking at this aspect is even more important than looking at the number of cameras in a profile. After all, it is glass that occupies the largest area of ​​​​the window, which means that the greatest heat loss will come from it. Also, the amount of glass affects the sound insulation. If you live near a highway or a busy street, you should choose the option with the maximum number of cameras. As a rule, these are 4 cameras, that is, the package will be of 5 glasses.

But in most cases, if we consider the option that you have an apartment or a private house in an ordinary urban area and you live in central Russia, then 2-3 cameras will be enough for you. You should also pay attention to the distance between the glasses in the chamber. The rule here is: the more, the better.

Some manufacturers offer asymmetric cameras with different distances. It is very difficult to say how effective this is, but it should be understood that if you take a multi-chamber double-glazed window with a maximum distance between the blocks, then the thickness of the window itself will increase, and very much. So, the golden mean is 2-3 cameras with a distance between the glasses of 10-16 millimeters.Depending on the climate and the noise level in your street, this parameter can be increased or decreased.

Those who managed to live with old wooden windows probably remember how frost accumulated between the panes in winter, and sometimes the window was so covered with frost that it was impossible to see anything behind it. This does not happen with modern windows. And all thanks to the fact that they use a double-glazed window, that is, a sealed design into which air and moisture do not penetrate.

In the simplest cheap packages, nothing is used. But manufacturers do not stand still and came up with the idea of ​​pumping inert gases into the chambers. They protect against cold, UV and noise. That is, this is additional insulation, and, as practice shows, a single-chamber window with an inert gas inside is more effective than a two-chamber window, but with air.

The most popular gas for injection inside is argon. It increases all window indicators by 50%. Its main competitor is krypton, which performs twice as well as argon. Of course, this factor affects the cost of the entire window, and it is difficult to say which option is the best. It's just that the inert gas window can be thinner and more compact. If this is important to you, look for packages with krypton.

Glasses in the package can be of different thickness, and this parameter may differ on the outer and inner parts. The standard thickness of window glass is 4 millimeters, and many sellers recommend increasing this value if your apartment or private house is located on a noisy street. In fact, there won't be much difference. Even if you set the glass to 6 millimeters, you will not feel a strong difference, so at this stage you can save.

Much more important is the presence of spraying. The easiest way to increase the protective properties is to apply a thin film of tin to the glass. Such a package will be marked with the letter K. According to studies, tin film reduces heat loss by about 25%. Another 5% will add a layer of rare earth materials. It is marked with the letter I. Such a window will cost much more, but its efficiency will also increase.

There are also triplex glass. These are modules soldered together, baked in a special oven. This glass is almost impossible to break. This is precisely its main advantage. Heat loss also decreases, but not as much as when applying an additional coating.

The presence of a protective coating significantly improves the quality of the package, and the best choice is I-spraying with a krypton environment. Such a package will be the most expensive, but at the same time the most efficient in terms of energy saving.

The distance frame is a bar installed between the glasses in the package. Inside it is a special material with absorbent properties. It absorbs condensate and brings it out. It is thanks to this that frost and frost do not accumulate between the panes. The size, that is, the thickness of the frame strictly corresponds to the distance between the glasses, and it can be made of aluminum, steel or plastic.

It is necessary to pay attention to this nuance, since it is the distance frame that creates cold bridges and is a conductor for heat loss. The best option is stainless steel or plastic. They have the lowest coefficient of thermal conductivity, respectively, they are warmer and better neutralize cold bridges.

Each double-glazed window has its own marking, consisting of letters and numbers. All the necessary information is hidden in this code, so before choosing glass, you need to figure out what these ciphers mean. For example, let's take a double-glazed window marked 6-16 ar-4-12 ar-4K.

So, we see three blocks of numbers: 6-16, 4-12 and 4. These are glasses in a package. The first number indicates the thickness of the glass. That is, the outer one is 6 mm thick, and the two inner ones are 4 mm each. It turns out that the package is two-chamber, and argon is pumped into the chambers, as indicated by the letter marking ar.In addition, at the end of the cipher, we see the letter K, indicating that there is tin coating on the inner glass. You can also find the letter I, which indicates a more modern protective coating, and the letter M, which speaks of the frost resistance of glass.

Packet labeling is a good indication of the effectiveness of the window, and you can see this clearly in the comparison table:

Marking	Heat transfer resistance	Sound insulation level (dB)
4-16-4	0,34	25-27
4-16-4K	0,50	26-28
4-16-4I	0,58	26-28
4-16 ar-4	0,56	32-34
4-16 ar-4I	0,62	36-38

As you can see, the protective layers and the inert environment inside the package significantly increase their working potential.

If we continue the table and consider multi-chamber packages with sputtering and a gaseous environment, as well as without it, it becomes clear that a two-chamber package with a sputtering of rare earth metals and a krypton environment is much more efficient than a 4-chamber unit, but without additional chips.

The seal is a frame made of soft material, glued around the entire perimeter of the windows at the points of contact with the frame. This is the case when it is not worth saving. It is the seal that fails first of all and requires regular replacement. If you choose a more expensive, but better quality material from the very beginning, then you will have to change the seal much less often, and each replacement procedure costs money.

Today there are 4 main types of seals:

1. Silicone. The best option on the current market. Durable, wear-resistant and non-deformable.Perfectly withstands temperature changes and does not dry out. But at the same time, it is the most expensive and difficult to glue. For replacement, it is better to call a specialist.
2. EPDM. Rubber heat polymer. Slightly inferior to silicone, but still a very high-quality material, the replacement of which is extremely rare. It is mainly installed on expensive windows.
3. TPE. Thermoplastic. The best option in terms of value for money. Relatively inexpensive, but quite reliable material. He is afraid of strong temperature changes, but you can not call the master to replace him. All the work is easy to do with your own hands, and the seal is inexpensive.
4. Rubber. The cheapest product, not distinguished by quality and reliability. It cracks quickly, is afraid of temperature changes and does not like permanent deformations. Installed on the cheapest windows. It is inexpensive and you can replace it yourself without calling the master.

It is very difficult to recommend which sealant is better to choose. It all depends on your financial capabilities. Of course, the best option is silicone or thermopolymer. They will last the longest, but replacement will still be required sooner or later, and it will cost a decent amount. If you look for value for money, then this is a thermoplastic. As for rubber, it makes sense to put it only because of considerations of total economy.

In theory, advice on choosing a window size should be one of the first, but it is, as they say, taken for granted. True, it is necessary to mention it, since large companies often do not make windows to order, but release them in a standard size. These are giant companies that produce, among other things, a profile, and they simply do not have time to take individual measurements.If you decide to order a window from such a company, then its size may be less than your net opening by about 10 centimeters. This distance can be easily covered with platbands and slopes.

The space between the wall and the frame is filled with mounting foam. It keeps heat well and is an additional fastening of the window. You don't have to worry about cold bridges either. The thermal stability of the foam is even greater than that of brick or concrete, so condensation will not accumulate at the joints.

A modern plastic window is a complex, multifunctional device. It can open in several planes, and, accordingly, is equipped with a large number of fittings. Another aspect that is not worth saving. Plastic Chinese handles will quickly fail, break or simply crack. High-quality fittings should have approximately 50-60 thousand cycles, which corresponds to 10 years of intensive use.

There are several brands on the market that have proven themselves. These are Siegenia Aubi, G-U, Winkhaus and Roto. Their products cannot be called cheap, but they will serve faithfully for many years. In addition, manufacturers give a guarantee, and also assume all costs for maintenance and replacement.

There are many manufacturers on the market today.Some make only windows, others produce a profile on their own. There are three leading companies: KBE, Veka and rehau. You have probably heard these names, even if you do not have plastic windows. The largest and most famous manufacturers from which you can order both the profile and the windows themselves.

Brands guarantee high quality and durability. They have the most advanced production facilities and skilled employees. With them, you can not worry about marriage and shortcomings. Giant companies value their reputation, but the price is higher here. In general, if you are willing to pay a little higher than the market and wait for a while, then it is better to take a window from famous brands.

In addition to the listed brands, you can also highlight companies SALAMANDER, MONTBLANC, KALEVA and TROCAL. They have an excellent combination of price and quality, but they are less popular in the market. True, popularity is more likely to be associated not with quality, but with less aggressive marketing and lower production capacities compared to market leaders.

In addition, at the dawn of its formation, the quality of all the listed brands was inferior to the world giants, and the opinion took root among the people that it is better not to take their products. Today, everything has changed, and, for example, KALEVA windows are not inferior in profile and assembly quality to Rehau or KBE. But the prices here are lower than those of large firms, and the production time will be less. In general, if value for money is important to you, then it makes sense to consider one of these brands and not chase aggressive advertising and promises from big players.