When purchasing housing on the secondary real estate market, or having inherited an apartment built during the Soviet Union, the owners are faced with the question of overhaul of the house. Improving living conditions, as a rule, begins with the replacement of communications and windows. In the market of plastic profile systems, there is a huge selection of companies, among which the leading positions are occupied by products of German manufacturers. Which is better: windows "Century" or "Rehau"? It is impossible to unequivocally answer in favor of a particular company, however, having analyzed the characteristics and advantages of the goods of each manufacturer, it will be possible to make an objective choice.
Manufacturers
A window as a finished product gets to the customer after passing several links. At the first stage, there are companies that produce a plastic profile by extrusion. In everyday life, windows made from the profile of a particular company have its name, which indicates the importance of such characteristics as PVC construction. Then the six-meter PVC construction gets to the processor, where it turns into a finished window construction. Dealers with whom the customer communicates before choosing windows and installing them conclude an agreement with the processing plant on the supply of finished PVC profile systems. Although there are companies that independently produce plastic windows, acquiring only a profile for their production, and directly sell them to the customer, bypassing the dealer link.
It is important to understand that when it comes to windows of European manufacturers, this is an indirect sale of goods from Germany. For example, Veka or Rechau plastic windows are made of the German profile of the same name in Russia under a license from the concern. And the profile is also produced locally at one of the company's production facilities.
Century and Rehau: what is common?
Which is better: Veka or Rehau windows, if both manufacturers produce a profile using German quality control. The history of the two companies begins in the 20th century. The first plastic profile at Rechau was implemented in 1958, after 10 years, the company Veka competed. The main representative offices of companies are located in Germany, and production complexes operate in Russia, Poland, Ukraine and other countries.
The difference between the companies is only in the fact that Rehau specializes not only in window and door profile systems, like Veka, but also in engineering communications, the supply of polymer systems for the automotive industry, and the production of components for the furniture industry.
Representation of companies in Russia appeared with a slight temporary difference: first, “Rehau” in 1995, and in 1997, “Veka”. The first plastic extrusion plant in the Moscow Region was opened by VEKA; in 2004, similar facilities were located in Novosibirsk. In 2002, Rehau opened a workshop for the production of plastic profile systems, and in 2003 the construction of the plant began in Gzhel, which was completed by 2008.
Profile
The main structural element in the window is a PVC profile, which at the cut is a contour with many partitions. The voids between the plastic walls are called chambers. The more air spaces, the higher the coefficient of heat transfer resistance. Plastic window companies produce products from profiles, the minimum number of chambers in which is 3.
“Rehau” and “Veka” in the assortment range have window profiles from 3 to 6 chambers. Comparison table (information is objective and taken from official sources).
Profile Series | Number of cameras, pcs | Mounting width mm | Heat transfer resistance coefficient, m2 / W |
Century |
Euroline | 3 | 58 | 0.64 |
Softline | 5 | 70 | 0.78 |
Alfaline | 6 | 90 | 1,04 |
Rehau |
Euro design | 3 | 60 | 0.64 |
Sib design | 5 | 70 | 0.71 |
Jenaeo | 6 | 86 | 1.05 |
Of the characteristics of the profile, it’s clear that it’s better to say that “Century” or “Rehau” windows cannot be used unless the analyst is an employee of one of the listed companies, since the technical indicators of identical profile series are the same.
Profile Class
The external frame of the profile according to the European standard should have a thickness for class A: 2.7 - 3 mm. Then from it it is possible to make facade designs and frame installations. If the walls of the profile are less than 2.7 mm, then the manufacturer saved on polyvinyl chloride, and such a profile belongs to class B, which has a service life less than its predecessor.
On the official resource, Veka plastic windows in a series with four-chamber design are announced with an outer wall thickness of 3 mm, there is no similar information about the Rekhau opponent. Although on competing sites, allegedly real (not declared by the manufacturer) characteristic of the thickness of the profiles of both firms is 2.8 mm. There is hope for own measurement when choosing windows.
Double-glazed window
A large area of the window opening is accounted for by glass, therefore noise insulation and energy saving depend on its thickness and other characteristics. A double-glazed window consists of at least two glass panels, the space between which is filled with air. A single-chamber double-glazed window is a minimum of two glasses. The thicker the multilayer structure, the higher the technical characteristics of the window system: tightness, heat and sound insulation. Cameras in profile and in glass construction are two different things.
Types of double-glazed windows :
- Shock-resistant glass with a polymer film are called triplex.
- Standard.
- Energy saving.
- Sun protection.
- With different thicknesses of glass - soundproof double-glazed windows.
Rehau windows are installed using double-glazed windows with a thickness of 24 mm to 44 mm. In the profile "Century" there is a technical opportunity to install a glass structure with a thickness of 24 mm to 50 mm.
Hardware
When choosing plastic windows, it should be understood that this design does not consist of one profile and glass. Mechanisms that open and close up to five locks with one turn of the handle are called hardware. A constant load is assigned to it, and the even fit of the flaps to the frame depends on the quality of the mechanisms.
Plastic window companies choose their own window hardware suppliers. In the Russian market, a burglar-proof window handle of the REHAU company is presented. Reliable accessories: hinges, trunnions, clamps are produced by the Austrian company MASO. Quality mechanisms for PVC windows are also provided by German firms Roto and SiegeniaAUBI. The listed hardware is able to withstand a load equal to 20,000 full cycles of opening and closing windows. Standard Veka windows prices with German fittings installed are 65% higher than similar designs with Turkish or Chinese mechanisms.
Plastic windows for the house "Rehau"
Choosing a decent filling of the window opening, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions. Which Rehau windows are better for urban high-rise buildings? Professionals recommend stopping at windows with a profile width of 70 mm, for example, the SIB-DESIGN series. Soldered, with the fulfillment of all requirements, the profile in the window unit does not leak and does not freeze, which is experimentally proved. The Delight series is suitable for northern apartments with a lack of natural light. The profile of this series is already normal, due to which the light flux is increased by 10%.
What other features do Rehau windows have? The construction price of 1400x1450 mm in size, with double-glazed windows, with five SIB-DESIGN chamber profiles, without lamination, is 9,350 rubles (without window sill and low tide). The cost of a profile system with the possibility of additional light will cost the buyer, as of November 2015, 10 240 rubles. Since Rechau windows have a wide range of profile characteristics, there are also low-cost product options. A standard window from the BLITZ category will cost 7,980 rubles.
Windows "Century": prices
To compare the pricing policies of both firms, the monitoring of Veka windows was based on determining the cost of a bivalve product of the same size as for Rekhau 1400x1450 mm.
Plastic window systems from the Euroline profile, which consists of three cameras with double glazing, will cost the customer 7,300 rubles. If the work will be carried out "turnkey", then you need to count on 13,600 rubles. A series of Proline windows, consisting of a four-chamber plastic system, was estimated by the manufacturer at 8,400 rubles. The cost of a window system from the profile of five chamber Softline slightly differs from the similar series Sib-design of the Rehau window. The construction price is 9,100 rubles. Comparing German brands for the production of basic elements for a plastic window at a price, we can conclude a loyal pricing policy. The price of a standard double-leaf window (without window sills and low tides) in Russia averages 10,000 rubles.
Bottom line: which is better, the windows "Century" or "Rehau"?
If the reader has reached this section of the article, it means that he has an idea of all the important elements and details that make up the complex construction of a plastic window. The profiles of the two brands being compared are the sales leaders. Both companies have production facilities in Russia, so there are no direct deliveries from Germany. The technology for manufacturing profiles at Veka and Rehau complies with all state requirements and European certificates.
The only difference between plastic systems is the ability to place a double-glazed window with a thickness of 50 mm. Here, with a small margin, the company Veka leads. The window life depends on the hardware supplied by the manufacturer and installation.
When choosing windows, it is important to entrust the installation of the structure to professionals. When signing the contract, it is necessary to check the information about the company producing the hardware, if there is no data, then it is likely that the locks, handles, hinges will not correspond to the declared quality.