How to choose a glass unit

Recommendation points

• Thermal insulation
• Noise isolation
• Safety
• Extra strong glass
• Strained glass
• Reinforced glass

The most important and voluminous part of a metal-plastic window is a glass unit. In the construction of the window, it performs the following functions:

• protective – protects the room from wind, dust, dirt, precipitation, and also ensures the safety of people inside the room;
• heat-insulating – helps to preserve heat in the room, does not allow heat to go outside;
• soundproofing – does not let extraneous sounds into the room from the outside.

Double-glazed windows for metal-plastic windows are chosen according to the principle of functionality. Therefore, when choosing a double-glazed window, you need to clearly understand what function it will perform.

Thermal insulation

If a double-glazed window will perform a heat-insulating function, it is necessary to choose it taking into account the number of chambers. A chamber in a double-glazed window is the gap between adjacent glasses, which contains an inert gas or dry air. The simplest and most inexpensive option is a single-chamber or single-glazed unit. It consists of 2 glasses that form one chamber. This type will provide the least thermal insulation. For greater thermal insulation, it is necessary to use a two-chamber or double glazing unit, which consists of three glasses. And for the greatest strengthening of thermal insulation, three-chamber double-glazed windows are used, consisting of 4 glasses. Double-glazed windows with more than three chambers are not produced. They would be very heavy, and the window sash fasteners would wear out very quickly..

These designs are used for different climatic conditions. Three-chamber double-glazed windows are usually used in areas with a harsh climate, and in the middle lane they are almost never used. Double glazing is very widely used in temperate climates. With such windows, the house will always be warm in winter. Single-chamber double-glazed windows can also be used for areas of the middle lane, especially if the room has good heating or if the balcony in the room is glazed.

To improve thermal insulation, special glasses are also used. In general, glass units of different purpose and characteristics can be installed in double-glazed windows. Energy-saving glass is successfully used for thermal insulation. They come in various types and cost. But the principle of their functioning is the same: a thin metal film is applied to them, which is capable of reflecting heat into the room and not letting it out. The use of such glasses significantly enhances the thermal insulation characteristics of a glass unit. Suffice it to say that a single package, in which one energy-saving glass is installed, is equal in terms of thermal insulation to a two-chamber double-glazed window with ordinary glass.

Noise isolation

The property of the window not to let in extraneous sounds from the street is very important for a comfortable stay in any room. The effect of noise insulation is achieved by increasing the number of chambers in a glass unit. Even behind the windows with single double-glazed windows, there is silence – when the windows are closed, sounds from the street are almost inaudible. However, if the windows overlook streets with a lot of traffic or the courtyard where children play, it is better to install double-glazed windows in the windows. It will be much more comfortable to live behind them, especially if the windows are on the lower floors..

For better sound insulation, special double-glazed windows are also used, in which the cameras are made of different thicknesses. These double-glazed windows are called multi-chamber and reflect sound waves much better than double-glazed windows with cameras of the same thickness.

As for special glasses to improve sound insulation, they are also available. These are sound-absorbing glass, which is installed in windows to maximize noise insulation. It makes sense to install such glass in windows overlooking busy highways or near operating enterprises.

Safety

The protective function of the window is not limited to the fact that it does not allow dust, precipitation and wind to enter the room. It is also important to protect the people in the room, to prevent falling out of the window and injury by glass fragments in case the window breaks. For this, a variety of durable glasses are used in modern double-glazed windows. They are heavy-duty, reinforced, hardened and many others.

Extra strong glass

Ultra-strong glasses have another name – triplex. They consist of several layers of glass, interconnected with a special film. The film between the layers of glass increases its strength many times over. When such glass is broken, it does not shatter into fragments thanks to the same inner film. The same principle is used to produce armored glass, which has a multilayer structure and consists of several layers of tempered glass, connected by a film. These are special bullet-resistant glasses that are able to withstand the impact of a bullet fired from a firearm..

Strained glass

This type of glass is specially heat-treated, which makes it possible to increase its strength many times over. When tempered glass is broken, it does not form sharp fragments and does not fly apart. Such glass crumbles into small fragments without sharp edges, which greatly increases the safety of using tempered glass.

Reinforced glass

This is another type of durable glass that has thin metal fittings inside. It is almost invisible, but it greatly increases the strength of the glass. Such glass is very difficult to break, but if it breaks, it does not fly apart, but remains on the reinforcement.

Taking into account all the criteria for choosing a double-glazed window, you can purchase exactly the one that will be most needed in this situation. With the right choice, you can appreciate the practicality and convenience of modern window designs..