Today it is rare where you can find old wooden structures. Perhaps, among us there is almost no person left who would not have plastic windows in the apartment, unless we are talking about historical buildings. Most are trying to replace conventional glazing with double-glazed windows, and wooden frames with plastic. This issue has its pros and cons, but the pros outweigh: there are no drafts, the plastic does not dry out and does not creak, it always closes tightly and opens easily, it does not need to be painted once a season. But what if the design is damaged? We tell you when you need to replace a plastic double-glazed window and how to carry it out yourself.
All about self-replacing double-glazed windows
- What are the design features?
- When is a replacement needed?
- Should I change the number of cameras in a double-glazed window?
- Local repair or installation of a new window?
- How to choose a new product?
- How to make a replacement yourself?
- How to replace a single-chamber product with a two-chamber one?
one What are the design features?
Before you solve any problem, you need to understand its causes. In the case of plastic glazing, you will more successfully cope with the task if you represent its entire structure. So, today in plastic models there are glass sheets that are quite complex in structure. They have several details: two, three or four layers, which are connected by spacers and sealant. According to the number of gaps between glass sheets, it is customary to divide them into types.
Types of double-glazed windows
- Single-chamber (two sheets interconnected, and a single gap-camera).
- Two-chamber (three sheets and two gaps).
- Three-chamber (four sheets and three chambers).
The quality of thermal insulation and protection from external noise primarily depends on the number of chambers. For example, five-chamber packages are now being placed on the balcony to ensure a more reliable temperature regime.
These indicators can be improved not only by increasing the number of cameras, but also by replacing the glass in a double-glazed window. Classic glasses have a thickness of 4 millimeters, they are marked M1. If you saw the letters K and I, then the material is coated with a hard or soft low-emission composition. It is for such options marked K or I that glasses are usually changed. This provides more reliable thermal insulation (1.6-1.8 times higher). In summer, they work the other way around — by absorbing sunlight, they lower the temperature in the room.
It is not always worth changing the entire structure. As a rule, this is necessary if the original shape is severely damaged, there are serious violations on the frame or profile.
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Window
How to repair a plastic window yourself
2 When should glass be replaced?
- The house shrinks, this mainly applies to new buildings.
- There was an inconsistent redevelopment on the lower floors, which led to changes in the geometry of the house.
- Thieves tried to get through the opening.
- There was a household explosion at home or on the street.
If you find yourself in such a situation and the window is damaged, the first thing you should do is call a specialist for an assessment. If the eurowindow is broken, then the frames most likely remain intact, and you only have to replace the double-glazed window in the plastic window.
3 Is it worth changing the number of cameras to more?
Why change single-chamber glazing to double-chamber? As a rule, developers in new buildings often put the first option in order to save money. It is almost designed for living spaces. Such a window freezes through, does not protect against noise. Replacing the structure will immediately affect the temperature in the room, it will become warmer. If you live on a busy street, near a road or a playground, you will immediately understand that it has become quieter. In a word, life will become more comfortable, so the answer is unequivocal: if possible, increase the number of cameras — it’s worth it.
four Choose a local replacement or dismantling of the entire window?
According to GOST, the service life of eurowindows is 20 years. That is why today the owners of the first models are faced with a choice — to buy new ones or limit themselves to replacing glasses? It is not difficult to answer this question: if the profiles remain white, they are easy to clean, the frames open and close without difficulty, then nothing needs to be completely changed. You can only update the filling by installing new more modern eurowindows.
Benefits of local replacement
- Budget — saves up to half the cost of the procedure.
- No additional disassembly work required.
- No construction waste.
- It will not be necessary to finish the slopes after the repair.
Cons of local repair
- It is not always possible, but only if the fittings and frame are in perfect condition.
- It is possible to make local repairs when the euro-window is delivered with high quality and there are no drafts at the seams.
5 How to choose a new double-glazed window?
Before starting work, it is important to understand what functionality you expect from a new product. And it is worth choosing a model based on specific problems and wishes.
- The apartment is cold. If in winter you are constantly freezing at home, the reasons may be different, including in a poorly designed eurowindow. If heaters and batteries do not cope with heating the apartment, it is worth considering the option of replacing the material with a more modern one. For example, if you have two-chamber double-glazed windows, they should be changed to three-chamber ones. Experts advise to pay attention to packages with energy-saving glass sheet marked I — Planibel TOP N+. Thermal insulation can be further enhanced by placing two i-sheets, and inert gas is run into the inner chambers. Best of all, 3-chamber options, consisting of 4 glasses, one of which is energy-saving, cope with heat retention in the apartment. Not all manufacturers have such options, for example, there are multifunctional models, they save not only from the cold, but also from high temperatures in the summer.
- Huge heating bills. Owners of country houses know that heating is a significant item of utility bills. Properly designed window structures will help reduce bills. Multifunctional models are also suitable, they do not let heat from the batteries into the street. In summer, they will save the house from excessive overheating in the sun, and in winter they will keep warm, and you will not need to turn on the heater once again.
- Exit to the sunny side. The main problem in this layout is the strong heating of the rooms in the summer. This is especially true for the southern regions. In order not to constantly keep the air conditioner on and save on electricity bills, it is worth replacing the double-glazed windows with heat-insulating ones. You can put mirror glass. They filter out half of the sunlight and not only keep the room from heating up, but also keep harmful UV rays out of the house. By the way, such windows will keep the upholstery and wooden furniture from fading in the sun. There are different models of glasses that filter from 40 to 60% of sunlight.
- Near highway or busy street. For such apartments, material with additional sound insulation is ideal. It will maintain a comfortable silence in the apartment, and your sleep will remain inviolable. Keep in mind, if you are used to sleeping with an open window or often ventilate, there will be no talk of any soundproofing. If you are worried about extra sounds, before installing such glasses, consider the ventilation system at home.
- Ground floors, view of the neighboring building. Tired of prying eyes? Change the transparent filling to a mirror one, and no one will see you. True, privacy is maintained only in daylight. At night, the effect disappears due to electric lighting.
- Do you want to get rid of the protective grilles. Residents of the first floors know firsthand about anti-vandal window protection. As a rule, gratings are installed, but in addition to them, you can choose a more modern double-glazed window with a penetration protection system. There are special multi-layer structures that, in combination with special fittings, will make the opening actually safe, and there will be no need for gratings.
6 How to replace a double-glazed window in a plastic window yourself?
Do not change only one side of the window, leaving the rest in place — this will affect the tightness of the entire structure. It will no longer retain heat and protect against noise as well as before. The only way to repair the damage is to remove all packages completely and order new ones. If the order is urgent, it can be completed even in 1 day, but usually the procedure lasts 3-5 days.
How to make an order? First of all, measure the entire Eurowindow. Masters will be interested in the distance from the junction of the glazing bead with the frame on one side to the same junction opposite. Measure the length and width, then subtract 10 millimeters from each measurement. The last thing to measure is the width of the package.
Replacement steps
- First, prepare the mounting pads. Using a spatula, carefully widen the joint where the glazing bead meets the frame. The bead must be carefully pulled out and marked where it comes from.
- Next, you will need a spatula, with it, carefully prying the edges, pull the damaged part out of the plastic frame. Wipe the opening from dirt and dust.
- You can start the installation. We install the new filling on special gaskets and with their help, using a spatula, insert the new package into place. Gaps are formed — this is correct, make sure that they are equal on all sides. Using shims, secure the new part in place according to the window installation diagram.
- Return the glazing beads to their places. The job is done correctly if the window opens and closes effortlessly.
Look at the video, the process of replacing a double-glazed window with your own hands is disassembled briefly and clearly.
7 How to replace a single-chamber package with a two-chamber one and save money?
Single-chamber windows are now almost never installed to anyone, because such models do not have the best thermal insulation performance. The owners of the windows still tend to change them to two and three-chamber ones. But you will have to pay much more for such windows, and since such a model is much thicker than a single-chamber one, it will not be possible to install only a sheet without dismantling the entire structure. Are there any ways to save money with this repair? Yes there is.
If you study all the designs, you can see that single-chamber models are 24 and 32 mm thick. The first are classic models, while the second are designs consisting of one chamber, in which another glass sheet is additionally installed. The camera there is reduced from 24 to 20 mm. That is why it makes no sense to replace the glass in a double-glazed window with exactly the same one; you can put two cameras of the same thickness instead of one. But only if you had an extended design. This will almost double the heat saving and sound insulation. If these indicators are not enough for you, order a two-chamber version with one K or I sheet.
