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Floor-to-ceiling windows: 10 arguments for and against

Some time ago I installed plastic floor-to-ceiling windows in my attic. In this article I want to summarize the results of their three-year operation and assess the practicality of this solution. So let's get started.

The photo shows one of the panoramic windows in my attic.

Regulatory Requirements

Window sill height

In all Soviet-built houses, without exception, the standard distance from the floor to the window was 70 - 85 centimeters.

Why? Yes, simply because heating units were installed on the window sill, creating a thermal curtain in front of the window opening.

The function of a radiator is to create a thermal curtain in front of the window.

Why do windows need a thermal curtain? It solves at least two problems:

• Eliminates the appearance of cold drafts. Air from the street, penetrating inside through the gaps of the window frames, is mixed with the rising air flow from the hot battery;

• Warms up the glass, eliminating the formation of condensation and frost on them.

There was no GOST for the height of the window from the floor in the USSR, and it still doesn’t exist now. However, indirect mention of this parameter can be found in SNiP 3.01.01-87, which sets out the requirements for load-bearing and enclosing structures.

What should be the height of the window from the floor according to SNiP? The document makes the following recommendations:

1. The heating radiator must be separated from the floor by at least 10 centimeters. The gap is necessary so that the proximity of the floor does not limit air convection;
2. The gap between the battery and the window sill should be at least 6 - 8 centimeters. The purpose of creating a gap is the same - not to interfere with convection.

To these values ​​you should add the height of the heating device itself.

For the most common cast iron batteries MS-140 in the late 80s, during the years when SNiP was issued, the section height is 588 millimeters.

Adding up the size of the gaps and the height of the battery, we get 76.8 cm. This will be the minimum allowable distance from the window to the floor.

Window area

At what height do builders install windows from the floor - we found out. Now we have to find out whether there are any regulatory restrictions on their maximum area.

The answer can be found in SNiP 2.08.01-89, which regulates the construction of residential buildings. According to this document, the ratio of the window to the floor area of ​​the room should be in the range of 1:5.5 - 1:8.

For attics, the ratio of window area to floor area can be increased to 1:10.

Behind

So you decide to go against the rules. You are not interested in what height from the floor the windows are located in apartment buildings of standard designs and what area they have: your windows should be panoramic, from floor to ceiling.

I approve. Three years ago I thought the same way. And now, after this time, I can give a number of compelling arguments in favor of windows.

Argument one: review

If your windows do not look out onto a garbage dump or the blank wall of a neighbor’s house, why not enjoy the beautiful landscape? For me this argument was the main one. The house is located so that the gables of the attic look out onto the picturesque mountains and the harbor, and I didn’t want to cover them with blank walls at all.

A beautiful landscape is the main argument in favor of a large window area.

Argument two: illumination

As you know, natural light is optimal for the eyes. Our vision was formed under a very specific spectrum of light - solar, and the eyes tolerate deviations from this spectral composition very ... let's say - disapprovingly.

It is clear that a large window area will provide bright natural light to the room all year round. This is especially important for children who learn from paper textbooks and write a lot while doing homework.

Argument three: perception of space

An apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows seems much more spacious than the same apartment with standard-sized window openings. The reason is that part of the visible boundary of space is missing. Yes, the windows cannot affect the actual usable area, but the visual perception of the room will change radically.

Against

Now let's weigh the problems that the owner of French windows will face.

Argument four: legal restrictions

Floor-length windows in an apartment require mandatory approval from several organizations:

• Residents who serve your home;

• Representatives of Heat Networks. In this organization, you will have to agree on a project for moving the heating device from the window sill to one of the walls adjacent to the opening;

• Department of City Architecture. Your actions are related to changing the appearance of the facade of the house.

By the way, if your house is an architectural monument, forget about your project. Any changes to the facades of such buildings are strictly prohibited.

How bureaucracy works is not for me to explain to you. Approvals will take at least six months and will take a lot of money, time and nerves.

Argument five: lack of a thermal curtain

The heating radiator moved from under the window will stop warming up the glass. As a result, condensation is likely to appear on them, and in extreme cold, frost. Moisture condensing on the glass will at least limit your view; in the worst case, water flowing down the windowsill will ruin your parquet or laminate flooring.

Reason six: summer heat

All more or less thoughtful designs of houses with floor-to-ceiling windows take into account the orientation of the building relative to the cardinal points. Installing a French window on the south side of the house will turn the room into a greenhouse, which will be, to put it mildly, uncomfortable to be in during the summer months.

Large windows and south exposure are not the best combination.

My attic windows are oriented to the east and west, so the room turns into a branch of hell only for a few hours at sunrise and sunset.

By the way, the illumination of the attic in the summer months is also frankly excessive. The curtains have to be kept closed most of the day.

Argument seven: nosy neighbors

The large size of the windows means that when the curtains are open, you have no secrets from neighbors and passers-by. The interior of the room is visible from the street in the smallest detail. I don’t know about you, but I feel uncomfortable in this situation.

Argument eight: winds

In my memory, every increase in wind to hurricane force was accompanied by reports in the local press that this time, too, some apartments lost windows. Of course, floor-to-ceiling balcony windows most often suffer from winds - simply because of the large windage.

Reason nine: noise

If your home is located next to a busy street, noise can also be a serious problem. Need I say that windows let in much more sound than a solid wall?

Living next to a busy highway is a dubious pleasure.

Argument ten: heat loss

Much more heat is lost through a window than through solid walls of the same area. Therefore, after replacing the windows with French ones, the price of monthly housing maintenance in the winter months will increase noticeably: heat loss will have to be compensated, which will be reflected in gas or electricity bills.

What to do

The question is not rhetorical: some of the problems I listed with French windows are completely solvable.

Heating

A low (200 - 350 mm) sectional radiator, a warm baseboard (the so-called wall convector with a height of 13 - 18 cm decorative screen) or an in-floor convector installed in a screed or between floor joists can create a thermal curtain in front of a panoramic window.

My thermal curtain is created by an internal split unit blowing parallel to the plane of the window - a system that is the only source of heat in the attic.

Cold, overheating and excessive light

These problems can be successfully solved by installing a combined double-glazed window with one energy-saving and one solar control glass.

What kind of glass is this?

Thanks to a thin metal coating, solar control glass reflects part of the light in the visible part of the spectrum (from 30 to 70%), reducing the illumination of the room and its heating in the summer heat.

By the way, it will also save you from prying glances from the outside thanks to the mirror effect. The interior of the room will be visible from the street only at dusk and when the lights are turned on inside.

Energy-saving glass is equipped with the same metal coating, which, due to its special chemical composition, has limited transparency only in the infrared part of the spectrum. Glass reduces heat loss in winter, when the temperature in the house is higher than outside, and limits the heating of rooms in sunny weather.

A single-chamber double-glazed window with one energy-saving glass transmits a quarter less heat than a double-chamber double-glazed window with conventional glass.

If the windows are already installed, you can turn the double-glazed windows into solar-protective and/or energy-saving ones by sticking appropriate films on the glass.

How to do it yourself? The instructions are extremely simple:

1. Wash the glass;
2. Cut the film to the size of the glass unit;
3. Wet the glass generously with water and a small amount of baby shampoo;
4. Remove the film from the backing, press it against the glass and smooth it with a rag or rubber spatula from the center to the periphery, driving out the water.

Noise

The noise problem can be partially solved by installing a noise-proof double-glazed window. Sound insulation is achieved by combining glass of different thicknesses (usually 4 and 6 mm) with variable thickness of spacer frames. As a result, the glazing absorbs sounds across the widest possible acoustic spectrum.

Just a few years ago, panoramic glazing in apartments and penthouses was considered a distinctive feature of luxury real estate, but today apartments with panoramic windows have begun to appear in “business” and even “comfort” class projects. Most often, panoramic glazing includes the so-called “French windows”; such glazing allows you to visually expand the space inside the apartment, make it lighter and more voluminous.

The cost of apartments with panoramic glazing is 5-10% higher than apartments with standard glazing. Currently, the most affordable apartment with panoramic glazing presented in our catalog costs 29,500,000 rubles (at the time of writing).

Buy an apartment with panoramic glazing

What kind of glass are used?

The glass itself in apartments with panoramic glazing deserves a separate discussion. Most often, developers use reflective glass. They, in turn, are divided into subspecies. This can be low-emissivity glass that does not transmit infrared rays, or glass with a mirror effect, tinted. All types of glass are similar in that they do not overheat the room in the summer and prevent it from overcooling in the winter.

If we talk about penthouses with open terraces, they are usually equipped with panoramic electrochromic windows, which make it possible to control the transparency of the glass. Using the remote control, you can change the darkness, increasing or decreasing it. The price of such a new item can reach up to 1.5 thousand dollars per 1 square meter.

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People who are interested in the location of a residential complex or microdistrict can go to the “Map” tab on the main page of the portal and select new buildings located in the desired area of ​​Moscow and Moscow Region. Roomberry also makes it possible to calculate travel time from your future apartment to work, the nearest metro station, etc. You can save the objects you like to a personal selection, in order to then compare them and choose the appropriate option.

Have you noticed how impressive a room with a panoramic window in an apartment building looks? So far, such options are not seen very often. Usually - in new buildings. Still, those in charge consider this a significant redevelopment

The pros and cons of panoramic windows in an apartment are approximately equal. You will feel the benefits when there is little light in the house. Increasing the glass area will provide an increase in illumination. Looks very nice. Sit/stand is great too. That is, if you are not bothered by the increased dimensions, a panoramic window in the kitchen of the apartment is a completely relevant solution.

Typically, the design of panoramic windows in an apartment rarely shines with originality. Usually this is a standard-shaped frame (most often, of two leaves), made of plastic, wood, or painted aluminum profile. But you can make a frame with an original design to order. Relief overlays, drawings, or stickers - films.

How are large panoramic windows made?

So, how to make panoramic windows in an apartment? First you need to contact the BTI and other responsible organizations to obtain permits.

The question often arises: is it possible to install panoramic windows in an apartment with a standard layout? If this is not departmental housing, not an old house, and you have all the rights to the living space, that’s fine. The classic layout of an apartment with panoramic windows is different in that you need to actually dismantle parts of the wall on which the large frame is mounted

The next stage is the design of an apartment with panoramic windows. It's one thing to install a floor-to-ceiling frame, but quite another to create an environment that harmonizes with it.

Any room with panoramic windows completely transforms the apartment. But you need to understand all the pros and cons of panoramic windows in an apartment. For example, the fact that with poor thermal insulation you will suffer from heat loss, and significant one at that.

But if the interior of an apartment with panoramic windows is more important to you than possible troubles, and the need to insulate does not frighten you, go ahead.

A one-room apartment with panoramic windows looks great if such frames are in the kitchen. In the bedroom it is better to leave a standard frame. Otherwise, you are unlikely to get enough sleep.

Panoramic windows, photos of which are presented in this article, are usually considered an indicator of wealth and good taste among the owners. The use of panoramic windows in the glazing of a house has many advantages, including a gorgeous view from the room and the best level of illumination of the home during the daytime.

However, in addition to advantages, large windows also have disadvantages. Therefore, when planning to install panoramic windows in your apartment, you need to carefully think through all the nuances and weigh the pros and cons. Below we will analyze the positive and negative aspects of installing panoramic windows in an apartment, as well as various options for their use in interior design.

Advantages and disadvantages of panoramic windows that you need to know about:

Let's start with the positive points:

1. The large glazing area allows you to make maximum use of natural daylight and save on additional lighting sources;
2. Panoramic windows provide stunning views from the windows that are not blocked by walls. It will lift your spirits over your morning cup of coffee and create a romantic atmosphere during dinner.

But you can only come to terms with the following disadvantages of large windows in an apartment or refuse to install them altogether:

• Heat loss is one of the most significant disadvantages of panoramic windows. Since glass has a much higher thermal conductivity than a brick or concrete wall, heat will leave the apartment much faster. The solution to this problem is to install additional heating sources.
• Window washing. To prevent dusty and dirty glass from spoiling your view, you need to wash it periodically, which, as we know, is a rather unpleasant task.
• Safety. Since glass is not a very durable material, installing panoramic windows is only relevant in private houses with security, or in apartments on high floors. For the first floors, the solution to the problem can be the installation of durable metal roller shutters and the connection of an alarm system. In addition, if you have small children, you will need a special fence that will stand out from the general interior. Read about Beautiful and reliable grilles for windows .
• High price. Window frames of non-standard sizes, as well as their installation, can cost you a significant amount of money.
• It is not possible to place furniture near panoramic windows, as the view will be blocked. Usually the space near panoramic windows remains open. But in the following photos you will find various options for their design in interior design.

Panoramic window in an apartment - photo in interior design

The use of panoramic windows is provided in many modern apartment buildings. In this case, there is no need to remodel the home or dismantle parts of the walls. But the desire to make the apartment brighter and get a wonderful view from the window often pushes people to take drastic measures. If you still decide to design an apartment with panoramic windows, then you will first need to collect documents and obtain the necessary permission. It would be advisable to think about the future: what kind of landscape will open from the windows immediately after installation, and what kind in a few years. Are there plans to build another supermarket on the site of this wonderful grove?

In the following photos you will see how you can use a panoramic window in an apartment in the design of different rooms.

Balcony with panoramic windows: photo options

If your apartment has a balcony, then the least expensive way would be to install panoramic glazing there. If desired, the balcony itself can be combined with a room. What is the design of a balcony with panoramic windows - look at the photo below.

Modern living room design with panoramic windows

Your living room with panoramic windows will easily become a favorite place to relax and hold various celebrations with family and close friends. As you look at the following photos, pay close attention to how the sofas and chairs were arranged to get the best look.

Kitchen design with a panoramic window in an apartment

A kitchen with panoramic windows will allow you to get twice as much pleasure from every meal. All that is required is to place the dining area in close proximity to the window. Some inspiring examples of this design are presented in the following photos.

Bedroom with panoramic windows - 5 photos of beautiful interiors

Panoramic windows in home design - 26 photos of different rooms updated: May 24, 2017 by: Andrey Zinchenko