Why We Use Glass for Windows

Posted July 9, 2016 by Arch City Window

It’s one of those thoughts that hit you as you’re showering in the morning: why exactly do we use glass for windows? Why not plastic or some other material?

It’s a pretty interesting idea. Glass is something we associate as being very fragile. Windows are supposed to offer some degree of protection, but fragile and safety don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. Plus, in an earthquake or a storm, shattered glass could injure or even kill someone. It certainly wouldn’t be hard to cut yourself with it. Glass is also difficult to transport, as it can easily crack while it’s moving from factory to destination.

So why do we, a society that is always looking for the best and the most convenient, still use something as impractical as glass?

There are a couple of interesting reasons. First of all, even though glass can shatter, it’s stronger than you think. Plus, there really is no in-between for glass: it’s either in good condition or it’s broken. Sure, it can get slightly damaged or cracked but that is more of an inconvenience than a serious issue, and it’s very easy to spot. A material like plastic could easily get warped or wear down and you would have no idea. It could be potentially useless, and since there’s no way of you knowing, you wouldn’t know to replace it.

Another reason is because glass is a very hard material. Plastic and other materials just simply can’t compare to it. It’s not hard to scratch plastic. Glass, on the other hand, holds up against dirt, sand, and other material that gets thrown at it. Sure, if you threw a baseball directly at it, the glass will shatter whereas the plastic would be okay. But if there was a storm and the wind was kicking up small rocks or other material, the glass would probably come out untouched whereas the plastic would have noticeable wear.

Glass is also sturdy while still being thin. If you tried to make a thin piece of plastic and stand it up, it will probably fold over. Glass, on the other hand, doesn’t bend at all. It’s a solid material that remains stiff and sturdy. A plastic window would need to be significantly thicker to make it that stiff, and that thickness would affect the overall quality of the window and probably not look as good.

An important part of having windows is that it helps you with your energy conservation. If you don’t know how windows affect your energy bills, check out some of our other posts about the importance of having energy efficient windows. Basically, windows are essential for insulation, especially double-paned windows. Plastic doesn’t exactly have the same insulating properties and would therefore not work as well.

Finally, the ability of glass to break can actually be a good thing. If you were stuck in a house during a fire and needed to get out, it would be really tough to break a plastic window. But, all it would take is a chair or a heavy object to shatter the glass window allowing you to get out.

Plastic windows

All of us perfectly remember the times when, with the onset of cold weather, we had to spend a lot of time and energy to insulate the windows. Residents of villages and towns jammed gaps in frames with foam rubber (newspapers, rags, etc.) and glued with adhesive tape (which in recent years even sold in stores, which saved consumers from having to make this tape independently, being ingenious in ingenuity). But, despite all the measures taken, the cold wind made its way to our dwellings through the cracks between the frame and the wall, forcing the light curtains on the windows to move, completely banishing heat and causing colds of chilled residents of “ideally ventilated” apartments. But these days things are gradually becoming a thing of the past. To make our home more comfortable and cozy at any time of year will help the plastic windows that appeared on the market not so long ago, but have firmly gained popularity among consumers in the countries of America, Europe and the CIS. About these modern designs, reliably protecting homes and offices from noise, dust, wind, rain and cold, created a huge number of myths, which we will try to debunk.

Plastic windows are standard in shape and color.

Absolutely mistaken opinion. Simply, most consumers have long preferred white designs, which was the reason for creating such an opinion. In fact, developers of plastic windows can satisfy the most refined needs of customers. For example, profiles can be laminated with a color film (dozens of types are offered by companies that manufacture windows). And the shape of the window is not at all limited to a traditional rectangle – from a flexible and elastic profile, you can create windows in the form of a square, an arch, a circle, an oval, etc., thereby embodying any design fantasy into reality.

Plastic windows are not cheap.

Indeed, like any quality product, a plastic window has an appropriate cost. However, one should take into account all the pros and cons of the installation in a building of this kind. Firstly, the presence of plastic windows reduces the energy loss of the premises, in addition, these designs do not require constant maintenance (painting, gluing for the winter, etc.). Secondly, plastic windows are cheaper than wooden ones of similar quality. And, finally, domestic manufacturers produce products that are quite high quality at a very reasonable price.

Plastic windows obstruct the ventilation of the room.

Indeed, plastic windows are more hermetically sealed than previously installed wooden structures, ensuring the presence of quite noticeable crevices between the window and the wall. This “voluntary-forced” airing led to drafts, which, in turn, caused colds of residents and not very comfortable indoor temperature (especially during periods of severe frosts), even if there are batteries that are working properly. Plastic windows reliably protect your house from drafts, the effects of low temperatures, rain and wind. However, the rooms will have to be ventilated daily.

конденса Condensation appears on the windows of plastic windows.

This is indeed the case, and the reason for this phenomenon is the above-described tightness of structures of this kind. In this case, it should be noted that the windows of any windows – wooden, aluminum, and plastic – are fogged up. And to avoid condensation of moisture on the windows of plastic windows is not so difficult – just air the room at least twice a day for 5 minutes.

The frames of the plastic windows turn yellow over time.

This is true if it comes to cheap windows made by small manufacturing companies. It should be remembered that the properties of the plastic construction depend on the availability (or absence) of special additives (additives) used in the manufacturing process. If manufacturers save on additives, windows can really turn yellow in time.Therefore, it is best to purchase plastic windows from well-known manufacturers who have a good reputation in the market for such structures.

European plastic windows are better domestic.

Yes, European manufacturers have many years of experience in the manufacture of plastic windows. However, it should be remembered that windows designed for the climate of England, Germany or France are not always suitable for regions with more frosty or less stable weather. It is best to choose the domestic producers using technologies of leading European companies. In addition, many foreign firms open their factories on the territory of various states, while adapting production to the appropriate climate – their products are also worthy of your close attention.

Plastic windows are harmful to health, because lead and PVC are used in the production process.

Indeed, the above substances are present in the design, but how harmful are they to health? After all, for example, the above-mentioned lead is also used in the production of crystal (and its share in crystal is much larger than in plastic profiles). But, despite this, the dishes made of crystal are used universally and harmful to health does not count. And PVC (polyvinylchloride) produces a variety of consumer goods, for example, electric kettles, mostly made of the same plastic that is used in the production of windows. Yes, and plastic water pipes, pieces of furniture, etc. have long ceased to be exotic. That’s just kettles and plastic pipes, we, for some reason, are alarmed much less than a plastic window.

After installing the plastic window, there are garbage mountains.

As with any construction work, after installation of the plastic window, the garbage will of course remain. But there will not be too much of it. And if the installation of plastic windows did not catch you unawares – you should prepare the room for installation work. First of all, you should remove all things from the windowsill, release the passage to the window, cover the furniture with something (oilcloth, newspapers, old sheets), so as not to settle the dust, and to prepare garbage bags. At the same time, keep in mind that garbage disposal is the responsibility of installers, therefore this item must be stipulated in the terms of the contract. Otherwise, you have to take out the remaining garbage yourself.

The more cameras – the warmer the windows.

Indeed, the number of cameras depends on the heat-shielding function of the window. But six-seven-chamber windows, quite suitable in cold areas (Siberia, the Far North), in the middle band are not so needed. It is quite enough three-chamber windows, for the thermal protection of the corresponding wall, the thickness of two bricks.

The glossy profile is less dirty, and it’s easier to take care of it.

The matte profile is getting dirty really slightly faster. But, for example, fingerprints on it are not visible, and small scratches are not noticeable. To care for the matte profile, the same detergents as for the glossy profile are suitable, and the care itself is quite simple. The only thing that should be remembered, eliminating the pollution of the plastic window – gasoline, solvent, acid or nitrosover should not be used. These substances can damage the compounds that stabilize the surface of the structure and protect it from discoloration.

Self-cleaning glass and wash do not have to.

This is not quite true. Patented by the American company Cardinal CG Company (Minneapolis), the glass of Neat ™ can to some extent be called “naturally cleansing”. Thanks to double spraying, during which a completely imperceptible but extremely thin layer of silicon dioxide and titanium is applied to the glass, the glass becomes smoother, the water from its surface evaporates faster, leaving almost no traces. Under the influence of ultraviolet, contained in the sun, titanium dioxide accelerates the decomposition of organic compounds on the surface of the glass. But completely mud accumulations are not removed.They are only crushed, after which they are easily washed off with water. So the procedure for washing windows will still have to be arranged periodically, although it will require much less effort from the happy owner of the Neat ™ glass design. It should also be noted that such glasses have an increased light transmittance and a much lower level of reflection than conventional glasses.

Plastic windows provide reliable isolation from any street noise.

High-quality plastic windows can really reduce the noise coming from outside. Especially effective in this sense are double-glazed windows with glasses of different thickness or divided into several sections – this helps to substantially reduce the phenomenon of resonance. However, low frequency sounds (noise of a working hammer, tram, transport hum) will be heard anyway.

Inside the insulating glass – vacuum.

In fact, during the manufacturing process, a vacuum is created inside the glass unit, which allows the glass to be pressed as close as possible to the frame. But this is not a vacuum.

The best quality windows are thick, because the air between the panes is the best heat insulator in the world.

This is not quite true. Suffice it to recall the law of convection, which all schoolchildren study in physics lessons: cold air falls down, warm air rises. Approximately the same thing happens between the windows of windows: along the inner glass the air rises, its place is taken by the cold, descending along the outer (cold) glass. As a result, a circulation of air takes place in the space between the glasses, which leads to large heat losses. Manufacturers take this into account, and try to make the distance between the glasses as small as possible. Thickening of a double-glazed window occurs only due to a greater quantity of layers of glasses (chambers), that, naturally, increases the price of a product. In addition, it is not necessary to buy 5-7-chamber double-glazed windows in our latitudes – 2-3-chamber cameras are enough.

The price of plastic windows depends on the size of the structure.

Size, of course, matters, but modern plastic windows are made up of several dozen components, manufactured using various technologies and equipment. All of the above factors also affect the price of windows.

Double glazed windows filled with argon – the best.

Most often, this statement can be heard from manufacturers who want to attract the largest number of potential buyers to their product. But, firstly, such an assertion is difficult to verify, because for this it would be necessary to break the glass and determine by means of a special device, than the spaces between the glasses are filled. And, secondly, the thermal conductivity of gases depends on the pressure to which they are exposed, and not on what kind of gas is used. So, by and large, it does not matter what the glass unit is full of. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the sound-insulating qualities of windows, in which the argon is insulated, are by no means optimal.

It is not easy to choose quality plastic windows.

This is indeed so. Therefore, intending to update your interior with a new window of their PVC, keep in mind that:

Sometimes the prices for the goods are indicated without VAT, so be sure to specify how much it will cost to deliver and install the selected windows with all the equipment for them (transitional profiles, window sills, etc.) including VAT;

It is necessary to pay attention to the factory marking (it is on the inside of the window box or directly on the profile), which must include a brand with the name of the manufacturer and a series of numbers (shift number, number of the device for the production of PVC profiles (extruder ), the date of manufacture);

Blindly trust the recommendations of friends or advertising is not worth it.Be sure to find out about the manufacturing company as much as possible (how well known is the company, whether it has been engaged in this activity for a long time, is the manufacturer or dealer, whether the dealer firm has an official agreement with the manufacturer, etc.);

You have to ask what kind of guarantee the manufacturer gives to your product. During the warranty period (which must be at least a year), if the profile is warped, cracked, yellowed, etc., you have the right to file claims with the firm that issued a guarantee for this product.