Everyone tries to have a glazed loggia. If an apartment is purchased without one, then the newly-made owners immediately try to correct this omission. Glazing has only advantages, not counting the purchase and installation costs. How to choose, buy and install windows on the loggia correctly, you can find out by reading our article.
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Material selection
Let us first explain that the glazing of balconies differs from loggias, since they have a different, albeit somewhat similar structure.
Quite recently, windows for absolutely any premises were made of wood, which did not have the highest price and at the same time coped with its duties perfectly - it kept heat well, did not let the cold out from the street, and the service life was quite long. In our time, plastic has come to replace wood, namely one of its varieties - PVC.
This material has, in comparison with wood, distinctive features. The main ones are strength and durability. Plastics are trying to replace almost all the objects we use every day in everyday life, and not only. After all, its price is much lower than any other similar material. Therefore, replacing wooden frames with plastic, you will not lose anything, but, on the contrary, will gain some advantages.
If you nevertheless opted for a plastic material for your loggia, then you must first assimilate some information regarding it.
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Plastic windows
There are many types of installed double-glazed windows, depending on their functionality: hinged, swivel, swing-out (the most common option) - these three types can be attributed to standard operation; sliding mechanisms have some of their own characteristics, which we will talk about below. Which type is needed, of course, you choose. When choosing, it is worth considering your situation: what is your loggia in size, where it is located, the goal is in its glazing, etc.
Standard types of double-glazed windows do not have special advantages, but at the same time, problems - their position change is limited only to vertical or horizontal directions, but constructions with a sliding mechanism are noticeably different from their "brothers". They have original systems of opening and closing - like a compartment, like in trains. The design mechanism allows you to open the sash in different, at your discretion, sides - even upwards, even downwards, etc. All this can be pre-selected and ordered from the manufacturer.
The main advantage of sliding insulating glass units is a completely small and limited space, which would not fit conventional pivoting or folding mechanisms. Sliding doors do not require a lot of space, since they can move away, say, to the left, neatly stacking on top of each other, and eventually settle compactly at the wall itself.
Disadvantages are also available:
The first is the price. The cost of the sliding mechanism is much more expensive than conventional hinges
Secondly, it is poor thermal insulation. Due to the loose and inconsistent fit to the window sill, as well as due to the constant opening and closing, gaps are formed through which cold air will penetrate and heat away. Therefore, no matter how you insulate a double-glazed window with a sliding mechanism, it still does not compare in the quality of heat preservation with ordinary stationary windows.
In order to install a double-glazed unit with high quality, and most importantly, for a long time, it is necessary to follow the technology during assembly. The main problem is the purchase of the kit itself, with which difficulties usually arise.
How to choose
What you need to do when buying double-glazed windows, as well as after it was brought to you:
- Carefully inspect and check all surfaces for defects. Even the slightest crack can have, though not now, but in the future a huge impact on the entire structure - in the best case, you only have to change one window, in the worst case - to change absolutely everything. So do not neglect this advice and spend a little time now than changing the entire system years later.
- Feel the material with your hand - it should be hard, and most importantly not too thin. Otherwise, from the slightest blow to the plastic, it will scatter into small pieces.
- The metal insert must be at least 1.5 mm thick and have a protective anti-corrosion coating, for example, galvanized.
- For living on the balcony in winter, it is preferable to buy double-glazed windows with three-layer glass with a thickness of at least 4mm. This choice will save you heat costs.
- Fasteners play an equally important role. They are a connecting link, without which it is impossible to imagine a high-quality and reliable design.
- But the quality of the fittings themselves should also be at their best. It must be made of suitable steel with quality characteristics. So, all joints must be made of high-strength steel, so that during operation, not a single element would simply break.
- When choosing double-glazed windows, an excellent solution would be to include a special additional micro-ventilator in the kit. It will provide, as the name implies, a little ventilation of the room. This is necessary in the winter season, when it is not possible to open the windows completely, for example, due to severe frost.
- In order to protect yourself and your loved ones, especially if you live on the first two floors, you will need to install special sandwich panels. These are the same double-glazed windows, but they are additionally covered with an iron profile on the outside, which will make it harder for burglars to enter your house.
- For ease of use, double-glazed windows should be installed in a specific order. So, it is necessary to alternate 2 opening windows through 4 stationary sashes. This will allow you to save on additional opening mechanisms, wash all the glasses in a comfortable position, that is, on both sides.
For a rational calculation of the entire required amount for the purchase of double-glazed windows, a special calculation calculator can help you. Using a calculator, you can calculate all the nuances, including the cost of each bolt. If the company provides its own installation, as is usually the case, then the cost of installation will also differ depending on the complexity and cost of the chosen structure.
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Popular firms
To buy quality products, you need to contact an experienced seller. A certain company most often acts as a seller, and it has original products, each of which bears its own name or brand
- Companies that produce quality fittings include Maco, G-U (Gretsch-Unitas), Siegenia-Aubi.
- So, specialists from Maco produce unique electronic microclimate control systems. Such a system will allow you to automate the control of temperature and solar illumination indoors. This is extremely necessary for people who want to arrange a kind of greenhouse on the loggia.
- Siegenia-Aubi is distinguished by its antique architecture, more suitable for houses with a medieval theme.
- G-U - manufactures products with the highest level of safety.
Foreign manufacturers include the following firms:
- KBE is a German company that manufactures products for cold regions
- PROPLEX is an Austrian company that manufactures products with excellent soundproofing properties.
- EXPROF is a West Siberian company that manufactures products with heat-insulating properties
- ALUPLAST is a German company that manufactures products with reinforced glass fasteners, which increases safety
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Installation
It is best to entrust the installation of double-glazed windows to the loggia to specialists, but if your budget is cut, you will have to proceed with the installation yourself
- Before installation, remove all old structures and process the surface on which the glass unit will be placed to a smoother layer.
- Installation of a PVC profile is carried out using special iron wedges, but in no case on a wooden or plastic material, because the structure will turn out to be fragile.
- At the very beginning, it is necessary to install the balcony canopy using dowels or special anchor bolts.
- Next, we install a PVC profile, check and eliminate all irregularities, then seal all joints with a sealant to eliminate rain or wind penetration into the room. It is necessary to fasten the profile to the loggia with anchor bolts, which must penetrate into the concrete by more than 40 mm.
- Now we install the glass itself, aligning it with the parapet from the inside. We install the drain, and seal all the cracks with polyurethane foam.
- Then we strengthen the window frames with sashes and close the openings.
- We install the window sill and fill all the gaps that have formed with foam.
This concludes our installation and now it is only necessary to clean the workplace, and subsequently adapt the new space for your needs.
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