How to choose the right plastic window?

10 years ago plastic windows were considered a luxury and there was a lot of controversy about their reliability and safety. Today they are installed in almost every house and apartment. How to choose the right plastic window, so it was reliable and quality, because at first glance, they are all the same. And the assortment of such products is already more than sufficient. This article is devoted to the main parameters of the choice of plastic windows.

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Advantages of

plastic windows At the moment when plastic windows appeared on the market, people were skeptical about them, considering their wooden frames to be more reliable and durable. However, PVC windows quickly gained popularity and earned the confidence of consumers. And it's not strange, because they have a lot of advantages:

• External design. Modern models of such windows can be produced in various shapes and colors, sometimes they are difficult to distinguish from wood or metal, so the profile is skilfully made.
• Versatility. PVC products can be installed both in residential buildings and apartments, and in offices and in production.
• Good price. Products have an excellent value for money.
• Practicality. Windows made of plastic are very practical. Frames do not have to be painted every year, as you did with wood, and drafts and excessive audibility of sounds from the street with plastic products will only become a memory. In addition, it is a pleasure to look after such windows, they are not afraid of moisture and do not succumb to the natural processes of destruction.
• Reliability and security. If your house has small children, the plastic window in the apartment will become a reliable barrier for the child. Also, unwanted intrusions from the outside into the house are excluded. Such structures are often equipped with various locks.

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Wood or plastic?

Many still doubt what to choose to replace the wooden rotten windows - a new wooden or plastic.

Natural material, which is a tree, is prone to absorption of moisture. This could not be overlooked when dealing with old window frames. They then formed cracks, when they dried in the sun, they swelled when it was damp in the street.

Important! Modern wooden windows undergo high-tech processing, so their sound and heat insulation qualities are not inferior to plastic ones. But at the same time their cost is much higher than plastic models. Therefore, the latter option is in great demand and popularity.

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How to choose the right plastic window?

Unfortunately, on sale sometimes there are substandard products and fakes, so you need to know how to choose the right plastic window in the apartment, which really will be safe and meet all your expectations.

The main components of the plastic product are the metal-plastic profile and the double-glazed windows. From their type and parameters will depend on the overall characteristics of the window.

Recommendations for choosing a profile:

• Each frame of the window profile must be reinforced inside and reinforced with metal. Inside the plastic profile, a strong steel pipe, square closed section, should be used as an amplifier. Some manufacturers, for the sake of economy, install the amplifier in a profile of a weaker material than steel, or one that does not have a square shape, but a U-shape. As a result, a poor-quality profile is obtained, which in time will begin to deform, which will lead to a general skewing of the window.

Important! When purchasing a plastic window, be sure to specify which frame is installed in the profile. The manufacturer, which has nothing to hide, will necessarily provide samples of their products in the section at the point of sale.

• In addition to the form, the thickness of the metal is very important.

Important! The thickness of the profile to ensure the necessary degree of thermal insulation in the room should be at least 60 mm.

• For the heat-saving properties of the profile, the cameras answer. The camera is an air gap in the profile.

Important! The more chambers in the profile, the better the window will protect the room from low temperatures and the higher the soundproofing properties. But accordingly - the price of the product is higher.

Which window is better?

The most popular today are three-chamber and five-chamber profiles:

• Five-chamber is better suited for houses that are near noisy highways or streets, and if the room is in a zone "open" to the wind.
• In other cases, a three-chamber product is quite comfortable and practical.

The choice of double-glazed windows

One of the important elements of the construction of a plastic window is a double-glazed unit( part consisting of a glass unit).It is a hermetically sealed glass. They also have cameras. To increase the noise reduction index, the air in the chambers should be sparse. Sometimes air is replaced by gas.

There are several types of double-glazed windows: one-chamber( has two glasses), two-chamber( double-glazed window with three panes) and so on. It is very difficult to visually distinguish between types of double-glazed windows.

Important! If you want to know how many glasses have a selected double-glazed window, light a candle or a match near the glass. The number of reflections will correspond to the number of glasses.

As more heat loss( about 70%) is accounted for by glass, there is no need to save on it.

Important! It is recommended to choose plastic windows in an apartment with an energy-efficient double-glazed window. It will not only keep the heat well, but also reduce the load on the hardware and extend the life of the hardware, since it has a lower mass.

Sealing quality also plays an important role. Check the quality of the adhesive joint is quite simple. If you look at the two-chamber window, you see the middle glass, then the sealing is clearly broken and the double-glazed window needs replacement.

Important! The glass packet must have a thickness of at least 30 mm.

Seal on windows

The seal should also be taken into consideration when choosing plastic windows in the house. A poor-quality, too hard or too soft seal will create an unreliable connection of the parts of the window. Slightly fitting flaps in the structure will cause air to enter the room, creating drafts.

Important! To determine - a quality sealer or not, you can conduct such an experiment. Spend a little pressing, with a damp cloth or hand on the sealing element. If there was a trace on the hand, then the sealer is of poor quality and cheap. Therefore, if the manufacturer has saved on the laying, then, most likely, he saved not only on it, and in general the plastic window will not be the best.

Fittings

This element of the plastic window is responsible for opening and closing its flaps. The fittings themselves have a rather complicated mechanism and are placed all around the perimeter of the sash. The quality of the mechanism depends a lot, because you will use it often enough. As a rule, in windows there are 3 modes: opening, closing and airing.

Important! It is recommended to choose a plastic window in which it is possible to adjust the slope of the transom during ventilation. This option is very convenient.

Manufacturer of plastic windows

Today there are many companies that produce high-quality and not very plastic windows. Better, of course, to give preference to well-known brands that are tested by experience and years of service:

• VEKA;
• REHAU;
• Salamander.

It is also better to buy in a reliable store or firm, rather than in a "basement" office, because often the last companies sell not a certified product, but fakes.

Important! If you want to save on buying plastic windows, do not do it to the detriment of the quality of the double-glazed window or the metal-plastic profile. Order from the company to the windows and also installation services - in this case you will save on the installation.

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How to choose the right plastic window for a particular room?

What plastic windows in the apartment it is better to put, what in the house, and what on the balcony? There are many such questions. Let's consider some concrete examples.

PVC windows for house and apartment

The optimal options for home and apartment will be the following window parameters:

• 5-chamber profile with a depth of 70 mm.
• Double-glazed windows with a thickness of at least 30 mm. One glass must be covered with a special energy-efficient material.

Excellent option for good sound insulation and thermal insulation is products with such characteristics:

• Five-chamber profile depth of 86 mm.
• Double-glazed windows with a thickness of at least 40 mm. At least one of the glasses should have an energy-efficient coating.

How to choose the right plastic window on the balcony?

If in a flat a room and a balcony( or a loggia) are combined and the balcony window profile is the only one, it is recommended to select a window with the following characteristics:

• Five-chamber profile, depth 86 mm.
• Double-glazed windows, at least 40 mm thick. Glass should have an energy-efficient coating.

If you just want to insulate the balcony, and you do not have plans to remodel it into a room, then the following option will be good:

• Three-chamber profile, depth 60 mm.
• Double glazed unit single-chamber, thickness, at least 30 mm.

Important! It is recommended when ordering a window in the apartment immediately order and a mosquito net for him. In this case, you do not have to do the window measurements yourself or re-invite specialists to yourself.

When choosing a plastic window in your home, do not rely on the advice of friends and acquaintances. It is necessary to understand most of all the basic criteria for choosing such a product and soberly assess its capabilities and needs. Only in this way you can buy a really optimal replacement for old wooden windows.