Stained glass is mostly used in public buildings such as shopping malls or hotels. This type of glazing provides a more modern look to the building, and therefore demand has increased dramatically in the past few years.
The convenience of the design of stained glass helps it gradually begin to replace the familiar plastic windows, which, as it seemed a few years ago, are indispensable and the best option.
Features
Stained glass is most relevant in cases where the installation of conventional windows is not possible. At the same time, the building can be given any architectural form and even made into a work of art.
The following materials can be used in the construction process:
- Plastic.
- Steel.
- Polycarbonate.
- Aluminum.
- Tree.
Regardless of whether the glazing is planar, structural, frameless or framed, the result of the work should be a solid glass building. Outwardly, it looks quite modern, unusual, stylish and attractive.
Pros
Undoubtedly, this design has both pluses and minuses. But it's worth starting on the positive side. The advantages of stained glass include:
- Economy. This type of coating is very economical in all its manifestations. In offices with such windows, much less money is spent on electricity, because the room is already well lit. In addition, in terms of materials and installation costs, stained glass is one of the cheapest options.
- Durability. Manufacturers guarantee a service life of at least fifty years. Glazing cannot be weathered or corroded.
- Strength. If you look at the photo of stained glass, you can decide that the design is as fragile as possible. But that's not the case at all. It can withstand impacts up to 80 kilograms, and most designs use armored glass, which is almost impossible to damage.
- Light transmission. Regardless of whether the design is transparent or not, the rays of light will still penetrate into the room and thus make the stay in it more comfortable and cozy.
- Easy to repair. If any of the panel blocks is damaged, do notcompletely change the entire facade. It is enough to replace one panel, and the design will not change its appearance.
- Environmental safety. Any design of this kind is equally safe for both the environment and people. Including an allergic reaction will not occur in children or allergy sufferers.
- Thermal insulation. Stained-glass facade glazing, thanks to its design, allows you to simultaneously keep the heat in the room and not let the frost inside.
- Soundproofing. This type of glazing is absolutely hermetic, and therefore even the loudest sounds from the outside will not be heard in the room.
- Fire safety. The materials used to install these systems are as fireproof as possible. They are not prone to fire or smoke.
- Lightweight and flexible. This type of facade can be installed even on dilapidated or reconstructed buildings due to its low weight.
- Variety of construction types. Facades are not limited in their form, they can be completely different types - voluminous or flat. It all depends solely on the desire of the buyer.
- Variety of colors. The variety of stained glass windows knows no bounds. And even if the material you choose is the wrong color, it can be easily fixed with powder paint that is applied to the glass.
- Attractiveness. As already mentioned, with the help of such structures, you can give a modern look to the building. It is believed that it is with the help of stained glass that modern buildings and even entire cities should be formed.
Cons
But with a huge number of positive qualities of this design, one should also not forget about its undeniable shortcomings:
- This design is strongly discouraged if there is high seismic activity in the region.
- Stained glass is unstable to significant wind loads.
- The effect of "transparent walls" will not be pleasant for everyone. This can especially affect people who are afraid of heights and cause anxiety in them.
- It is the owners of the building that have to spend money on window cleaning, and without it, it will no longer look so expensive and lose all its external charm.
- Some types of glazing are quite poor when it comes to heat savings.
Varieties of systems
Depending on the type of fastening, stained glass systems are divided into:
- Structural.
- Semi-structural.
- Planar.
- False glass.
- Post-transom glazing.
What designs are used most often in Russia? The most common is post-transom glazing (due to the fact that it is the cheapest option). This design option uses a profile that is clearly visible through the glass.
Semi-structural
Such structures are often used for monumental buildings, because this coating helps to givelightness throughout the building. Here, the profiles are no longer so visible, but they can still be seen.
Structural glazing
What are its features? In this type of construction, the profiles are not visible at all. This is due to the fact that end fixation is carried out, and the hollow parts of the seams are carefully hidden by pouring sealant. This type is considered one of the most expensive. Also, during the construction of the structure, you need to take into account the mass of gaps that will help the glass cope with large temperature fluctuations.
Planar glazing
This is a type of frameless glazing of residential and office premises, which is carried out using the so-called spiders. This type is one of the newest, but already rapidly gaining fans.
False stained glass, or hinged
This is a glazing method designed solely to hide any wall imperfections. Rarely used.
There is also another classification of glazing. So, according to the design, the following designs are distinguished:
- Colored.
- Transparent.
In this case, colored designs have an undeniable advantage. They have high resistance to UV rays, high mechanical strength. Mostly this type of construction is used for glass roofs or dome structures.
Requirements for stained glass facades
Are there any special requirements for it? Aluminum stained glass is no differentfrom any other types of facade. For regulatory documents and fire safety measures, the requirements remain the same.
Glazing of balconies and loggias
What is this being done for? Stained-glass glazing of loggias helps to visually increase its area, as well as balconies. This design of loggias can increase the level of light in the room that adjoins it.
Stained glass also helps to turn any design idea into reality, even the craziest one. With the help of this design, you can visually distinguish a balcony or loggia among hundreds of others. Thanks to the large glass area, it is quite easy to give it an individual design and make the loggia more comfortable.
How to insulate?
Insulation of stained glass is especially necessary if the owner of an apartment or house decides to turn his own balcony into a separate room or create an office out of it. Thus, with the onset of cold weather, the homeowner will certainly think about warming the room.
Stained glass balcony has not very good thermal insulation. Therefore, it may be necessary to use additional resources for insulation.
Insulation options
Basically, there are two types of insulation options: when the glazing is already installed and when it is only planned. The second option is more advantageous, because then it will be possible to insulate the glazing itself.
In the case when the glazing has already been installed, you need to understand that now you can try to insulateonly walls, ceiling and floor. In this case, heat loss will be much higher.
Types of insulation
The types of insulation include the following procedures:
- It is necessary to repair all existing and even inconspicuous holes that are at the joints of the frame and the glass itself. Even ordinary polyurethane foam is suitable for this procedure.
- Installation of hydrothermal insulation. In recent years, thermal insulation spraying, which already includes waterproofing, has gained particular popularity. It is also necessary to attach penofol on top of the spraying layer, and additionally process the seams with aluminum tape. Thus, you can extend the life of the insulation.
- If it is planned that the balcony will be used all year round, you should also take care of heating the room.
Below, consider the main types of heating. This information will be useful to anyone who plans to install stained glass balcony glazing.
Types of heating
Due to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to take out heating radiators on the balcony, it is necessary to consider other ways of heating the room. Consider them in more detail:
- The outer side of the parapet can be insulated in many ways. To do this, it must be plastered, sheathed with clapboard or polystyrene foam. Having taken care of the warmth of the walls and ceiling, you must not forget about the floor, because it is because of it that the main heat loss can occur.
- System "warm floor". This option is the most efficient. But when using it, it is better to choose infrared film. It is convenient becausecan be attached not only to the floor, but also to the walls, and even to the ceiling.
Conclusions
So, we found out what are the advantages and disadvantages of such structures. Despite the fact that panoramic glazing looks quite expensive and helps create the feeling of a modern home, it also has a number of disadvantages that must be considered when choosing this design.
The main disadvantage is that installing stained glass windows on your own, without the help of specialists, is an unrealistic task. Indeed, in this case, it will be necessary to fully take into account the technology, adhere to all established parameters and follow all recommendations.
This is quite difficult to do on your own, because any error in the method of installing glazing can lead to serious errors, which include the lack of heat and sound insulation. These two qualities are the most important when it comes to both office and residential space.
Despite the presence of shortcomings, one cannot dispute the fact that panoramic glazing is quite easy to use. In addition, its low cost and quick installation cannot but attract buyers. Therefore, such designs have gained particular popularity in the past few years. It is up to you to decide whether to use stained glass or better to do without it.
