Which window sills are better for plastic windows: glossy or matte

The windowsill is an important element of the interior. He makes the finished window opening, serves as a shelf and even a seat. Consider the best window sills for plastic windows, the rules for their choice.

Often the window sill bears the main decorative load. Especially if the room is small or on the window sill there are lush flowers, books, vases, photographs.

The appointment of window sills

To choose a good window sill, you need to take into account its properties and technical characteristics. This interior element performs several useful functions at once:

• Protective. A properly mounted window sill provides additional protection against the penetration of cold and moisture into the room.
• Functional. In small rooms (kitchen, bathroom, bedroom), this element can serve as a table or work surface. In the office on the window sill there are often books, folders of documents. And in living rooms, it is sometimes used as a bench.
• Binder. The product can complement the table space, serve as a transitional element between pieces of furniture.
• Decorative. With a good choice of colors and materials, the windowsill becomes the decoration of the room.

Types of window sills

Window sills are:

• plastic;
• wooden;
• composite;
• made of natural or artificial stone.

Plastic

When replacing wooden windows with PVC frames with double-glazed windows owners often choose a plastic window sill. If you weigh all the pros and cons, such a choice seems very reasonable.

Benefits

disadvantages

The same technical characteristics with the window material (chemical composition, expansion coefficients and resistance to temperature influences). Environmental friendliness. Qualitative models do not contain formaldehydes, lead stabilizers, which makes them safe for humans and completely recyclable. The same care: during cleaning, you can use one detergent for PVC. Light weight. Price range: 80–540 rubles per item. m with a web thickness of 100 mm. Acrylic coating makes the window sill more resistant to high temperature and minor damage. Strength provided by the system of internal ribs. Aesthetics: a harmonious combination with the glass material. Laminate can imitate wood or stone. Single service life (30-50 years)

Limitations on the ability to withstand the load. The absence of an acrylic coating impairs high temperature resistance. Risk of deformation due to mechanical or thermal stress. Cheap models contain formaldehydes whose vapor is harmful to health. Models with a matte finish have rough surfaces that accumulate dirt and dust.

Experts advise choosing models of plastic window sills with a price of 250 rubles / p. m with a web thickness of 150 mm. The technology of their production eliminates the addition of additives harmful to humans.

Parameters affecting the price:

• The cost of the pigment included in the product. Titanium oxide is used to produce expensive models. This pigment maintains the whiteness of the windowsill for 10 years. Cheaper models easily absorb dust, becoming a yellowish tint, color fade over time, creating the effect of scruffy.
• The quality of the coating. Brands Moller, Danke use compounds that prevent mechanical damage (scratches, abrasion) and deformation when exposed to high temperatures.

The standard PVC fabric for the manufacture of window sills has the following dimensions:

1. Length - 4050-6000 mm.
2. Width - 100–600 mm with a step of 50 mm. A product with dimensions of 600–1000 mm with a step of 100 mm is considered wide.
3. Thickness - 18–22 mm. With the increase of this parameter, strength and resistance to mechanical stresses increase.

Canvases of this length are bought by construction companies and firms. For specific projects, installers independently cut window sills of the required size. It is possible to manufacture PVC linens for individual orders for houses of the old layout or country cottages.

Composite (MDF, particleboard)

Well-pressed particle boards form the basis of particleboard sills. As a rule, they are covered with a thick laminating film. It gives resistance to chemical agents, temperature and mechanical influences. Any colors and textures, frames, inserts can be used.

Wood fiber boards, firmly bonded with safer and more environmentally friendly compounds (lignin, paraffin), are the basis of MDF window sills. They are 2 times more resistant to mechanical stress than products made of chipboard. In addition, MDF boards are moisture resistant, they can be installed in the bathroom.

The surface is laminated or covered with thin veneer made of natural wood, which makes them look like wooden ones.

The window sills of the German brand Verzalit have excellent characteristics (long service life, moisture resistance, strength, resistance to household chemicals). They are made of wood chips pressed under high pressure with polymer resins.

Wooden

Beautiful window sills from a solid array of dried wood indicate the good taste of the owner. They are made from:

• pine, larch (price - 2500–2800 rubles / m²);
• ash, beech oak (price - from 4500 rubles / m² with a blade thickness of 40 mm);
• elite species (black, mahogany).

The whole array can be replaced by individual bars, tightly glued together.

But such products need regular maintenance. Before the manufacture of window sills, the array is impregnated with an antiseptic that prevents destruction. The texture and coloring of natural wood are preserved thanks to a layer of oil (mastic, varnish). And this surface layer needs updating (once in 1–1.5 years).

On sale you can find wooden window sills with the following dimensions:

1. The length of the canvas is from 15 cm, the width is up to 1 m.
2. The length of the canvas is from 70 cm, the width is up to 3 m.

Made of artificial stone

Very durable, resistant to all types of influences (mechanical, chemical, biological), have absolute moisture resistance, fire resistance. They are based on mineral fillers and polymer resins.

Dyes create a rich color gamut, you can give the product any shape, which opens up scope for design decisions. On such a hard surface you can firmly fix / install any device (fan, vice). And the scratches that appear are easily removed by grinding.

There are also disadvantages. Only specialists can mount products. To securely fasten such models, brackets that withstand heavy loads are required. A high price (3,500–8,000 rubles / p. l) does not allow attributing products to the budget segment of products.

There are 2 options for window sills made of artificial stone:

• From acrylic composite. The finely divided filler of crushed marble, granite or quartz is compacted and bonded with an acrylic mixture. During manufacture, hardeners, pigments and other substances are added to the bulk. Due to additives, the hardness and viscosity of the material are increased. New features reduce the chance of chipping.

• Of quartz stone. Quartz chips, constituting 90–95% of the mass of the product, are bound with polyester resins. The technological process involves the addition of mineral coloring pigments (iron compounds, minium, ocher). Such a window sill is heavier and denser, but the risk of chips appears.

Made of natural stone

Granite, marble or onyx are used for window sills made of natural stone. Such plates are well polished, have a beautiful texture and an intricate pattern. But due to difficulties in production (possible internal voids in the stone) are not cheap (up to 4,000 rubles / p. m with a web thickness of 20-30 mm).

Window sills made of natural stone are not resistant to surface damage: they are easy to scratch. And the deep scratches that stand out on the stone are extremely difficult to remove. For transportation and installation of the stove, 2–4 people will be needed.

Which windowsills are better: glossy or matte?

When choosing between a glossy or matte plastic coating, you need to remember the main features of these surfaces. The cleaning frequency and general appearance will depend on them.

• Texture. Shiny glossy surfaces reflect light well, creating the illusion of intense light flux and increasing the illumination of the apartment.

• Resistance to aggressive influences. Matte surfaces turn yellow from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, chemical agents of detergents eventually destroy the stove.
• Aesthetics. Any contamination or mechanical damage (scratch) is clearly visible on the glossy finish. A rough matte surface for a long time without cleaning.

• Leaving: it is enough to wipe a glossy window-sill with a damp soft cloth. For matte surfaces, do not do without detergents.
• Compatibility with slopes. If the slopes are made of glossy plastic sandwich panels, the same glossy windowsill will look good with them.

Window sill and condensation on the windows: where is the connection?

Dense wooden window sills accumulate moisture and, even if all installation rules are followed, can cause condensation to form. But stone ones will play the role of a kind of heater: they will warm up themselves and contribute to uniform heating of the window opening.

Condensation may form on the windows if the window sill is too wide. Avoid the effect of crying windows There are two ways:

• The window sill should not overlap more than half the width of the radiator located under the window. Warm air currents can rise without obstacles up to the glass.

• With a large width of the window-sill, the output will be lattices embedded in it, which will direct the warm air flows to the double-glazed window.