What Modern Glass Can Do

2023 Author: Douglas Hoggarth | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-06-06 02:30

Today the choice of a double-glazed window is, first of all, the choice of glass. Modern glass has gone far from the "simple" window glasses 10-15 years ago and acquired a lot of useful properties, however, information about these properties is still relatively little known to the end consumer.

We decided to find out in more detail what modern glass, used today in the manufacture of double-glazed windows, can do, and turned to a number of experts for this purpose.

The modern qualities of glass have influenced the entire insulating glass market. For example, quite recently it seemed that double-glazed windows have confidently ousted single-chamber windows from our homes and consciousness. And now experts call the two-chamber packages "obsolete". Why?

According to Igor Chirkov, deputy general director for construction of Stroyservice, due to the fact that single-chamber double-glazed windows are one and a half times lighter than double-chamber ones, the load on the frame itself, connecting and fastening elements is significantly reduced. This means that the entire window unit will last longer without requiring repairs. In addition, such double-glazed windows are cheaper. Of course, we are talking about a new generation of single-chamber double-glazed windows, which are not inferior to two-chamber ones in keeping warm and ensuring acoustic comfort. Such new double-glazed windows are, first of all, new energy-saving glasses.

Moscow SNiPs (building codes and regulations) set the standard value of the reduced coefficient of heat transfer resistance of a glass unit, equal to 0.55 m2 ° C / W. As the chief specialist of the Center for Independent Construction Expertise Sergey Kononenko explained, the simplest single-chamber glass unit 4-16-4 (two simple glasses 4 mm thick and a distance frame 16 mm long between them) has a coefficient of only 0.32 m2 ° C / W, which clearly not enough.

The standard level of thermal protection is provided by two-chamber or modern single-chamber double-glazed windows with energy-saving glass.

The main idea in the production of energy-saving glasses is the deposition of a special conductive layer of metal oxides on the surface. Preservation of heat is provided by this very coating, which effectively reflects heat energy both inside the room in winter and outside in summer. The thickness of this coating is so thin that it is absolutely transparent to visible light and sunlight.

Today, the largest manufacturers of insulating glass units use just such glass, produced by the leaders of the European glass industry - Glaverbel, Pilkington, Saint-Gobain and some others.

Of course, the Russian climate is such that, first of all, requirements for heat conservation are imposed on any building materials. But no less important are their sun-reflecting properties, and noise protection, and safety issues.

“It would be strange if the experts did not try to combine heat-saving and sun-reflecting properties in one glass,” says Dmitry Deniskin, manager of the Glaverbel special projects department. “And we already have such multifunctional glass.

Double-glazed windows, assembled on the basis of multifunctional glasses, simultaneously solve two problems - energy saving and sun protection."

Another way to solve this problem is to use glasses with different properties as part of a glass unit. In this case, the so-called mass-tinted solar control glass is installed as external, and energy-saving glass as internal. The most common colors of stained glass are intermediate between bronze and brown, gray and green.

Effective noise protection is provided by a special combination of different types of glass.

“By using glass of different thickness in a glass unit, we are able to achieve excellent performance in sound insulation,” says Dmitry Deniskin, “the level of noise penetration into the room can be reduced by 49 dB, which even exceeds the requirements of GOST. In addition, one should not forget about the possibility of using the composition of double-glazed windows of special noise-insulating glass (triplex with a special noise-absorbing film) .

Another indispensable property of a high-quality glass unit is its strength and safety.

There are several options for safety glass. For example, it is a well-known laminated laminated glass "triplex", consisting of several sheets of glass, interconnected by a polyvinyl butyral film. When glass is shattered, the fragments remain "hanging" on the elastic film.

Another option is tempered, that is, thermally treated glass in a special way. Such glass is very difficult to break without the use of special tools. With a strong external impact, the tempered glass crumbles into small round fragments without sharp edges dangerous to people.

Almost all types of glass are used for the production of double-glazed windows, their set and configuration depend on your requirements and the specifics of the room. The choice of the brand, as Dmitry Deniskin advises, is best done in favor of European developments that not only meet the requirements of GOST, but also surpass it in some parameters. In addition, a proven trademark assumes a high level of quality not only for the product itself, but also for the related service.

"Thermobel is, first of all, not a specific set of glasses in a glass unit, but a guarantee of the stable quality of a double-glazed unit of any configuration," Deniskin believes. "This is actually the first brand in Russia, which, based on European quality standards, gives a guarantee of 15 years plus accompanying service - tight delivery times, prompt replacement of defects, free expert consultations, etc."

No less than the quality of the glass unit itself, the quality of the installation of the entire window structure is important. According to Sergey Kononenko, even a very good glass unit can fog up if the installation standards are violated. There is a rule: if the surface of the glass is well ventilated, condensation will not form on it. But if, during the installation of the window block, the window sill completely blocked the battery, there is a great chance that you will be wintering with foggy glasses.

Text: Irina Reznik