The design of any buildings is impossible without windows, the dimensions and appearance of which depend on the mandatory requirements for lighting the room. Not the last factor influencing the choice and shape of windows are the preferences of the owner of the future house or apartment.
Recently, it has become popular to install large windows in rooms, the dimensions of which go beyond the standard.
Types of windows, depending on the material
There are only three types of materials that are used to make windows:
- PVC;
- tree;
- aluminum.
The oldest, which has become a traditional option, is wooden. These were in every room and had a number of drawbacks, which led manufacturers to look for a more practical material for making windows.
They required constant care and systematic repairs, were not airtight and had poor heat and sound insulationindicators.
Today, wooden windows have improved. For their manufacture, durable types of wood are taken, which can be processed with special compounds to extend its service life. And instead of the usual once glass, durable double-glazed windows are used. The only thing that has remained unchanged in wooden windows is the environmental friendliness and naturalness of its components. So large wooden windows are a perfectly acceptable option for those who want to protect themselves and their loved ones as much as possible.
The second type of windows on the list (but the first in popularity) are PVC windows. They have the following benefits:
- multifunctional;
- durable;
- sealed;
- have high thermal insulation and sound insulation;
- easy to care for;
- virtually no repairs needed.
It is thanks to such positive characteristics that they are gaining immense popularity in the modern world. Today you can order plastic windows of large sizes, various shapes and colors.
The aluminum version has a small segment in the market for similar products, and is installed mainly in utility or warehouse bases.
Benefits of large windows
Many are attracted to these types of windows due to the fact that it looks spectacular and serves as a decoration for the home, especially if the owner has a beautiful panoramic view.
In other cases, decoration is possible, which implies various options for decorating glass (stained-glass windows, overlays, etc.).
Large windows allow you to perfectly illuminate the room, thereby creating a wonderful mood for the inhabitants of the house. Panoramic windows have an amazing property to visually expand the space, which makes them versatile. These windows can be installed in both large and small rooms.
Size standards
For a long time, most construction projects were carried out according to several options, the window sizes in which were standard and had a range of width and height indicators depending on the number of wings.
And now these figures have been preserved. A window with two sashes has the following standards: height -1 meter 30 centimeters, width - 1 meter 40 centimeters.
Three-leaf windows: width - from 2.5 meters to 2.7 meters, height - 1.4 meters.
According to GOST, the following sizes of window openings are established: height 60, 90, 120, 135, 150, 180 centimeters; width 60, 90, 100, 120, 135, 150, 180 centimeters. Those that have parameters that do not correspond to these indicators refer to windows of non-standard sizes. Large windows have dimensions from 180 centimeters in width or height.
Shapes of plastic windows
Highly developed production allows us to produce plastic windows of any size and configuration. The standard shapes of PVC windows are a rectangle and a square, they are very common, their cost is low, they are installed quickly and quite simply. But non-standard forms of double-glazed windows have a huge variety.
The following double-glazed windows are more common than others:
- arched and round shape;
- oval;
- triangular;
- in the form of a trapezoid;
- hexagonal.
There are octagonal windows and even in the form of a flower or a rhombus. Here, only the customer's imagination is the limit.
Arched plastic windows
This type of window gives the building a mystique, it is unforgettable and creates an individual character of the room.
Earlier, only owners of suburban real estate could install windows of this form. Now this fashion has also touched city buildings, including apartments. Such windows look especially advantageous in historical areas of cities or in reconstructed buildings of the past.
Trapezoid
Unlike the previous view, these windows have some variety. It consists in the degree of the angle and in the geometric shape of the trapezoid (it can be equilateral or rectangular). Trapezoidal windows can be made both blind and opening.
Triangular
This type of double-glazed windows is very popular with the owners of country houses and cottages that have a roof with a sharp top or an attic. It is for these parts of the building that windows of such a specific shape are suitable.
A triangular plastic window usually has the shape of an isosceles or right triangle with angles of at least thirty degrees.
Isosceles triangular double-glazed windows can havea variety of opening mechanisms, this is an excellent reason to install them anywhere in the house. Triangular frames with a right angle can only be mounted under the ridge of the roof of a house or cottage.
Round windows
This version of the geometric design of the double-glazed window is considered the most visually attractive and interesting. By design, they are folding and deaf. In the first variant, the sash suspension can be upper, lower and middle.
Large windows
Panoramic windows are increasingly used for a country house. They can be arched and so-called French, which take the place of the wall from floor to ceiling. The arched version of large double-glazed windows has a rounded upper part, and in terms of its area it is slightly inferior to a French window.
The mechanism for opening such windows exists in several versions: with the help of sashes that move one behind the other (like a wardrobe), and a built-in door.
Bay windows
The latest squeak in window fashion are bay windows and glass, with their help you can perfectly glaze a balcony, bay window or give a veranda a three-dimensional shape. This option opened up the possibility of connecting glass at different angles. Suitable for both suburban construction and urban glazing options for buildings.
Tips for choosing
Many are stopped from buying large windows for a country house by the fear that a lot of heat will leave the room through them, especially in windy or winter timeof the year. Modern technologies allow you to save heat at home by creating such structures and glasses that are not inferior to the thermal insulation performance of a brick wall. This is done by correctly selecting the number of cameras, packages and the optimal size of the large window of the future building.
There is a huge selection of multi-chamber double-glazed windows with an energy-saving function. Such windows will retain heat in the room due to argon gas, which fills the space between the window chambers and thereby reduces heat transfer. You can also cover the double-glazed window with a special heat-insulating film.
It is necessary to pay attention to the thickness of the glass in the double-glazed unit, which also affects the ability to withstand dynamic loads. The larger the size of the whole glass, the more scrupulously it is necessary to approach the issue of glass thickness.
Usually such calculations are carried out by construction companies that have at their disposal special technical documentation confirming the correct choice of thickness according to the size of large windows in the room.
For example, for windows larger than three square meters, the recommended glass thickness is six to eight millimeters.
Reliable, high-quality fittings are not the last criterion in choosing a large window, since large windows are heavy, and only durable materials can withstand such a load.
The main criteria for the quality of opening mechanisms are:
- anti-corrosion;
- resistance to wear (more than 10 thousand openings);
- easy to use.
As it became clear from the above, modern technologies for the manufacture of wooden and plastic windows make it possible to translate into reality the most seemingly non-standard fantasies about shape, size and color.
The only thing you should pay attention to when choosing, ordering windows of large and non-standard sizes and shapes is the quality of the materials used, their environmental friendliness and cost.
