Wooden windows in a country house and a cottage? What to look for when choosing and installing.

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What should be the windows for a wooden house

What the windows in a wooden house will look like depends only on you. Modern technologies provide a large number of practical, functional and budget options, among which everyone can find an individual solution for their country house or cottage.

But, in any case, glazing for a wooden house must meet the following conditions:

Be sure to protect the house from outside influences (wind, rain, bad weather, insects);
Provide the room with enough light;
Ensuring the safety of households;
To make the design of the house complete and harmonious.

It is important to remember that the installation of windows in a wooden house has its own characteristics.

The fact is that in houses made of wood, the windows were also ordinary wooden windows earlier (that is, the glasses were on separate sashes). Thanks to this, the entire window structure expanded and contracted, depending on the humidity and the season, along with the entire building.

Modern windows do not match the degree of deformation with the overall structure of the house. And in order for your glazing to remain airtight, and unnecessary gaps do not appear, the installation of windows in a wooden house is carried out using a special structural element - "casing" or "okosyachki".

Which windows to install in a wooden house - plastic or wooden?

There is an opinion that the owners of wooden houses from a bar are adherents of environmental friendliness and everything natural. If this were always the case, the question of which windows to install would not arise.

In terms of the use of window materials, homeowners can be divided into two categories. The first category, for which the answer is obvious and not questioned, is that a wooden house should only have wooden windows. In this case, the question arises about the choice of wood, color, finish and the company that will manufacture and install all this.

The second category of homeowners is not so categorical. Comparison of different materials raises many questions - how does a plastic window differ from a wooden one? What is the reason for the rather high price for wooden windows? And of course the most important concern is how harmless are the windows?

Photo: windows in a wooden house - which ones to choose Before the advent of modern window structures, the main material for the manufacture of windows in our country was wood, or rather a wooden beam, carved from a single piece of wood. With the advent of modern technologies, plastic windows have taken a leading position - 85% of the market in Russia according to the industry center O.K.N.A. Marketing. In Western and Eastern Europe, the share of plastic windows is also predominant - about 60%. However, the debate "which is better than plastic or wood" has not subsided for more than 50 years. Let's try to figure out whether it is worth focusing on wood when it comes to windows into a wooden house? Or does a plastic window fully meet the high requirements of owners of luxury real estate?

Popular options for windows in a cottage

Modern wooden windows are equipped with high-quality fittings, which allows them to be in no way inferior in functionality to plastic counterparts. Glued Eurobeam systems can be of any shape. Country cottages allow you to implement unique solutions that are unacceptable for an apartment. It all depends only on the wishes and financial capabilities of the customer.Arched structures are becoming the most popular option today.

Roto fittings allow you to select the option of stepped tilt, which prevents overcooling of the room when it is ventilated.

Window handles are often fitted with child safety locks. With them, parents may not worry that their child will open the sash. Variants are available in various shapes and colors.

There is also a choice of decorative elements for glass: spros, fusing, etc.

What is a window?

According to the definition of GOST 23166-99 “Window blocks. General technical conditions ":" Window block is a translucent structure intended for natural lighting of the room, its ventilation and protection from atmospheric and noise influences. " And this definition is the same for a window made of wood, PVC or aluminum.

As well as the same requirements for heat and sound insulation, size retention, water and air permeability and all other important characteristics. Therefore, any high-quality window, no matter what material it is made of, must meet these requirements. It turns out that it is impossible to compare windows made of different materials only in terms of basic parameters.

Type of installed glass

When creating double-glazed windows, a variety of types of glass can be used. According to this criterion, the following types of windows are distinguished:

With increased insulating qualities. It should be borne in mind that the insulating qualities of windows depend not only on the profile. The type of glass installed can also determine this indicator.
Today, glasses are very popular because they can reflect negative radiation from the sun and heat energy inside buildings. According to engineers, the installation of such glasses can significantly reduce heat costs, which means that heating the premises will be much cheaper.
There are also windows with glass on sale that can withstand significant mechanical stress. Similar versions are installed to protect the structure.

Which option is most suitable for a country house? In general, we can say that preference should be given to windows with ordinary glass. In practice, energy-saving glass does not bring tangible benefits, and with increased strength, they will not be able to protect the room from direct impacts. Therefore, it is best to save money and install windows with ordinary glass.

What to look for when choosing windows?

Environmental friendliness. The window area is 80% glass, so they can be called glass. Nevertheless, buyers judge the environmental friendliness of a structure by the material of the window frame, as it echoes its name.

The environmental friendliness of wood, as a rule, is not in doubt - a natural natural material. But in order for the window to serve for a long time, it is necessary to use special adhesives for gluing the timber, protective impregnations, paints and varnishes for the outer coating of windows. And one cannot do without the technologies of the chemical industry. The formulations, in most cases, contain chemicals. Their quality and environmental friendliness depend on the choice of the manufacturer and the price.

Opponents of PVC windows classify plastic as unhealthy materials due to the alleged the presence of lead... Only pure lead vapors are toxic to human health. In the production of a profile, lead is used as a stabilizer in the form of a salt (sulfide), the molecules of which are securely enclosed in the polymer structure of PVC. Numerous tests and sanitary documents confirm the harmlessness and safety of the plastic profile.

In addition, the window profile can be called an ecofriendly product - friendly to the environment. Plastic frames and sashes are easily recyclable.

Production time... In the overwhelming majority of cases, a plastic window, even a laminated or decorated one, is made much faster than a wooden one. This is due to the complex technology of manufacturing a wooden profile from laminated veneer lumber and assembling a window.

Installation of windows. All windows can be installed at any time, the main thing is that the heating works during the cold period. Installing windows in an unheated house is equally bad for plastic and wooden windows.

During repair and finishing work, wooden windows require careful and careful handling, they must be covered with special materials to protect the surface and not create a "greenhouse effect". Humid air under a dense film can destroy a wooden window in a very short period. While a plastic window, with careful handling, you can not cover it at all, or use an ordinary stretch or plastic film

Practicality in operation. Plastic windows are highly practical in use. They do not change color and surface quality during their entire service life. Caring for a plastic window during its entire service life is reduced to washing (twice a year is enough) and lubricating fittings and seals with special compounds (they can be purchased at any window sales office). For this ease of handling, they are so loved by property owners.

Photo: wooden windows require periodic painting Wooden windows 1 time in 5-10 years require renewal of the paintwork. About 100 microns of paint disappears from the surface of the window every year. Over time, the paint layer becomes thinner and the wood becomes unprotected.

In the event that the surface of wooden windows is treated with a transparent compound, then the application of a new coating can be done independently.

If the painting was carried out with a covering paint, then it will be difficult to paint at home. Initially, the application of such a coating was carried out in special chambers. To restore it, you need to call a specialist from the manufacturer's company. Exterior painting work complicates the process, especially if a deaf element is present in the structure.

Aluminum linings on the outer side of the profile can protect wooden windows from the negative impact of the environment. But not all connoisseurs of natural materials like it, and the rise in the cost of the structure will be quite significant.

Maintainability. Plastic windows are easier to repair. If the surface of the white PVC profile is damaged, it can be easily restored using grinding pastes and special care products. Minor damage to the laminated profile can also be easily masked with special waxes and pencils. If the damage to the laminating film is significant, then it can be corrected with the help of special films of absolutely identical color directly on the object, without the need to dismantle the window.

In a plastic window, it is enough to simply replace the glass unit or even the sash, if necessary. And the new laminated sash will be exactly the same color as the old one.

Damaged wood surfaces will in most cases require replacement or a complex and expensive refurbishment process.

The operating costs for 25 years of hardwood wooden windows are two times, and those for softwoods are three times higher than the operating costs for a plastic window. The ever-increasing costs of maintaining timber windows in working order are associated with the need for periodic painting and restoration, as wooden frames rot in critical places.

Exterior and decor of windows... Wooden windows captivate with their natural beauty.It is enough to treat the surface with protective agents or tint a little and the window will acquire an elegant appearance.

The possibilities of finishing plastic windows are much wider. Lamination technologies can not only make PVC windows colored, but also create imitation "wood", "stone", "leather", "aluminum". The surface of the films is smooth, textured, with a 3d effect, tactile and visually conveying the properties of the simulated material. The variety of laminated films allows you to embody styles and decors in plastic windows for every taste.

Price. Of course, an important factor when choosing a window is the price. The cost of plastic windows is at least 50% lower than wooden windows made of three-layer glued pine beams of class "C".

Price of euro windows made of various materials on a turnkey basis, rubles *.

Source: O.K.N.A. Marketing * - the price is indicated without taking into account the production and installation of the casing (okosyachki)

If you order windows made of valuable wood species (oak, ash), then the price automatically rises 2-3 times relative to PVC windows.

Fogging problem

For a long time, manufacturers of plastic windows have faced the problem of fogging windows. It is associated with the difference in temperature behind the structure and inside. That is why, to reduce the likelihood of condensation, the space between the glasses is filled with air or special gas.

How to determine if there will be problems with condensation in the future? Various manufacturers have developed their own technologies to solve this problem. In addition, you can study customer reviews, which usually reflect the presence of a problem with the formation of condensation.

"Breathable" plastic windows in a wooden house

The difference in air permeability of wooden and plastic windows is a consequence of the non-natural structure of wood. The reason here often lies in the unstable dimensions of the profile section along its entire length. This creates micro-gaps in the sash and frame porch, which slightly increases the amount of incoming air.

Plastic windows can also be "breathable" if the manufacturer provides for the possibility of air exchange at the stage of design and manufacture of the profile. As the largest Russian manufacturer of window profiles, ExProf *, did.

The company has released and patented the model of "breathing" plastic windows Exprof Aero - with a wide frame of 101-118 mm, inside which is a labyrinth of channels.

Photo: the principle of operation of the "breathing" window ExProf Aero * The air coming from the street, passing through the labyrinth, slows down and warms up in the cold period, which excludes drafts. ExProf Aero creates and maintains a healthy microclimate in any room, including a wooden house.

Profile view

Where should you start choosing plastic windows for a wooden house? The answer is quite simple - with determining the most suitable profile. According to this criterion, variants of execution are distinguished, which differ in the number of cameras. The chamber is an air space separated by plastic partitions to obtain a cellular structure. At the same time, the following pattern is distinguished:

With an increase in the number of chambers, the insulating qualities of the structure increase significantly. This is due to the fact that there are more cells inside the profile.
With an increase in the number of chambers, it is almost impossible to avoid an increase in the thickness of the structure. Well-known manufacturers are trying to make the profile more compact.

When considering which profile is most suitable for a suburban wooden house, it is recommended to pay attention to the following points:

If the house is away from the road, then there is no point in installing a multi-chamber structure.
For a temperate climate and a quiet area, a window with three cameras is sufficient. If there are sources of noise nearby, then windows with four or more cameras are installed.

Why is it not always possible to install variants with a large number of cameras? Everything is quite simple - the more cameras, the more expensive the windows are.

Functionality

Today, when choosing windows, quite a lot of attention is paid to the functionality of the structure. Examples include the following:

The doors can be fully opened to clean them and ventilate the room.
The presence of a micro-ventilation function with the possibility of installing the sash in several positions. In order to ensure the supply of fresh air in the room, but at the same time to protect it from precipitation and other environmental influences, window manufacturers have come up with a ventilation function. In this position, a small gap is created between the sash and the frame, where the pet cannot crawl.

In general, we can say that the functionality of modern windows differs insignificantly.

Rule # 6. Manufacturing time

A quality wooden window cannot be produced in three days. If you are promised this by a window manufacturer, run away without looking back. The window is made for at least a month, where you are guaranteed the installation of wooden windows with double-glazed windows in a week, substandard defective copies will deliberately be stuck in.

And finally, a few additional criteria that cannot be discounted when choosing wooden windows:

The company must have its own production. This quickly solves many issues, from the price to possible repairs.
The company's specialists should know everything about glazing. If your questions cause a stupor in a company employee or you get vague general answers, then you will receive the same window - vague and general.
The company must have a wide range of window sills, ebbs, colors, etc. This fact speaks about the solvency of the company. A portfolio of completed works is also welcome.
Documentation is required. If you are unfoundedly asserted that "we are the best", this is suspicious. But if you observe diplomas, certificates, awards, read reviews, then this is a completely different matter.
Quality wooden windows cannot be cheap! Budget options with a reduced cost mean savings on something significant: either accessories or material. The price should be realistic, but not too high or too low.
The company's willingness to draw up a contract for the manufacture and installation of wooden windows. If for some reason the company refuses to do this, feel free to go in search of a more qualified manufacturer.

These are, perhaps, all the most important rules for choosing wooden windows. We hope you find them useful.

Krauts works with high quality, honesty and transparency. We make only such windows, for which we are not ashamed even after 30-40 years. Call to get advice and check our competence!

Brand matters

It should be borne in mind that brand popularity is the most important parameter. The quality of the structure, its main operational characteristics, as well as the service life depend on this. So why should you pay attention to the most common and well-known brands? Everything is quite simple - well-known companies are investing a lot of money in the development of modern systems.

What kind of guarantee sellers give on windows also depends on the brand. For products of well-known manufacturers, a warranty is issued for a longer period. However, there is a very simple pattern - the more famous the brand, the more expensive the products that are produced under it.

In conclusion, we note that today you can choose a profile that will ideally fit a wooden house. It is often laminated under solid wood, but otherwise practically does not differ from the usual plastic profile.