Window replacement - 6 important decisions | We are building a house
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What time of year to replace windows and how long does it take?
Although the replacement of windows in winter is possible and will not be difficult for a qualified team, these works should not be carried out when the temperature drops below -5 ° C, because in such conditions the mounting foam for sealing windows loses its properties. It is worth knowing that works, even at a temperature of about 0 ° C, are troublesome, because the jambs must be finished with mortar, which should not be used at such a temperature.
In addition, replacing all windows may take 2 days, so being in a cold house during this time may not be comfortable. Due to the favorable weather conditions, window insertion is best planned in the warmer season. When planning work, you also need to take into account the waiting period for windows, usually they are delivered within a minimum of 4 weeks, and if we choose an unpopular color or shape of the windows, we can wait up to several months for the order to be completed.
How to place an order?
The procedure for ordering new windows is as follows:
The labor costs include - transport, dismantling of old windows, mounting the windows on anchors or dowels with foam sealing, adjustment, filling in defects after disassembly (without painting), removal and disposal of the disassembled elements.
Warning! In most companies, you have to pay extra for mounting with tapes securing the mounting foam against moisture.
Infographic: Replacing windows - 6 important decisionsWindow replacement - what do you need to remember?
Of course, when trying to replace windows, it is worth considering their size and functionality. Decide on the possible combination of narrow sashes into wider ones, reduce the windows from the north (if there are too many of them, one can be bricked up), change the way of opening terrace windows, e.g. sliding, folding. Decide what material the profiles will be made of, what fittings to facilitate the use of windows to have and what sun visors are to be equipped (the external ones are the best).
There are several decisions to be made, but it is worth considering them earlier, so that the new glazing will improve the functionality of the rooms, illuminate them better and protect them against overheating in the summer. In addition, you must not forget about the correct method of embedding, because choosing even the so-called very warm woodwork will not solve the problem of drafts, if the windows are not tightly fitted. Solid, layered assembly is paramount.
For windows with a heat transfer coefficient of approx. 0.9 W / (m2 · K) to a house with an area of 150 m2, we will pay a minimum of PLN 30,000. You need to allocate min. PLN 4,000. Usually, you still have to pay extra for the variant with the use of tapes securing the mounting foam against moisture.
For the replacement of windows in a house with an area of 150 m2 you have to pay a minimum of PLN 30,000. (photo: MS more than WINDOWS)
The standard work includes the replacement of old windows with damaged frames and window sills, installation of windows with anchors or dowels with foam sealing (usually you have to pay extra for protective tapes), adjustment, filling up losses after removing the equipment (without painting), removal and disposal of elements.
Sash dimensions and division
When planning the replacement of the woodwork, it is worth considering a different division of individual sashes and, for example, two narrow ones should be joined into one wider (less profiles and more glazing). It is good to consider replacing some of the windows that are freely accessible from the outside, with non-opening ones (they are approx. 20% cheaper because they have no fittings, their profiles are narrower - they let in more light).
Where there is easy access to the window, you can install cheaper non-opening versions. (photo: Krispol)Renovation is a good opportunity to enlarge the glazing and illuminate the previously dark interiors. Adding a small window in the bathroom, in the attic, or replacing the casement windows in the living room with sliding windows. On the other hand, if there are too many such elements, they can be eliminated. For example, bricking up one of the three bedrooms in the northern wall will not limit the inflow of light, but will reduce costs (a medium-sized model costs a minimum of several hundred zlotys) and significantly reduce heat losses (about 4 times more heat escapes through the windows than through the wall). However, it will also require the renovation of the facade.
Several narrow terrace windows can be replaced with one wider. (photo: Awilux)Profile material
In fact, the main criterion when choosing between PVC, wood and aluminum is the price, because the technical properties of all windows are similar, although the aluminum ones work best in the largest glazing. Aesthetic considerations are less important here, because good quality plastic profiles perfectly imitate wood and are indistinguishable from a distance. Similar to aluminum - properly finished, it can also resemble natural material.
PVC windows with good-quality veneer imitate very well the grain of the wood. (photo: MS more than WINDOWS)The heat resistance of PVC profiles is mainly influenced by their width and wall thickness, not the number of chambers. Therefore, it is worth asking about it - a wider, but five-chamber product will have better thermal parameters than a narrower, but six-chamber one. It is also important what material the profiles are reinforced with. Replacing steel with a polyester-glass composite filled with heat-insulating polyurethane foam improves the thermal properties of the frame. Moreover, they will be "warmer" if equipped with thermal inserts. It is also worth making sure that the windows are made of profiles with wall thickness class A or B, because class C may already mean any completely non-standard thickness.
Wooden frames are generally made of solid pine, spruce, larch, oak, meranti and mahogany wood. They are finished with paints or varnishes, creating opaque or transparent coatings. Every few years, they should be sanded and repainted, and minor damage to the frame can be repaired. These products are more expensive than plastic ones, but non-standard shaped windows are also available. From the outside, the wood can be protected with an aluminum cover that protects against moisture, rain, wind and sun rays (wood-aluminum models).
Aluminum profiles show much higher stiffness than those described above, therefore they are used for glazing even entire facades and winter gardens. And because they can be bent, they are suitable for products with an arc shape or with slants. They can be anodized or powder coated in any color from the RAL palette, or finished with wood-like veneer. Such frames are resistant to external conditions, no maintenance is needed.
Aluminum windows are most often used for large glazing. (photo: Aliplast)If the replacement of windows does not go hand in hand with the renovation of the facade, the color of the new profiles is most often the same as the previous ones. However, it does not have to be that way. Currently, the most popular are white, "wooden" finishes and various shades of graphite. Certainly white windows (especially those made of PVC) are the cheapest, for a different color you usually have to pay a little extra. The shortest time is also waiting for them, because they constitute the majority of the production. You can also choose two-color versions, white on the inside, and a different color on the outside, matching the roof, plaster and external doors. Unfortunately, they are the longest for such ones and they are about 30% more expensive than the regular ones. Moreover, if the order concerns only a few items of products (for a small building), not every company will be willing to make them for us.
Wooden windows can be ordered in any finish, e.g. fashionable graphite. (photo: Sokółka Windows and Doors)UI Rw coefficients
Although when modernizing the woodwork, we do not have to adapt to the requirements for the U heat transfer coefficient applicable to newly built houses, but if we want to apply for funding for this investment, we should buy models with a U of at most 0.9 W / (m2 K) . This value is achieved by triple glazing, although manufacturers also offer versions with more of them. The "warmest" products have a U below 0.6 and are intended for passive buildings.
In the renovated one, as long as we do not raise its energy standard to such a level, it is not worth investing in equipment that meets such stringent conditions in relation to this indicator, because such windows are much more expensive, and the money spent on them will never return.
In an average renovated house, products with U of approx. 0.9 W / (m2 · K) will be good enough.
When choosing models, the acoustic insulation is also important, which is determined by the Rw coefficient - the higher it is, the quieter it will be in the building. Standard windows show Rw 30-32 dB. If the renovated house is located on a busy street, it is best to use woodwork with an acoustic insulation of approx. 40 dB.
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Most of the formerly erected buildings were equipped with gravity ventilation, in which the inflow of fresh air was mainly due to leaks in the joinery. After replacing the windows with tight ones, there may be a problem with air exchange and drainage of excess moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to install window or wall ventilators in all interiors, except for the bathroom, kitchen and toilet. When replacing glazing, some products must be ordered with diffusers.
There are two categories of such items:
Diffusers in the windows facilitate air circulation. They are indispensable in any building with gravity ventilation. (photo: Aluplast)Optional accessories
As standard, the windows are fitted with fittings enabling the opening and tilting of the sashes.
In addition, it is worth choosing:
In traditional tilt terrace windows it is worth ordering:
Sun visors
It is best to think about protection against excessive sunlight when ordering windows, to install them during one installation. A large number of glazing manufacturers offer comprehensive equipment for the building with windows and covers.
For your own comfort and ease of use, it is a good idea to consider how to control them. You can choose between roller shutters and shutters, and external and internal awnings.
When replacing windows, it is best to immediately equip them with sun visors. (photo: MS more than WINDOWS)The most effective protection against the sun is by barriers mounted on the windows from the outside. Not every model can be added when replacing windows, in the case of the most popular external roller shutters, you can only choose on-window versions, which, unfortunately, will reduce the glazing by the height of the box. First, the box is attached to the upper part of the frame (using special profiles), then, together with the window, it is fixed in the window opening.
The covers on small windows (light) can be operated manually with a winder with a crank. Those with larger glazing (heavy) should be better equipped with an electric motor.
Joanna Dąbrowska, photo. opening: Krispol
