Self-cleaning double-glazed windows

Every housewife dreams of having windows in her apartment or house that do not require frequent washing. Nowadays, this dream is becoming a reality, and all thanks to the fact that now manufacturers of plastic windows have begun to produce double-glazed windows with a self-cleaning coating.

What is a double-glazed window? A double-glazed unit is a sealed product, which consists of several glasses, fastened together by frames and a sealant, and filled with dry air or a special inert gas. However, the developers of double-glazed windows did not stop in their developments, but went much further – they created double-glazed windows with a self-cleaning coating on the outer glass..

Self-cleaning glass was first introduced to the general public in 2001, and it found its customers almost instantly. In the production of such modern glass units, glass is coated with a thin film of titanium oxide, which has the property of attracting water. With the help of this film, all the dirt and dust that falls on the glass breaks down, and, losing all its “sticking” properties, is carried away by the wind, washed away by rain, or simply falls down. The glasses remain transparent with a slightly bluish tint. Windows are cleaned continuously, they are absolutely safe for human health, that is, environmentally friendly.

The process of cleaning windows with self-cleaning double-glazed windows takes place in two stages:

1. The special coating reacts with the sun’s rays and begins to break down impurities that are on the outside of the window, such as natural dirt and artificial chemical compounds (exhaust gases, dust from cement, rubber, etc.).
2. The dirt split by a special coating is washed off by atmospheric precipitation (rain, dew, snow). Even with a small amount of precipitation, the glass becomes clean and transparent.

Self-cleaning windows are mainly used in showcases, conservatories, for glazing facades, roofs, greenhouses, mainly in those places where cleaning is difficult or for some reason impossible. Many organizations have already begun to use double-glazed windows with a self-cleaning coating, since this allows you to save on cleaning windows, the main work will be done by the sun, rain, air.

The service life of the self-cleaning coating is 20 years. You also need to know that when using a window with a self-cleaning coating, you cannot exert any mechanical influence on it, use various waxes and silicone lubricants to clean it. After installing a self-cleaning glass unit, after about a week, it must be wiped with a soft cloth or sponge dipped in a soap solution or in a special detergent for PVC windows. When using such double-glazed windows, infrequent cleaning of windows is nevertheless necessary; in dry, hot, summer weather, the glass must be watered with water in order for the self-cleaning mechanism to start. This glass is just perfect. It can be installed both vertically and horizontally, and even at an angle, but it is not suitable for indoor installation.

The coating, which is applied to glass, does not fade over time, and retains all its effective qualities for a long time. Daylight hours or sunny and rainy weather are enough to start self-cleaning. Of course, the cost of such double-glazed windows is 35-45 percent more expensive than ordinary ones, but they save money and time for cleaning windows.

Benefits of self-cleaning insulating glass units

The main advantages of these types of double-glazed windows include:

1. The glass unit has a high color rendering, thanks to the transparent glass as a result of self-cleaning.
2. When washing windows, it is not necessary to use special products, you can simply pour water from a hose.
3. The service life of self-cleaning coating and glass is the same.
4. No streaks and smudges remain when it dries.
5. Saving time and money on window glass cleaning.
6. Scratches and abrasions do not affect the self-cleaning properties, only if the integrity of the glass is violated, that is, if it breaks, replacement is required.
7. The composition is environmentally friendly, safe and harmless to human health.

Disadvantages of self-cleaning glass units

The main disadvantage of such a glass unit is that it is capable of destroying only organic compounds, but if the glass is stained with paint, varnish, or other inorganic compound, then the self-cleaning coating will not work..

For some reason, you have to resort to manual cleaning of double-glazed windows, this happens in cases where plastic windows are installed in areas of increased pollution, near factories, highways, factories, and places of traffic congestion. Therefore, the rate of contamination exceeds the rate of splitting of dirt by a special coating and does not allow ultraviolet rays to come into contact with the self-cleaning layer. In order for the self-cleaning coating to work again, it is necessary to wipe it with a cloth dampened in soapy water.

You need to know that when choosing a self-cleaning glass unit, you should take into account the properties of the sealing tapes, as well as what insulating materials are used during installation.