Previously, aluminum sliding windows were considered unfit for installation in residential buildings, but new advances in the production of insulating glass changed the situation. Modern profile systems possess high heat-insulating and strength characteristics, perfectly suitable for the solution of various tasks in the interior.
Aluminum windows - the pros and cons
Metal profile has high strength and allows you to create products of various configurations, form arches or build amazing architectural ensembles. For example, a sliding structure with reinforced hardware is capable of withstanding the case of a door leaf weighing 400 kg and a width of more than 3 m. Most manufacturers work with individual orders, so you can easily purchase aluminum sliding windows to suit your specific operating conditions.
Advantages of aluminum sliding windows:
- Sliding doors save space near the opening and facilitate the ventilation process.
- Aluminum - light metal, it allows you to reduce the load on the balcony or other architectural structures of the building.
- The metal profile is durable and has high strength characteristics.
- You can design windows with a large area.
- Aluminum is not afraid of fire.
- Easy to clean.
- Window constructions do not need additional reinforcement with beams.
- Aluminum windows have better maintainability in comparison with competitors.
- Sliding window made of metal looks great in a modern interior.
Aluminum windows - cons:
- Metal has low thermal insulation characteristics in comparison with wood and PVC, therefore in a cold climate it is necessary to install structures from a specially developed insulated profile.
- A relatively narrow range of colors for aluminum sliding windows.
- Not all manufacturers make windows with a "warm" profile.
- High price.
Types of aluminum windows
For a long time people refused to buy windows from the aluminum profile because of poor thermal insulation qualities, expensive cost and extremely small variety of assortment. At this time, most of the problems listed could be solved, which quickly led to a significant increase in the popularity of double-glazed windows from metal. Much has been done to improve the appearance of the structure, various types of painting of window systems are constantly being improved.
Types of painting of aluminum sliding windows:
- Anodizing is an excellent and durable way of painting the frames, eliminating the detachment of the decorative coating or the development of corrosion. The most common colors of anodized windows are light gold, dark gilding, colorless (matte silver).
- Powder coating - coating is performed at high temperatures, the resulting decorative layer is resistant to damage and corrosion.
- Lamination - the use of a durable and durable protective film extends the choice of color palette, allows easier to choose aluminum sliding windows in accordance with the interior of the apartment or the facade of the house.
Panoramic aluminum windows
Quality aluminum windows have advantages, which can not boast of wooden frames or PVC double-glazed windows. The strength characteristics of these products allow them to be widely used for glazing large areas in cottages and hotels, where it is required to provide an open view of the spread sea, mountain or forest landscape. Aluminum sliding windows can be easily installed as one spectacular transparent wall from floor to ceiling or a number of walls.
Aluminum-wooden windows
The desire to combine the best qualities of metal and wood made the inventors develop combined double-glazed windows for the house. Standard sliding windows from the aluminum profile differ significantly from them in their design. Both basic materials can be used for different purposes, which significantly affects the design and other characteristics of the product. It is necessary to distinguish between aluminum-wood and wood-aluminum systems, which have fundamental differences.
Types of combined windows:
- Aluminum-wooden windows - the supporting frame is made of metal, and the wood plays the role of decorative lining. Packages trimmed with precious wood have an expensive and presentable look.
- Wood-aluminum windows - the frame is made of wood, and aluminum is attached in the form of overlays. These systems are easy to care for and when installed, are renowned for improved thermal insulation properties. Aluminum outer lining provides a protective function and significantly increases the service life.
Aluminum windows stained glass
Spectacular aluminum stained glass windows are used for glazing the entire facade of a building, or part of a building structure. Using these systems allows you to improve the appearance of the house, make it more elegant, increase lighting. There is a "warm" stained glass window on the basis of a special profile with a thermal insert. It is perfectly suitable for arrangement of winter gardens , entrance groups, large light apertures in the plane of the roof of the house (rooflights).
Fireproof aluminum windows
Fire-resistant double-glazed windows are designed for a completely different role than standard sliding aluminum windows on a loggia or balcony. They are installed in the construction of fire barriers in the walls, tambour sluices and partitions of a large building, a large warehouse or other facility. The main indicator of a fireproof aluminum window is the loss of integrity, which is indicated by the letter "E" in the marking. The fire resistance limit can vary from 15 minutes (E-15) to 90 minutes (E-90).
Warm aluminum windows
People are increasingly trying to buy sliding aluminum windows on the loggia, turning the utility room into a small kitchen, lounge or study. For this purpose, packages with a complex profile are suitable, in which the outer and inner parts are connected by a "thermal bridge" in the form of a polyamide insert. Now there are quality aluminum systems that outperform the frames of wood. The warm profiles of the firms Reynaers and Alutech are excellent indicators of heat resistance.
Aluminum windows on the balcony
Spread out rectangular aluminum sliding windows on the balcony, equipped with horizontal guides for smooth movement of the leaflets. To prevent snow and rain drops inside, special seals are laid along the perimeter. Window systems for balconies and loggias are equipped with delimiters that prevent flaps from falling out during a strong wind. The accumulated water flows out by means of a drain installed in the lower part of the aluminum frame.
Aluminum windows for the veranda
Resistant to temperature changes and atmospheric influences, sliding windows made of aluminum profile perfectly serve on verandas without permanent heating in winter. Metal frames do not rot, do not need periodic painting and are excellent for more than 50 years. For a house with a non-standard layout, triangular, arched or trapezoidal systems can be ordered. Sliding windows are well suited for a narrow veranda where open doors will not take up space and impede movement.
Aluminum windows - terrace
Using modern window systems allows you to radically change the facade of a country house , applying new styles of design. New types of aluminum windows and other building materials allow to comfortably equip a terrace for rest in all weather conditions. The open area after glazing becomes protected from rain and gusts of wind.
Sliding doors do not interfere with the vases and other objects installed on the windowsill, they do not touch the blinds and are easily fixed in the chosen position. With gusts of wind and drafts, the risk of damage to the glass disappears in the event of an unexpected flailing of the window halves. The chic look has a building with a large panoramic clear wall, covering the entire floor area to the ceiling of the terrace.
Aluminum windows for gazebo
In a small enclosed gazebo, saving the interior space is of tremendous importance, so the sliding windows of the aluminum profile are an excellent option for solving this problem. Double-glazed windows of the "cold" series make sense to use in the case when you plan to exploit this building exclusively in the summer. When installing a fireplace and a "warm" profile, you can turn the pavilion into a small winter garden, use it for picnics even for New Year or Christmas.
Installation of aluminum windows
The installation of the metal sliding window differs little from the attachment of the structure to the PVC frame, but there are some nuances in this work. If you have no idea how to properly install a modern double-glazed window, change the seal for aluminum windows, adjust the hardware, then it's better to entrust specialists to this delicate matter.
Features of installation of a sliding aluminum window system:
- We fix the frame in the opening and fix it with wedges.
- Align the frame with a level and drill the mounting holes.
- We mount the anchor plates and mount the frame.
- Fix the seams with foam and remove the wedges.
- After two hours we make the final filling with foam holes, we expect it to completely solidify.
- We put the window sill in the grooves.
- Adjust the sill by level.
- Fill the void with foam.
- We begin the installation of the wings and the installation of accessories.
- We fix the guides in the opening.
- The clearance between the guide elements and the frame must not exceed 5 mm.
- Valves are held on rollers, screwed 5 cm from the edge.
- The brush seal is placed in grooves with bristles inward towards each other.
- The leaflet is first wound into the upper guide, and then installed by rollers on the lower runners.
- The height of the rollers is set by adjusting screws.
- We fasten the ebb.
Adjustment of aluminum windows
If you were able to figure out the task, how to assemble aluminum windows, and correctly performed the installation, then they will serve for a long time without breakdowns. Sometimes in the operation of sliding systems, two major problems can periodically arise, which are eliminated by an easy and simple adjustment - poor fixation of the latches and jamming of the frame when moving along the guides.
At the ends of the doors there are holes where we enter the key number 4, lifting to the required level is done by rotating the screw clockwise. We follow the setup to ensure that there is no undesired skew. The latch is regulated with a key number 2,5. Unscrew the counter element, set it so that the rib in front of the lower bevel was at the level of the upper bevel of the tongue. A recessed deep tongue can be flush with the edge of the frame, by unscrewing the fixing screw with a key # 3. Access to the latch is opened by turning the knob, after completion of adjustment, the screw is tightened.