It allows to gain very quickly in thermal and acoustic comfort. The new double glazing (argon) is very efficient and the change of frames and frames eliminates thermal bridges that cause loss.
- The two fundamental elements
- The chassis
- The glazing
- The chassis
The frame is the body of the window that supports the glazing, it consists of a fixed or fixed part and an opening part that supports the glazing.
The frames are available in several materials: PVC, wood or aluminium.
PVC frames are said to be 3 or 5 chambers, the chambers are successive layers of air, the more chambers there are, the more heat transfer is delayed and the more insulation is important.
Aluminium frames with thermal bridge failure:
A thermal bridge corresponds to a weakening of the thermal insulation. It promotes calorie leakage, condensation and can cause disorders. This phenomenon is most often found at the junctions of the walls, but also in metal cabinet frames. Aluminium is not by nature an insulating material, so it is advisable to introduce a thermal break system (insulating strips made of synthetic material) into the frames, which is essential, particularly when the glazing used is highly insulating (e. g. gas insulated glass or /and low-emissivity glass).
The wooden frame:
Wood naturally has a very poor thermal conductivity (0.23 W/m.K), so it is a very good insulator. On the other hand, its bulk requires heavy chassis and its price requires a significant investment.
The double glazing
Double glazing allows an air gap to be inserted between the two panes of glass, which gives it its insulating character. The thicker the air gap, the more insulating it is. In standard applications, 4mm "glazing" + 16mm "Blade" + 4mm "Glazing" are used. The air has been replaced by argon to optimize the insulation properties.
There is even more insulating triple glazing, used for example for the construction of BBC houses on the southern parts in order to control natural heat inputs specifically in summer.
There are also anti-break-in glazings which are made of laminated glass, a sheet of glass (4mm) + 6 PVB (Poly Vinyl Butyral) sheets + a sheet of glass (4mm) called 44.6. These windows are resistant to object throwing and are considered a good retardant (it will not withstand several blows of mass). We are talking about a burglar retarder.
There is reinforced protective glazing that resists ground impact, so you need three sheets of glass: 444.6 and even 666.12 for high protection.
The Uw coefficient
Uw is the thermal transfer coefficient, it measures the ability to transmit calories, the lower it is the better. Indeed, the reduction of Uw by 1 W/m².k saves more than 5% on the building's primary energy consumption.