The design of any buildings is impossible without the presence of windows, the dimensions and appearance of which depend on the mandatory requirements for lighting the room. Not the last factor influencing the choice and shape of the windows are the preferences of the owner of the future house or apartment.
Recently, it has become popular to install large windows in rooms, the dimensions of which go beyond the standard.
Types of windows, depending on the material
There are only three types of materials that are used for made windows:
The oldest, which has become a traditional option, is wooden. Such were in every room and had a number of shortcomings, which led manufacturers to search for more practical material for the manufacture of windows.
They required constant care and systematic repair, were not airtight and had poor thermal and sound insulation indicators.
Today, wooden windows have been improved. For their manufacture, durable types of wood are taken, which can be processed with special compounds to extend its service. And instead of the usual once glass use durable double-glazed windows. The only thing that has remained unchanged in the wooden windows is the environmental friendliness and naturalness of its components. So large-sized wooden windows are a perfectly acceptable option for those who want to protect themselves and their loved ones as much as possible.
The second type of windows on the list (but the first in popularity) is PVC windows. They have the following advantages:
- multifunctional;
- durable
- sealed;
- have high rates of thermal insulation and sound insulation;
- they are easy to care for;
- practically do not have to be repaired.
Thanks to such positive characteristics, they are gaining immense popularity in the modern world. Today you can order plastic windows of large sizes, various shapes and colors.
The aluminum version has a small segment in the market for such products, and is installed mainly on economic or warehouse bases.
The advantages of large windows
Many people are attracted to these types of windows due to the fact that it looks spectacular and serves as a decoration for the home, especially if the owner has a beautiful panoramic view.
In other cases, decoration is possible, which implies various options for decorating glass (stained glass, lining, etc.).
Large windows allow you to perfectly illuminate the room, thereby creating a great mood for the inhabitants of the house. Panoramic windows have an amazing property to visually expand the space, which makes them universal. Such windows can be installed in both large and small rooms.
Size Standards
For a long time, most construction projects were carried out according to several options, the window sizes in which were standard and had a range of width and height indicators depending on the number of leaves.
And now these indicators have been preserved. A window with two wings has the following standards: height –1 meter 30 centimeters, width - 1 meter 40 centimeters.
Tricuspid windows: width - from 2.5 meters to 2.7 meters, height - 1.4 meters.
According to GOST, the following sizes of window openings are installed : height 60, 90, 120, 135, 150, 180 centimeters; width 60, 90, 100, 120, 135, 150, 180 centimeters. Those that have parameters that do not correspond to these indicators relate to windows of non-standard sizes. Large windows have dimensions from 180 centimeters in width or height.
Shapes of plastic windows
Highly developed production allows us to produce plastic windows of any size and configuration. The standard forms of PVC windows are a rectangle and a square, they are very common, their cost is low, they are installed quickly and quite simply. But non-standard forms of double-glazed windows have a huge variety.
The following double-glazed windows are more common than others:
- arched and round;
- oval;
- triangular;
- in the form of a trapezoid;
- hexagonal.
There are octagonal windows and even in the form of a flower or a rhombus. Here the limitation is only the imagination of the customer.
Arched plastic windows
This type of window gives the building a mystery, it is unforgettable and creates the individual character of the room.
Previously, windows of this form could only be set by suburban real estate owners. Now, this fashion has touched urban buildings, including apartments. Such windows look especially advantageous in historical areas of cities or in reconstructed buildings of the past.
Trapezoid
Unlike the previous view, such windows have a certain variety. It consists in the degree of the angle and in the geometric shape of the trapezoid (it can be isosilateral or rectangular). Trapezoidal windows can be made both deaf and opening.
Triangular
This type of double-glazed windows is very popular among owners of country houses and cottages, which have a roof with a sharp top or an attic. It is for these parts of the structure that windows of such a specific shape are suitable.
A triangular plastic window usually has the shape of an isosceles or right triangle with angles of at least thirty degrees.
Isosceles triangular double-glazed windows can have a variety of opening mechanisms, this serves as an excellent reason to install them anywhere in the house. Triangular frames with a right angle can be mounted only under the ridge of the roof of the house or cottage.
Round windows
This version of the geometric design of the glass is considered the most visually attractive and interesting. By design, they are casement and deaf. In the first embodiment, the suspension of the sash can be upper, lower and middle.
Large windows
For a country house, panoramic windows are increasingly used. They can be arched and the so-called French, which take the place of the wall from floor to ceiling. The arched version of large double-glazed windows has a rounded upper part, and its area is slightly inferior to the French window.
The mechanism for opening such windows exists in several versions: with the help of shutters that slide one behind the other (like a sliding wardrobe), and an integrated door.
Bay windows
The last peep in window fashion is bay windows and glass, with their help you can perfectly glaze a balcony, bay window or give the veranda a voluminous shape. This option opened up the possibility of joining glasses at different angles. Suitable for both suburban construction and urban options for glazing buildings.
Selection tips
Many people stop from buying large windows for a country house because they fear that a lot of heat will leave the room through them, especially in the windy or winter season. Modern technology allows you to save the heat of the house through the creation of such structures and glasses that are not inferior to the thermal insulation performance of a brick wall. This is done by choosing the right number of cameras, packages and the optimal size of a large window for future construction.
There is a huge selection of multi-chamber double-glazed windows with an energy-saving function. Such windows will retain heat in the room due to argon gas, which fills the space between the window chambers and thereby reduces heat transfer. You can also cover the glass with a special heat-insulating film.
It is necessary to pay attention to the thickness of the glass in the glass, which also affects the ability to withstand dynamic loads. The larger the size of the whole glass, the more carefully it is necessary to approach the issue of glass thickness.
Typically, such calculations are carried out by construction companies that have at their disposal special technical documentation confirming the correct choice of thickness according to the size of large windows in the room.
For example, for windows covering an area of more than three square meters, the recommended glass thickness is from six to eight millimeters.
Not the last criterion in choosing a large window is reliable, high-quality fittings, since large windows have a large weight, and only durable materials can withstand such a load.
The main criteria for the quality of the opening mechanisms are:
- anticorrosion;
- resistance to wear (more than 10 thousand openings);
- ease of use.
As it became clear from what was written above, modern technologies for the manufacture of wooden and plastic windows make it possible to realize the most seemingly non-standard fantasies about shape, size and color.
The only thing you should pay attention to when choosing and ordering windows of large and non-standard sizes and shapes is the quality of the materials used, their environmental friendliness and cost.