Comparison of manufacturers of plastic window profiles. How to choose the right plastic windows - detailed instructions

Plastic windows have long taken a strong place in the market among other glazing systems. Thanks to their excellent technical characteristics, they create maximum comfortable conditions for living and working. Today are the best plastic windows Produced in Germany, Austria, Turkey and Russia. Which of them are the standard, and which ones should you refrain from purchasing?

Technical characteristics of plastic windows

At first glance, a plastic window seems to be a simple structure consisting of a profile, a double-glazed window and handles. But, in fact, which significantly affect the functionality and specifications window.

A high-quality plastic window must have the following parameters:

• reliability;
• durability;
• high level of heat saving;
• moisture resistance;
• sound insulation;
• protection from drafts;
• protection from dust and insects.

The main one is the heat saving indicator.

Owners of apartments with low-quality glazing know first-hand what problems can arise in winter. Cold air pushes through the cracks, and even heating system in combination with additional heaters, it cannot cope with maintaining normal room temperature.

If you install the best plastic windows in your apartment, then even at an air temperature outside the window of -5 o C, the air near the windowsill will not drop below +20 o C. This effect is due to the complex design of the profile, consisting of several air chambers, as well as the presence double glazing.

Sound insulation is a pressing issue for owners of apartments whose windows overlook a noisy highway, nightclub or other crowded object. Protection from drafts is provided by rubber seals installed around the perimeter of the frame, as well as high-quality three-layer installation seam. Among other things, plastic windows protect your home from burglars. With each passing year, manufacturers are improving their protection mechanisms, increasing the reliability of both locking devices and the entire profile as a whole. Special films on glass will help protect against exposure to direct sunlight and infrared radiation: anti-glare, tinted, mirror.

Plastic profile

Almost all technical characteristics of a plastic structure depend on the profile. Let's consider its main features. Each manufacturer produces a profile using its own technology. There are: three-chamber, four-chamber, five-chamber and even eight-chamber profiles. It is impossible to see the number of cameras on a finished window, so in offices there are samples from which you can study the window in section. All types of profiles are hollow inside and differ in the number, location and thickness of the partitions. The partitions form chambers that are filled with air. As you know, air is a very good insulator. Therefore, cameras provide good thermal insulation profile.

The best plastic windows have a large chamber in the center of the profile, which is called the “reinforcement chamber”.

A metal U-shaped or square profile is inserted into this chamber and performs the following functions:

• imparts rigidity to the entire structure;
• increases resistance to wind loads;
• increases resistance to weight loads;
• saves the window geometry.

Additional chambers on one of the sides of the profile ensure a tighter fastening of the fittings. The minimum requirements for a plastic window include three chambers and a depth of 60 mm. The best option for the Russian climate is a five-chamber profile with a depth of 70 mm. Qualitative PVC profile made of homogeneous material that is resistant to deformation, oil, moisture, solvents and can withstand sharp changes temperatures Its surface should be smooth, even, without grain and mechanical damage. The exception is profiles with a surface that imitates texture natural materials, for example, a tree.

The plastic profile is absolutely odorless and does not melt under the influence of direct sunlight. In addition, it has excellent fire-resistant properties. Unlike aluminum profiles, plastic can be used to produce window structures of the most unusual shapes and sizes: round, triangular, arched, trapezoidal. The most popular companies producing profiles for plastic windows are REHAU, KBE and NOVOTEX.

1. REHAU - one of the oldest manufacturers of PVC windows. Window designs of this brand occupy the highest positions in sales and quality of service. The brand's products are often installed in medical and preventive institutions, since only safe materials are used in the manufacturing process.
2. KVE profile - a modern representative of plastic windows. It is manufactured according to the latest innovative technologies without the use of lead. The cost of structures made from the KBE profile is 10% lower than branded analogues.
3. Windows from NOVOTEX profile belong to the budget category. It is distinguished by good quality characteristics, ideal whiteness of the front surface and the presence of an original bead with a beveled angle of 35 degrees.

Review-comparison of which windows are better KVE or REHAU you can see .

Double-glazed window

When choosing plastic windows, customers pay great attention to the profile, forgetting about the existence of a double-glazed window.

• The profile occupies only 20% of the area of ​​the product, and the double-glazed window takes up the remaining 80%. When choosing quality windows, you should pay attention to the product as a whole. To understand which plastic windows are best installed in an apartment, you need to consider the following factors and preferences:
• whether permanent residence in the premises is planned, or its operation as a warehouse or office;
• Is frame density and color a priority?
• family budget possibilities;

intensity of light transmission of the window. Windows of the "standard" class are equipped with a double-chamber double-glazed unit with a thickness of 32 mm for 3 glasses, one of which is energy-saving. The "elite" class windows have a double-glazed unit 40 mm thick with one energy saving glass

, plus chambers filled with heat-saving gas - argon. In general, such a window is 15% warmer compared to a standard class window. To increase energy efficiency, silver oxide is applied to one of the surfaces of the glass during its manufacturing process, which reflects infrared radiation. A ordinary glass skips most of it, releasing heat rays along with it. To improve safety and protective properties window design It is recommended to install a double-glazed window made of laminated safety glass coated with protective films class A1, A2 or A3.

A single-chamber double-glazed window consists of two glasses. The distance between the glasses is determined by the size of the spacer frame. The frame is based on a desiccant that prevents condensation from settling inside the glass unit chamber. Due to the peculiarities of the Russian climate, it is recommended to install windows with double-glazed windows consisting of three glasses. The distance between them is also determined by the spacer frame.

Over the past 15-20 years, plastic windows have literally become an integral part of any work related to both construction and renovation. This is not at all surprising, given their high performance characteristics and properties, as well as ease of installation and maintainability. In addition, the most important reason for the frequent use of plastic windows is modern technology, which has reduced the cost of an initially quite expensive design. As a result of their introduction, PVC windows turned out to be quite competitive compared to wooden structures, often offering more high quality the resulting design.

Plastic windows - description, pros and cons

The design of a plastic window is fundamentally practically no different from an ordinary wooden one. The only difference is that instead of solid blocks of wood as load-bearing structure Multi-chamber profiles made of polyvinyl chloride are used.

The main material used in the production of plastic windows is polyvinyl chloride. It refers to thermoplastics, that is, plastics that, after initial molding, retain the possibility of subsequent processing. When producing profiles for windows, various modifying, stabilizing and other additives are added to PVC to achieve the necessary properties of strength, light resistance, colors and shades, as well as resistance to atmospheric factors from the material.

The scope of application of plastic windows is extremely wide - they can be used in almost any residential, public or industrial buildings. In this case, it is simply necessary to select a type of design that meets the specific requirements.

Advantages of plastic windows

The rapidly gaining popularity of the design in question is largely due to its undoubted advantages:

• tightness of the structure. Plastic windows provide high levels of both sound and heat insulation;
• environmental friendliness. Despite the fact that polyvinyl chloride is a product of the chemical industry, like ready material it is absolutely harmless, at least the variety that is used in the production of window profiles;
• variety of sizes, options, types and appearance of the structure. The modern technological level allows us to produce almost any design of a plastic window, taking into account individual characteristics and wishes. Even manufacturing a window of non-standard sizes rarely takes more than 1-15 weeks. In addition, it is possible to obtain any frame color, including various shades of wood;

• reliability, strength and durability of the structure. The properties of plastic allow windows made from it to guarantee trouble-free operation of the product for several decades;
• ease of maintenance and operation. Plastic windows do not require special care or maintenance, additional painting or other similar measures;
• relatively low cost. Price per different kinds plastic windows are quite different. But we can say with confidence that it is quite competitive in comparison with wooden ones, if we take products of similar properties and characteristics.

Disadvantages of plastic windows

Like any building structure or material, plastic windows also have a number of disadvantages:

• high installation requirements. Despite the fact that installing plastic windows is not too difficult technological process and can be done independently, nevertheless it has a number of nuances and features that can seriously affect the quality of the work and the resulting design. Therefore, it is better to entrust the work to specialists, but even at the same time control its implementation;

An example of installation of structures is shown in the following video:

• tightness of the structure. It’s a little paradoxical that this property of plastic windows has both advantages and disadvantages. However, most residential buildings built earlier do not have a forced ventilation system. Under such conditions, even a slight ability wooden windows providing air circulation turns out to be a generally favorable factor. This must be taken into account when renovating old houses, in which wooden windows often played the role of the only supplier of fresh air. Of course, the best way out of this situation is regular ventilation of the premises, but this is sometimes difficult in winter conditions.

As can be seen from the above lists of advantages and disadvantages, plastic windows have extremely attractive properties and characteristics that ensure their frequent use and popularity

Types of plastic windows

There are several characteristics that classify the types of PVC windows.

Based on the number of valves, they are distinguished:

• single-leaf. In most cases they are made to open;
• double-leaf. Most often, one leaf is made to open;
• tricuspid. To save money, there is often only one opening sash, which makes the window inconvenient to use, in particular, it is extremely problematic to clean it. Tricuspid structures with two opening doors are less common, and very rarely - with three. The reason for this is a serious increase in the cost of the product.

According to the opening method there are:

• deaf. This window does not open; its main drawback is that it is impossible to get to the outside. A logical and easily explainable advantage - low price production and installation;
• windows that open into the room using a rotary opening method. Their structure is similar to standard and familiar wooden windows, easy to use and maintain;
• transom windows that open by tilting. The window opens by turning it horizontally. It is also often used for wooden windows. In this case, the sashes tilt either down or up, depending on the design;
• windows that open in a combined way. The most complex of all possible window devices, however, the most convenient and therefore widespread. It requires high-quality fittings for the opening mechanisms, as well as careful operation, as it can be damaged quite easily. Minor shortcomings are fully compensated by the maximum available level of convenience and comfort during operation.

Based on the number of cameras there are:

• single-chamber. It is easy to determine that such a window is designed with two glasses that form a chamber between them;
• two-chamber. By analogy with the previous option: three glasses, two cameras between them;
• three or more chambers. The principle is simple, clear and similar to the previous ones.

The number of chambers primarily affects the thermal insulation properties of a PVC window. Currently, two- or three-chamber structures are most often installed.

For most regions of the Russian middle zone, the installation of at least two-chamber plastic windows in residential buildings is mandatory.

At the request of the customer, even more reliable and high-quality three-chamber ones are often installed.

They are distinguished by shape the following types plastic windows;

• rectangular. The standard and most common form of window, which is designed and then installed in almost all residential buildings;
• arched, trapezoidal, triangular, etc. Modern technologies make it possible to produce plastic windows of almost any shape according to individual order. But it should be taken into account that their cost will be higher than for standard rectangular ones. The exact amount of this increase depends on the complexity of the required form.

The above classification of plastic windows shows how diverse this design can be. Any customer can easily choose exactly the option that suits him.

Accessories for plastic windows

Fittings for a plastic window are considered to be various movable or fixed additional elements and components. These include hinges, locks, handles, and combs. The quality of the fittings used largely determines the degree of reliability and comfort of use of a plastic window. Also accessories for correct installation must provide a tight and airtight fit that does not allow even the slightest blowing at the connection point.

Any manufacturer or supplier of plastic windows always provides a wide range of fittings that can be installed on selected plastic windows. It is quite logical that, as a rule, the most expensive components are of the highest quality.

Often the price of fittings reaches 15% of the total cost of plastic windows.

We should not forget that high-quality and reliable fittings are an important element that ensures and guarantees security against unauthorized entry into the room where plastic windows are installed. Even special anti-burglary fittings have been developed, making it extremely difficult for thieves to get into the apartment through the windows.

Fogging - causes and solutions

One of the most common problems when using plastic windows is the fogging of the glass, in other words, the appearance of condensation on them. There may be several reasons for this:

• high level of indoor humidity. Most types of plastic windows are designed for normal humidity levels. To achieve this, it is quite enough to regularly ventilate the premises, since high humidity harmful to the inhabitants of the apartment or office, and not just to the windows;

• disruption of convection processes. Convection is the process of movement and mixing of air, in which warm layers rise and cold layers, accordingly, fall down. Often, when the radiators are cluttered (namely, windows are almost always installed above them, although it would be more correct to say that the radiators are mounted under the window openings), warm air deliberately hits the windows, rather than spreading freely throughout the room. This leads to heating of the glass and the appearance of condensation. The problem can be solved simply - eliminating obstacles to air movement, in extreme cases - a couple of additional holes in the window sill;
• poor quality window or incorrect installation. A similar problem becomes clear quite quickly. Therefore, the optimal solution in this case is to contact a company that installs or sells low-quality plastic windows.

Plastic windows are a modern building structure with high consumer properties and characteristics. With proper installation, they can provide comfortable and convenient operating conditions for a long time.

ABOUT It seems that the history of the origin of the plastic window is very long and interesting.

They came up with whiter over 50 years ago. Initially, plastic windows were invented by the Americans. But everyone knows that the best plastic windows are made by the Germans; the question immediately arises, why?

The fact is that plastic windows were actually invented by the Americans, but they thought it was a bad idea. Because, in their opinion, plastic is not a reliable building material. And they assumed that this business would not bring them money or fame! But the Germans, who are good builders, liked this idea. They were inspired to develop and promote this project, to present a new product to the world. That's how it all happened.

The first release of plastic windows gained popularity, both for their beauty and quality, and for their high cost. At first, only rich people could afford to install plastic windows. Over the years, the popularity of plastic windows has grown, and is still growing, prices are falling, quality is improving, now everyone can afford such a luxury.

But many are stopped by one question: is it worth it?

Plastic windows really have a lot positive characteristics and qualities:

1. Does not require additional finishing.
2. Has high sound insulation.
3. Has high thermal insulation.
4. Has high tightness.
5. It is airtight.

And the most satisfying feature of plastic windows is their long service life.

Soundproofing.

Sound insulation, this characteristic of a plastic window, serves as a barrier and protection from noise coming from the street. And on the contrary, it serves as a barrier to the sound coming from the house.

Made in such a way that the windows have one frame and single-chamber double-glazed window reduce the sound level by 30-35 dB, and with double-glazed windows by 32-40 dB. It is possible to increase sound insulation to 40-49 dB, in this case it is necessary to use two window sashes, and with double sashes you can achieve sound insulation from 45 to 56 dB.

Thermal insulation.

One of the main characteristics of a plastic window is thermal insulation. This characteristic is assessed using the reduced heat transfer resistance, so it turns out that the higher the indicator, the better the thermal insulation of the plastic window.

If we compare brickwork and ordinary glass, both one and the other have the same thermal conductivity, which means that this is where the main heat leakage occurs, which indicates poor airtightness of the room. To increase the thermal insulation of a plastic window, use two or three glass sheets in one package, install them at a distance from each other from 6mm to 20mm, thereby creating air cushions (gaps). This air cushion serves as a good heat insulator.

To increase the thermal insulation of a plastic window, naturally transparent gas is pumped into the air gap between the glasses, thus the thermal insulation of the window can be increased by 15-20%. There are the following types of gas used:

1. Xenon.
2. Krypton.
3. Sulfur hexafluoride.
4. Argon .

Each of the above gases is used depending on the width of the gap between the glasses.

Airtightness.

Air tightness is also an important characteristic of plastic windows; it ensures air exchange in the room.

Air exchange in apartments is carried out using exhaust ventilation of the entire building. Also Fresh air must enter the apartment through windows and doors, regardless of their position (closed or open). According to all standards, the air exchange coefficient should not exceed 6 kg/m2*h at a value of 10 Pa. Plastic windows really have many positive qualities. If you choose them, they will justify themselves, and you will not regret it.