Profile for plastic windows: choosing the width and number of cameras

By purchasing plastic windows, we look forward to their long and trouble-free operation. I want to avoid unpleasant surprises in the form of skewed frames or cracks in them after a few months or years. Properly selected profile for plastic windows is the key to the strength and durability of the entire structure. What types of profiles exist, how to choose the right one and what to look for?

Profile views for plastic windows

GOST 30673-99 defines the classification of a profile according to its design features.

By classes (by wall thickness)

According to the thickness of the external and internal walls, the profiles are divided into the following classes:

• A - the thickness of the outer walls from 2.8 mm, internal - from 2.5. The best indicators of durability and thermal insulation among all types.
• B - external walls from 2.5, internal - from 2.0. Compared with class A, they retain heat worse, are more prone to deformation.
• C - all profiles that do not fit the parameters of classes A and B. There are no strict requirements for them. For window frames in apartments, this type is undesirable.

In non-residential production facilities, frames from the so-called object profile are often installed. It is thin, does not retain heat well, is easily deformed, and therefore not suitable for an apartment. It happens that unscrupulous companies offer cheap windows made of such material. Recognition of fraud will help marking "objekt" on a protective film. For other reasons, to determine a fake at first glance is problematic.

In width

The profile has a different width:

• 58 mm - the most common, most often placed in apartments and houses.
• 70 mm - profile width for windows in skyscrapers or buildings located in cold climatic zones.
• 90 mm - premium with the best characteristics of sound insulation and insulation. Piece production, which is not in the assortment of most companies that are engaged in the installation of plastic windows.

By the number of cameras

The number of air chambers in it depends on the thickness of the profile:

• The 58mm has a maximum of three cameras.
• In a product with a thickness of 70 mm, there can be from three to five.
• With a width of 90 mm, the norm is six chambers.

The more internal chambers, the higher the thermal insulation and noise reduction. But in fact, the difference between the frames, for example, with a 3- or 4-chamber profile is insignificant.

The company profile is uniform in structure and color. To verify its authenticity, find the factory marking on the inside. In addition to the name of the company, there should be numbers indicating the shift number, date of manufacture and other data related to production.

A few words about double-glazed windows

An important aspect is the number of cameras between the panes in a double-glazed window. Do not confuse them with profile cameras.

• For glazing of unheated rooms (balconies, summer terraces), single-chamber double-glazed windows are used.
• For living rooms, a double package is optimal - three glasses separated by two air chambers.
• In cold winters, three-chamber structures are used. They have the best indicators of thermal insulation, but they allow less sunlight, and weigh more. Such windows make sense to install in the northern regions.

About all the intricacies of choosing the elements of a plastic window - profile, double-glazed windows, gaskets, fittings - read here.

What else are the profiles for PVC windows

In addition to the profile from which the frame is made, other types of windows are required for installing the window:

• reinforcing (an obligatory element of a metal-plastic window);
• connective;
• additional or expansion;
• fake;
• starting (for installation of plastic slopes).

It is also worth separately considering color profile models.

Reinforcing profile for plastic windows

This is a metal insert inside a plastic frame. It increases the rigidity of the structure, since the plastic has a low elasticity. Without it, the frame will expand in the summer under the influence of temperature, which will lead to jamming of the valves - they simply will not fit in the designated opening. In winter, cracks form between the window elements due to their narrowing.

In Russian climatic conditions, where there are significant temperature differences between summer and winter, only reinforced frames are used.

Structurally, the reinforcing profile is a galvanized stainless steel circuit. There are two types of circuits:

• Closed, or O-shaped.
• Unclosed, U- or G-shaped.

There are several important points to note:

• Manufacturers sometimes call O-shaped reinforcement "warm." However, this is not so: the thermal conductivity of the metal is higher than that of plastic. Therefore, the more it is in the frame, the worse it will retain heat.
• O-shaped reinforcement is called closed, but to compensate for the temperature change in the size of the metal in the circuit, a technological gap is necessarily made.
• A closed-loop frame is stronger, while an open-loop frame is lighter and warmer.

According to GOST, the thickness of the walls of the reinforcing profile should be at least 1.2 mm for standard systems and at least 1.5 mm for colored and frost-resistant structures (painted plastic heats up more).

Connecting profile

Designed for joining individual frames that make up a single glazing design, which are mounted at a certain angle. It is needed if you need to glaze a complex broken structure with large windows: a winter garden, a loggia or a partition.

Depending on the required location of the connected elements, the types of the connecting profile are distinguished:

• With a connection angle of 0˚.
• With docking at right angles - 90˚.
• With a variable angle of rotation, or simply rotary.
• Firms producing docking elements unify them with the products of well-known companies (KBE, Rehau, Veka), so it’s not difficult to choose the right profile for the frames.

Additional (expansion) profile

It is used to increase the size of the window box when the thickness of its plastic part is insufficient, taking into account the insulation or decoration of walls or ceilings. Most often, such an element is used for glazing balconies and loggias.

Important! It is strongly not recommended to use an expansion profile only to fit the frame to the size of the window opening. No matter how competently the additional element has been selected and installed, in terms of thermal conductivity and strength, such a design will still give way to a monolithic frame.

Extruded profiles are available in widths from 2 to 10 cm. The grooves in them are arranged in such a way that to obtain the desired height, the details can be combined: just insert one into the other. For example, to expand the frame by 8 cm, two extensions 4 cm thick are used. The standard element length is 6 meters.

For the insulated balcony, an extension is selected that is identical in quality to the main frame, including with the same reinforcement. Without it, the window unit will not have the necessary rigidity.

Despite the fact that the extension is fixed on the frame, snap into the grooves, additional fastening to it with screws is required. Without this, after a few months, a gap forms at the junction.

Mounting (installation) profile

A part that is often overlooked when installing plastic windows. If the expansion profile is supplied, it is usually already attached to the frame. Its functions:

• Protects the frame from damage during transport.
• It strengthens the structure and prevents it from freezing in the lower part, where the window unit adjoins the wall.
• Provides reliable fastening of a window sill and outflow.

Sizes of a support element:

• The standard length is 6 meters.
• Width - from 2 to 4 cm.
• Height - from 2 to 3 cm.

Read more about the selection and installation of the stand profile here.

Starting profile for slopes of plastic windows

Needed for mounting to the base plastic slopes and docking them with each other. This is a kind of plastic bracket mounted at the mounting points.

The diversity of their types is due to the installation methods of panels. The types of start profile received their names from Latin letters, which their sections look like:

• I-variety. It is installed in any position so that the long central shelf is perpendicular to the surface on which the slope is mounted. Plastic panels are attached to a short profile shelf.
• The F-variant has two short shelves and one long. It serves not only for fastening slope panels, but also covers the junction. With it there is no need for a decorative corner.

• L-profile is the most versatile and popular. It is installed perpendicular to the plane of the window, with a wide shelf to the wall. A narrow transverse part is adjacent to the window frame, and a strip parallel to the opening masks the joint of the frame and slope.

• The U-variant is very similar to the previous one, but has two wide shelves, which allows the element to cover a wider seam.

These starting elements are fastened to self-tapping screws or glue. With their help, it is easy to mount slopes made of plastic without the complicated procedure of leveling the window opening with plaster.

Color profile

Many people don’t like the usual white plastic windows because of their uniform design. However, there has long been a way out of this situation: colored plastic windows. Technologies allow you to get a profile of any color, but the shades of brown are most successful: this is how different species of wood are imitated.

Get the desired color products in several ways:

• Lamination in bulk - color is given at the manufacturing stage, and a protective film is applied to the surface of the element to protect it from sunlight. The cost of such a window is from 14 to 21 thousand. rub.

• Film lamination - the white profile is covered with a multilayer durable film that mimics expensive wood species. The film can also be applied to the ends of the frames, as well as to fittings, such as hinges. It is cheaper than the previous option: from 9 to 17 thousand. rub. out the window.

• Acrylic painting. The most budgetary way: from 7 to 18 thousand rub.

• Application of a colored melt of plexiglass using an extruder. From 15 to 20 thousand rub.

PVC window profile manufacturers: rating

A variety of window profiles makes selection difficult. On the one hand, I want the quality guarantee that renowned manufacturers give. On the other hand, it is undesirable to overpay for the brand’s popularity.

All brands, with the exception of Salamander, are manufactured in Russia according to Western standards and on imported equipment. Therefore, the quality of products of the same brand, produced at different factories, may differ slightly.

Manufacturer rating based on reviews:

• Veka. The German company, profile systems are produced at factories in the Moscow region, Novosibirsk and Khabarovsk. There is a certificate of ISO 9001, products are assigned the German quality mark RAL. The buyer can choose from 6 types of profiles with 3, 4, 5 and 6 cameras with a width of 58–90 mm.

• Rehau. A company from Germany that has been producing the profile in Russia since 2002 at a certified factory in Gzhel. The leader in the number of products produced per year, offers 7 models with 3, 5 and 6 cameras and an installation width of 60, 70 and 86 mm.

• KBE German company with factories in Voskresensk and Khabarovsk. 7 modifications of profile systems, there are 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-chamber options, width - 58, 70, 88 and 127 mm. At the same quality level, KBE frames cost about a quarter cheaper than Veka and Rehau products. The manufacturer issues the certificate of an official partner to the best window assembly companies.

• MONTBLANC. The manufacturer is an international company with 4 factories in the CIS. It produces 7 models from 58 to 120 mm wide with 3, 4, 5 and 6 cameras.

• Salamander. The entire profile is available only in Germany, so it costs more than competitors with Russian plants. It features an attractive design, there are 3 types of profile systems 60 and 76 mm wide.

• Grain. Domestic manufacturer with a factory in Ufa The lineup includes 6 types of profiles with a width of 58 and 70 mm with 3 and 5 cameras. The most famous models are Vector70 and Vector58.
• Exprof. A large Russian company manufacturing a profile adapted to the conditions of Siberia on German and Austrian equipment. It offers 9 types of profile systems: 2-chamber for balconies and 4-, 5- and 6-chamber widths of 70, 101 and 118 mm. 4 types have a built-in ventilation system.
• Proplex. A Russian company with a full production cycle from profile manufacturing to final assembly. Designs were designed in conjunction with Austrian developers. The lineup includes 6 models with 3, 4 and 5 cameras with a width of 58–127 mm.
• Deceuninck. The Belgian concern with a factory in Moscow suburbs produces 5 types of profiles, 3-, 5- and 6-chamber 60–84 mm wide.
• Kaleva. Moscow profile manufacturer and window collector all rolled into one. It offers 2 classic models and 3 design ones with the same mounting width of 70 mm and 4-6 cameras.
• Wintech. The Turkish company, which makes profiles and accessories for them on German equipment, has a certificate of conformity. The range includes 6 models with a width of 50–80 mm and a number of cameras from 3 to 6.

When choosing, beware of fakes and purchase only from trusted sellers. A quality profile is the key to the reliability of a plastic window.