Windows in a private house: rules from design to installation

Recommendation points

• What to consider in the project
• Project development
• Ergonomics of windows
• Correct installation

When glazing a private house, you need to fulfill two conditions: find a good contractor and take into account a number of rules at the stage of designing the enclosing structures. Installation teams are the best consultants in this matter: they know everything about profiles and double-glazed windows, they are well versed in the product market.

In order for windows to be warm, they must meet certain project requirements for thermal protection. However, it is not enough just to form openings and choose a glass unit with a sufficient number of cameras. Even the highest quality windows can be useless if they are installed in violation of technical regulations, the reason for which may be the inconsistency of the conditions dictated by the capital structures of the house..

What to consider in the project

A plastic window is not only a frame with a glazing package, it is a complex concept that also includes elements of the installation and fastening system. The task of the designer is to ensure the most rigid installation of the window in compliance with all provided technological gaps and to choose the correct shift of the glazing plane.

Increasingly, in modern projects, the following trend can be found: in the openings, steps are formed in a third or a quarter of the thickness from the outer surface of the walls. This can be done in buildings of almost any type, but it is advisable to place the plane of the vestibule, based on the data of the thermal protection section of the project. The window is placed in the bearing layer of the wall with such a shift from the inner surface so that isotherms from 10 to 15 ° C pass along the outer third of the bearing layer thickness, otherwise condensation and erosion of the foam seam. This will help the diagram of heat loss and moisture accumulation, compiled in an online calculator.

Another option is to place windows in the plane of the thermal protection action. In this case, reinforced mounting plates are used, which act as thermal bridges, but in general the thermal insulation is better. With this method of installation, the most difficult thing is to correctly connect the frame to the insulation, ensuring complete tightness on both sides..

Technical clearances are necessary for the correct installation of windows in the opening, their orientation in a single front and the formation of foam joints of sufficient thickness during installation. It is optimal if the end of the frame is adjacent to dense material that can withstand either multi-point distributed fastening or through fastening with frame anchors. In this case, after installing the window along the contour, a gap of at least 30 mm must be maintained for correct positioning. Tolerances should not be made too large – with seams more than 40 mm thick, foam erosion and loosening of fasteners are highly likely to occur.

Project development

It is optimal if the glazing specialist gets the opportunity to participate in the development of the whole house project. In this case, you can guarantee not only the correct installation of the windows, but also their correct location and number. If the above rules are followed, an experienced team will be able to put the windows well, but the developer will have to independently calculate the number and location of light openings.

SNiP II-A.8-62 will be an excellent help in this: it is enough to find in table 2 the required value of the coefficient of natural light (c.e.), and then, following the procedure described in the first paragraph, select the required height and width of the openings … The data from the third paragraph is useful for calculating accurate natural outdoor illumination in the presence of multiple objects that worsen insolation. If there are no tall objects near the house, blocking more than 5-7% of the sky, they can be ignored, taking the data of the climatic map as the value of natural illumination.

It is imperative to remember that the dimensions of the light openings will be smaller than the mounting ones, because the frame of the plastic windows is quite wide. In addition, you need to make a correction for the displacement of the frame relative to the outer surface of the walls: the more it is pressed inward, the less light. This is another argument in favor of placing windows in the thickness of the thermal protection belt..

Ergonomics of windows

When designing glazing, it is extremely important to consider not only the technical parameters, but also the practicality of use. You should learn how to correctly configure the window sides, choose the type of fittings, double-glazed windows, window profiles and accessories.

First of all, the profile. For stone buildings with reinforcing lintels above the openings, a frame with 8–12 chambers without reinforcement will suffice. When glazing frame buildings, it is better to choose a profile with a steel pipe inside, while it is desirable that the increased thermal conductivity is compensated by the honeycomb structure of the chambers. The profile design must provide for a double row of seals for a glass unit and a triple row for opening sashes..

The configuration of the window unit is easy to figure out. On the ground floor, it is desirable to minimize the number of opening doors, for example, one or two for each room. This will not complicate glass washing, the burglary resistance of the glazing will be higher, and the loss of luminous flux will be minimal. It is advisable to choose three-mode fittings, with contour ventilation, especially if the windows are part of the house ventilation system.

The locking pins are only mushroom-shaped, for sash area of ​​more than 1.5 m2, the installation of microlifts is required. On the upper floors, an opening sash should be on each of the windows to ensure the possibility of washing the glass from the outside, while in a block of three sashes the middle should open. If small children live in the house, it is advisable to install safety locks on the windows..

Correct installation

There are three options for installing glazing in a private house: do all the work yourself, entrust it to the builders, or invite a contractor specializing in glazing, best of all – an installation team from a window supplier. It is impossible to say unequivocally that in the end it will turn out to be correct, but it is useful to know the rules, order and subtleties of the installation in any case.

So, point by point:

1. Opening preparation. Remove all residues of mortar and other building mixtures. If necessary, correct the geometry by rough plastering and make sure that the opening is at least 30 mm larger than the window block at any point.
2. Frame preparation. It is imperative to remove the double-glazed windows, for which you need to remove the glazing beads, carefully hammering a blunt chisel into the central part of the groove. If the window is installed with an emphasis in a quarter, PSUL is glued along the outer edge, while the protective film is not removed. A waterproofing tape is glued to the end of the frame on both sides, neat folds are formed in the corners.
3. Frame alignment. It is installed on pads of pairs of mounting wedges along the edges and under each impost. By sliding and sliding the wedges, the height is adjusted, the horizontal is set along the rack level.
4. Temporary frame attachment. It is best to use all the same wedges for these purposes, inserting them in pairs on the sides of the opening. You can use plates for temporary fastening, which are inserted into the grooves with the mustache on the end of the frame. The task is to eliminate the blockage of the frame anywhere and to position the window block strictly parallel to the plane of the interior decoration and in the plane of the single front. Before installation in the final position, the protective film is removed from the PSUL.
5. Securing the frame in the opening. This is only done by push-through installation with the frame anchor. If the window is located in the plane of the heat protection belt or the wall material, for example aerated concrete, is not intended for anchoring, use external fasteners through mounting plates with a thickness of 3 mm or more (in the case of aerated concrete, the fastening to the opening is divided into 5–7 self-tapping screws). The main fastening of the frame is made no later than 10 minutes after removing the film from the PSUL.
6. Waterproofing. After removing the film, the tape is glued to the slopes. If the surface is hygroscopic, pre-treatment with hardening bituminous mastic.
7. Low tide installation. It is attached to the lower edge of the frame with self-tapping screws. Silicone sealant or sealing tape is applied along the contact line. It is recommended to cover the caps of self-tapping screws with paint in the color of the main coating.
8. Foam seam. It must be at least 30 mm wide at the bottom of the opening and at least 20 mm at the other sides. The insulating glass units must be reinstalled before applying the foam. The seam is filled with foam to the full width, it is imperative to completely blow out the cavity under the ebb, having previously installed oppression on it.
9. Installation of a window sill. The plastic sandwich is wound under the lower edge of the frame and placed on wedge pads with a slight incline towards itself (about 3-5 mm). A bend is installed on the window sill, then the lower seam is half filled with polyurethane foam.

Each of the described stages is very important. If the installation is not done by hand, it is better to give a command to install one window and personally control the process.

Some construction crews can supply windows quite well, but at the same time, turning to a specialized contractor is more material cost. In case of self-installation, the owner himself is responsible for the quality, as well as for its absence. The technique of installing windows is not difficult, and its knowledge will allow you to check whether the builders will be able to cope with the task and whether the contractor really has the competence he claims.