A window does more than let in light and air; it serves as a crucial barrier against the elements, keeping your home safe from rain, wind, cold, and heat. Modern windows have become essential design features, offering functionality and style that can transform a room’s atmosphere and add a unique touch of elegance. This article will guide you through the important considerations to keep in mind when selecting the perfect windows for your home.
Classification of Windows
The following types of windows are currently available on the market:
Wooden Windows
Wooden windows create a special atmosphere of home warmth and comfort, promote natural air exchange, and prevent the formation of condensation indoors. Modern models, unlike those installed in the last century, have excellent performance characteristics and are reliable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing.
Advantages:
• retains heat perfectly;
• there are windows with beautiful patterns;
• environmental friendliness;
• with proper care they are durable;
• easy to repair
Disadvantages:
• they are sensitive to moisture and temperature, so they can swell and dry out;
• they require regular impregnation with chemical solutions to extend their service life;
• high price.
Service life: From 15 to 40 years or more (depending on the wood; oak windows can last 100 years).
Plastic Windows
PVC windows are a universal and most practical option for any residential and non-residential premises. Plastic windows from leading manufacturers are reliable and durable. They significantly reduce heat loss and allow you to save on heating and air conditioning. Plastic windows are resistant to severe frosts and difficult climatic conditions, and they are also quite inexpensive.
Advantages:
• not subject to corrosion;
• resistant to temperature fluctuations;
• good noise insulation parameters;
• high strength (due to steel reinforcement);
• affordable price.
Disadvantages:
• environmental friendliness is lower compared to wooden windows;
• they cannot be restored (defects in the plastic profile cannot be eliminated);
• seasonal adjustment is required.
Service life: From 15 to 40 years (depending on the manufacturer).
Aluminum Windows
Aluminum window profiles have good burglary protection, excellent heat and noise insulation, resistance to high and low temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, moisture, and moderate mechanical loads. At the same time, the structures are very light and do not require additional strengthening or reinforcement during installation.
The main advantage is the virtually unlimited variability of shapes and sizes, including the possibility of producing frames for openings of large areas or non-standard geometry.
Advantages:
• corrosion resistance;
• biological inertia;
• reliability, strength, light weight;
• not subject to combustion.
Disadvantages:
• aluminum windows are not compatible with all architectural styles;
• high thermal conductivity (therefore, during production you need to use a thermal pad).
Service life: Up to 70-80 years old.
Fiberglass Windows
Windows made from glass composite profiles are characterized by high strength and load-bearing capacity. Their design is simpler compared to aluminum or plastic window systems: there are fewer chambers in the profile and there is no metal reinforcement. Due to such design features, cold bridges do not appear in the profile of this type of window. Fiberglass windows do not deform due to temperature changes.
Advantages:
• high moisture resistance, heat resistance, and strength;
• thermal conductivity like wooden window systems;
• maintainability;
• the windows do not rust and do not support combustion.
Disadvantages:
• since fiberglass does not bend, it is impossible to make arched structures;
• they cost more than PVC windows.
Service life: on average 50 years.
Depending on the frame material, the cost of replacing windows may vary. So, for aluminum windows, the cost is about $300 – $850, and for wooden windows $647 – $1,620. In general, the national window installation cost, including material and labor, is $1,000 – $5,000.
How to Choose a Window Type Based On The Number of Glass Units?
Window systems, in addition to materials, differ in types of double-glazed windows, which can be:
• Single-chamber (2 glasses 4-7 mm thick). This is the most inexpensive option, it is lighter in weight (only 20 kilograms per 1 square meter), therefore, it puts less load on the fittings. Such windows transmit light best (80-85%). Noise protection – up to 26 dB. Its service life is usually the longest. If such a double-glazed window is equipped with heat-reflecting glass and filled with gas (argon, krypton, or xenon), then its characteristics will not be inferior to a standard double-glazed window but will cost less.
• Double-chamber (3 glasses). This is the most common type of double glazing. These double-glazed windows protect quite well from noise (from 30 dB). Light transmittance reaches 75%. Since they weigh quite a lot, a strong frame and reliable window fittings are required. Such windows are not suitable for installation in rooms with thin walls. Such solutions are optimal for apartments, country houses for year-round use, offices, etc.
• Three-chamber (4 glasses). They best protect against heat loss (25% more effective than double-glazed windows) and noise (30-40 dB), but at the same time have the lowest light transmittance (only 65%). Windows with such double-glazed windows weigh a lot (40 kilograms per 1 square meter) and are expensive.
The average cost of installing single-pane windows is $200 – $650, installing double-pane windows can reach $450 – $1,400, and installing triple-pane windows can reach $550 – $3,550.
Windows In Color – a Modern Trend in Interior Design
In addition to functionality and ergonomics, the appearance of windows is also an important factor.
Colored window profiles help create a unique style concept in which both the interiors of individual rooms and the exteriors of buildings as a whole are decorated.
There are several ways to give windows the desired color and texture: pasting with film, painting with liquid paints, and lamination.
Advantages of colored window types:
• improved protection from external aggressive influences: ultraviolet radiation, temperature changes, mechanical damage;
• increased service life and preservation of the original technical and operational characteristics of double-glazed windows;
• prevention of fading and burnout under the influence of sunlight, which is especially important for gradually yellowing PVC windows;
• possibility of restoration and re-application of paints and varnishes;
• variability of design – for example, when painting with paints and varnishes, windows can be made in more than 50,000 shades that will suit any interior and exterior.
To choose the most suitable window profile option in terms of functionality, ergonomics, and appearance, you need to take into account many factors, including material, color, and service life. To find reliable contractors near you, use the proven MyHomeQuote service. Here you can also estimate in advance the cost of replacing or installing windows, taking into account all the important factors.
All images by © Tim Van de Velde, Courtesy of i29. See more of this project – Open Park Villa by i29 Architects
