Aluminum profile windows and doors: Instruction + Video

Aluminum profile for windows - which one is better? The list of building materials from which window systems can be made is not limited to plastic alone. PVC windows are incredibly popular, but at the moment there are metal and wood structures on sale that surpass them in many ways.

New technologies have made it possible to eliminate material shortcomings, and for this reason, the aluminum profile for windows has become more often used for glazing apartments and private houses.

General information

Advantages

Modern windows made of aluminum profiles are different from those that were used for construction several decades ago.

The list of advantages is impressive:

1. High-strength material.

   This makes it possible to make frames thinner than standard plastic frames, which in turn gives more illumination. Also, the frame made of aluminum is less susceptible to damage, and the margin of safety is designed for double-glazed windows with a huge weight. The risk of sash deformation or sagging is minimized.

Please note, that silicon and magnesium are added to aluminum during production, which makes the profile more rigid and resistant to corrosion.

1. Durability.

   Manufacturers give a guarantee from 50 to 80 years, but if the seal and fittings are timely replaced, the windows will last even longer. Also, aluminum is not afraid of exposure to the sun and moisture, and can easily withstand large temperature drops (from -85 to +210 degrees).

2. Lightness. This is a very important factor when glazing an external structure, for example, on a balcony, loggia, as well as when decorating a window in a door, that is, in cases where weight gain is highly undesirable.
3. Resistance to burglary.

   An aluminum frame, even without special fittings, can withstand at least 10 minutes of a burglar with a hand tool.

4. Possibility of performing repair work. If the frame is damaged, it can be easily replaced. Fittings (locks, handles, latches), seals - they can be easily replaced with your own hands. Also, you do not have to mill or drill anything, since the old element will be removed, and a new one can be installed in its place.

5. Wide range of colors, durable finish. The aluminum profile is painted in such a way as powder spraying in any shade from the catalog, but there is another option - anodizing the elements.
6. Plasticity, which makes it possible to create frames of various shapes, even curvilinear ones - oval, lancet, round.
7. A huge number of design varieties - frames can be rotary, deaf, sliding, folding and combined type.
8. Safety - unlike PVC or wood, aluminum does not burn, and will not emit harmful vapors and impurities.

Interesting facts!

• Aluminum is the most abundant element in the earth's crust after oxygen and carbon, its share is 8%. It was also found on Mars and the Moon.
• In the 1860s it was very fashionable to wear jewelry made of this metal, especially in France, and it was valued more than gold.
• In the 19th century, aluminum even cost more than gold, since the process of obtaining this metal without impurities was complicated and, accordingly, expensive, and only a century ago, 1 kg of aluminum cost 1,000 rubles, if we translate the cost of those times into modern money.

It is thanks to such a number of advantages that the production of windows from aluminum profiles has become so popular.

Disadvantages

Like every material, this metal also has its drawbacks, but there are an order of magnitude less of them than advantages:

1. Cost. The price of metal is 2 or even 2.5 times higher than that of conventional plastic structures. The price is justified taking into account the service life, but the installation will have to be pretty expensive. This moment scares off a lot of potential buyers.

2. Keeping warm. Low-end aluminum frames are inferior in heat preservation to plastic or wood counterparts.
3. Do not breathe. Such windows do not let air in when closed, and for this reason, it will be necessary to ventilate the room more often or create a forced ventilation system.

Cold and warm aluminum profile

There are two categories of aluminum window profiles - cold and warm.

With the same thickness, the difference between them is in the internal structure, and in order to see it, it is not at all necessary to saw the element in half - on the Internet, manufacturers post section drawings of the models, which can be found in DWG format. The following photo will help you understand what is the difference between the varieties.

So, the cold profile has no elements for insulation, and inside it there is only one chamber without layers, so it will freeze through in winter. Cold-type aluminum structures are suitable for balconies, loggias without heating, verandas or utility rooms. The advantages of this option are the lightness of the fittings and low weight.

The warm profile contains a longitudinal insert with polyamide fiberglass. Such materials have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity - 150 less than that of pure aluminum. The insert can be from 18 to 35 mm thick, and in this case the thermal break will not let the cold pass.

This design makes it possible to approach soft metal windows in terms of heat retention in PVC or wooden frames, so they can be installed in the living area. It is interesting that the coefficient of resistance to heat transfer will be equal from 0.

55 to 0.57 m ² * C / W.With a thermal break, which is obtained from a multi-chamber profile with a glass unit with a width of 3 to 4 cm, the coefficient of resistance to heat transfer increases to 0.63 m ² * C / W.

In windows and doors made of aluminum profiles, the thermal break chamber is hollow, and for this reason, even at a temperature of -10 degrees, they become covered with condensation.

Such structures are the coldest, and the coefficient will not be more than 0.44 m ² * C / W.

Hardware for aluminum profiles

Hardware for aluminum window frames differs from the elements that are in PVC construction. ,

They can be divided into two types:

• Hardware with hinges fastening to the frame using screws that are screwed into pre-made holes.
• Fittings with hinge fastening using clamping clamps.

  They do not require additional holes and a template, so they can be considered the most technologically advanced.

If everything is extremely simple with fittings, then with a seal it is a little more complicated.

Seal

The seal is required in order to protect against drafts, as well as to protect the profile from mechanical damage, and to extend the life of the entire structure.

It is used on all doors and windows with any type of opening and can be divided into 3 types:

• TPE - high-quality sealant, but can crack in severe frost.
• VМ Q - not afraid of any temperature, suitable for a harsh climate, but quite expensive.

• EP DM - perfectly withstands heat, moisture, frost, exposure to aggressive substances, is relatively inexpensive, but inferior in terms of service life to the second type. This option is considered the most popular.

If you decide to replace the seal, it is better to buy materials from the same company that the manufacturer used. In the store, make sure the seal stretches a little and does not crack.

Manufacturers of aluminum profiles - which are the best

For aluminum window systems, the quality criteria are set by GOST 21519-2003.

For this reason, on the basis of GOST, in the rating of the best manufacturers, which were selected based on user reviews, highlighted :

1. Firm from Germany, Sc huco ("Shuko"). It is engaged in the production of window, door, post-transom and sliding systems with a low, high and maximum degree of thermal insulation. The models have built-in ventilation systems, as well as protection from sunlight, condensation removal and noise reduction.
2. Рrovedа l (Spain). These products are made from profiles using a process called anodizing.

   After it is carried out, a protective film is formed on the surface. The main area of ​​application is cold glazing. Such profiles are often used in window blocks by most manufacturers, and even such eminent ones as Kaleva-Light.This is a special glazing system for balconies and loggias, which allows you to make the most of the available space and ensure the maximum flow of light through the glass. Kaleva is indispensable for "broken" loggias, and at the same time, various schemes for opening windows are possible.

3. Reynае rs (Belgium). They are quite a bit tired in the quality of Shuko in terms of technology and quality, but they are much cheaper. There is a wide assortment, which includes cold and warm types of profiles of various colors (more than 4 hundred shades), wood-aluminum windows.
4. Vidna l P rо f (Russia). This domestic manufacturer produces facade profiles for cold-type glazing, as well as insulated options for stained-glass windows, doors and windows.

   The company's products are adapted for Russian conditions, and the prices are much lower than foreign models, while the quality is very good.

The cost of a window made of an aluminum profile

To calculate the cost of glazing windows with an aluminum profile, you should first consider the parameters on which the final cost will depend.

These should include the following:

• Thickness of aluminum profile and thermal break insert. The greater the thickness, the warmer the window will be, and therefore the higher the cost.
• Seals, fittings.

  The final cost will largely depend on the quality of the components used. The construction price will be increased if multi-circuit seals are used. The best fittings manufacturers are the German company Roto and the Italian company Giesse.

• Glass unit type. The cost will be affected by the number of cameras, the presence / absence of coverage from the energy-saving layer.

• Brand . The reputation of the company is also of great importance, as well as how famous the manufacturer of the profile and the company that assembles the windows is.

So, it turns out that the cost of one window structure made of cold-type aluminum with a single-glazed unit starts from 3,800 rubles / m ² . A warm window with a double-glazed window will cost from 4,500 rubles / m ² . And yet it is better to use the warm aluminum profile of the famous brand for windows, which guarantees the quality of the manufactured products.