Panoramic windows: when appropriate and how to choose the right ones?

Panoramic windows look very impressive, creating a feeling of spaciousness in the room. Their presence also leaves the impression of high prosperity and good taste of homeowners. But when making a choice in favor of just such “eyes at home”, you need to weigh all their positive and negative sides, as well as carefully consider the design and design solutions so that the result really pleases.

A panoramic window is a structure whose device allows for a free view due to the fact that it takes up space from ceiling to floor. The word "panorama" of Greek origin. You can translate it as "I see everything."Panoramic windows are also otherwise called French, as initially the projects of houses with windows of this type appeared in the province of France Provence, where in winter the temperature is about -7 degrees C.

Panoramic glazing can be made using different technologies:

• Cold With this approach, an aluminum profile is used. With the use of this material are often made balconies or loggias. In a private house, cold glazing can be successfully applied on the veranda.
• Warm In this case, a wooden or plastic profile, double or three-chamber double-glazed windows are used.

Also to the panoramic can be attributed, and so-called falshokna. They are used to give a zest to the interior in an inexpensive way, as well as in cases where the installation of a “natural” panoramic structure is impossible.Sometimes this is not allowed by the climatic conditions, and in other cases there is simply nothing to see through the transparent surface from the ceiling to the floor. Than to admire the blank wall on the opposite side of the street from day to day, it is better to choose a photo image of a night city or nature, decorating it in a false glass - a regular or angular one.

Sliding panoramic designs save space. This is especially true for small rooms. Windows of this type are good in private mansions and in commercial buildings. A restaurant or lounge in one moment becomes a summer veranda, if you open the frame.

The panoramic windows also include the so-called ribbon glazing. These are glass blocks arranged vertically or horizontally in a row. Otherwise they are called window-chips. They are more functional in terms of energy saving, although they allow plenty of light and air into the room.

Panoramic windows have unconditional advantages:

• Large-scale glazing allows daylight to penetrate the room as much as possible. This contributes to energy savings. In addition, natural light is very important for eye health.It creates the conditions for the vision to not get tired quickly during the day.
• Panoramic window allows you to observe a wonderful view from the window at any time (if there is, what to admire). Contemplation of the beautiful positively affects the well-being and mood of people living in the house.

• With panoramic windows, the facade of the building looks more modern. The cost of its exterior trim is reduced.
• Practice shows that houses with such windows are more expensive than usual.
• Panoramic design visually increases the size of the room, because the boundary between the inner and outer space is blurred.
• The interior of the house with such large window openings can be made more modern and diverse.

With all the advantages of panoramic windows, one should keep in mind that their installation has its drawbacks, which are much more than the positive sides of such an undertaking.

If initially the project of the house did not assume the presence of a panoramic window in it, and the owner of the house decided to add such zest to his image, the cabinets under the window sill will have to be removed and anew solved the issue with the radiator. All this is impossible without obtaining permission for such actions in the relevant authorities. And whether it will be possible to secure their approval in this regard is a big question.

With the installation of panoramic windows in the house, the security problem automatically arises, especially for children, whose risk of falling outside becomes even higher compared to the possibility of such a development with windows of normal size.

Since the construction area is large, and to increase safety, it is necessary to choose glasses of the greatest strength, this significantly increases the cost of installing panoramic windows compared to conventional ones.

Through the huge window glass in the summer gets too much heat, which requires additional measures to eliminate this effect. If the double-glazed windows have insufficient insulation, in winter a large area of ​​freezing appears around the frames. And this brings new problems.

The considerable size of the window construction contributes to the fact that sounds from the street are much louder in the room than with ordinary windows. This is compensated only by the special device glass.

Panoramic windows allow not only to see well everything around from an apartment or house, but also open up the life of the owners of these windows to the whole world. Therefore, we have to solve the problem with tinted glass or even installation of a structure that allows you to adjust the transparency of the glass. All this is extra hassle and expense.

The balcony is considered the most suitable place to install a panoramic window, if the project of the house did not provide for it initially. At the same time, the balcony itself can be combined with the room. If you install such a window in the kitchen and move the dining area closer to it, the pleasure of any breakfast or dinner can be much more than in a regular kitchen. The opening view of the city bustling with life or the calm natural landscape will be able to tune in a special way every day.

It is only necessary to take into account that if the kitchen faces the sunny side, in the heat the panoramic window from the ceiling to the floor in combination with the “heated” atmosphere during cooking will turn this room into a steam room. So a large-scale glazing in this case is better not to get carried away. A common option for panoramic windows in the kitchen is a tape glazing.

It can be decorated as an apron, located above the working area. Thanks to this, the kitchen gets good natural lighting, and the process of cooking and washing dishes is not so tedious because of the ability to translate the view to distant objects outside the house.

Even in such an intimate space as a bedroom, the installation of a panoramic window is quite acceptable. The landscape changing before my eyes is much more interesting than static wallpapers. The problem of privacy in the room can be solved as modern technological methods, and the use of conventional thick curtains, as well as a combination of the two.

If you use horizontal tape constructions in this room, placed at a short distance from the floor, the tenants get the opportunity of a “widescreen” view, and from the street at best you can see the legs of people moving around the bedroom. The place of the panoramic window in the living room. Next to it you can put a coffee table with chairs or a small sofa. Due to this, in the zone near the huge glazed surface there is a place for reading, tea drinking and socializing in a family or friendly circle.

If the furniture in the hall is arranged along the walls, then from almost anywhere you can view the open spaces on the other side of the glass surface. In the case of a small living room, the arrangement of the armchairs near the window itself allows them to be turned toward the room or so that you can look at the landscape opening in the panorama. Accommodation in the living room with a telescope panoramic window provides additional opportunities for entertainment and recreation.

When considering the choice of panoramic windows for installation in a particular room, you need to keep in mind that the dimensions of the structure should not contradict the architecture of the building and the desired design of the room. In the climate of Russia, the issues of warming also come to the fore.

In addition to plastic or aluminum frames, wooden windows, as well as made of reinforced metal, can be used for panoramic windows. Each of these materials has its own characteristics. Therefore, for example, the aluminum frame will be cold, and at very low temperatures it will become completely covered with frost. It is possible to order a warm window made of aluminum, but it costs too much, so it is easier to make it from another, more affordable material.

A good insulated window can be obtained through the use of wood, since this material is superior in insulation properties even to the usual plastic. At the same time the modern wooden frame does not warp over time, which often raises concerns among customers. This is achieved by the fact that such frames go through the stages of preparation, which allow maintaining the stability of the product geometry during operation, despite changes in humidity and temperature.

The catch is that the wooden frame will be more expensive than plastic. At the same time, the plastic itself will last half a century, remaining resistant to moisture, fungus and the effects of any detergents. In addition to all this, the plastic frame can be plastered with a special film - it will make the appearance of the glass framing indistinguishable from wooden texture.

Metal frames provide great heat transfer, they are resistant to fire and it is very difficult to crack them. Thanks to such products, the panoramic window can be given any shape, which opens up great opportunities for the design of an apartment or house. With a frame made of this material, the window can be round, oval or, for example, be an arch.

It should be borne in mind that long-term operation has metal frames that have been treated with special anti-corrosion compounds. It is possible to combine the use of metal and wood in one product. This allows you to emphasize the design features of furniture or the appearance of the house.

There are several types of window glass that can be used for huge window designs. Among them:

• Hardened. They have increased strength. Compared with ordinary glass is five times stronger.
• Triplex. This glass is a few plates, fastened together by a special film that provides greater strength to the product.
• Glasses coated with a special film. Thanks to a layer of film, glass receives reliable protection from UV penetration.
• Tinted and reflective. Suitable for installation on the sunny side of the building. As a result of using such a product, it is possible to ensure that the room with the panoramic window does not turn into a greenhouse.
• Energy saving.A layer of silver or tin oxide on the inner surface of the glass pane allows you to better keep warm in the room.

The quality of installation of the panoramic window will depend on its safety and ease of use. On the balconies and loggias most often used option when the sides are installed deaf frame, and for ventilation in the center - tilt and turn sash. In the bay window, you can make the window open on the sides. If the panoramic structure is installed on the terrace or veranda, here you can use the mechanism of the "accordion" type.

An integral part of the panoramic window, like any other, is a visor from precipitation and ebb. If there are children in the house or the owners are just too cautious people, you can make an internal fence. For this, stainless steel or forged metal is often used. The latter is more expensive, but such a curly grille looks very attractive and impressive.

To provide reliable protection from uninvited guests, when installing a panoramic window, you should choose the glass with the greatest strength.For country houses often use special anti-vandal windows. Also, window systems are equipped with special fittings and alarms that prevent foreign penetration when exposed to opening parts.

Whatever efforts are made to warm the panoramic structures, we must understand that, because of their arrangement, heat loss with them will still be greater than in houses with ordinary windows. So already at the stage of drawing up a plan for the installation of panoramic glazing, it is necessary to provide additional measures in terms of preserving heat in an apartment or house. Heating with conventional radiators in this case will not be enough, and the batteries themselves under the panoramic window can be no higher than 20-30 centimeters.

In certain cases, the use of low radiators is impossible at all. Therefore, most often, as a heater, adjacent to a large glass area, a thermal curtain is used - a long fan with a powerful stream of warm air. It is installed under the window structure or above it. Help in maintaining the heat in the room in this case will be the use of a heated floor system in a country house - a fireplace.

Panoramic windows require special treatment.If the glass is not tinted, then in the summer the room is not only hot, but also because of the penetration of a large stream of ultraviolet into the room, parquet flooring, wallpaper, and furniture quickly fade. Plants that are contraindicated in bright light may suffer. In order not to put a special protective film on the glass, it is possible to limit the selection of comfortable curtains or blinds. They will not only hide the room from excessive light and prying eyes, but also become harmonious happiness of the decor of the room.

There are difficulties with the washing of panoramic windows. To do this, use a mop with a long handle. It is also possible to find special magnetic sponges on sale, which allow washing the glass outside, without leaving the house or not protruding outside the window opening.

Qualitative result of work is achieved using good windshield wipers, which will not allow the formation of stains that are noticeable when direct sunlight hits the glass surface. In some cases, it is impossible to do without the services of industrial climbers, who, among other things, have in their arsenal a mounting belt and chain, insuring them from falling.It is much easier to pay a specialist than to risk his life by solving everyday problems.

windows or install them in a habitable house, you should consider a variety of options. Thanks to the use of modern materials, a country cottage with panoramic windows will be easy to use. For example, the construction of gas silicate blocks belongs to the category of the most durable and perfectly accumulates heat. So, floor-to-ceiling glazing is quite permissible during construction in this case, and a house with such windows acquires an unusual futuristic look.

Excellent access to the terrace will provide glazing in the form of an accordion. It turns out something like a door through which to walk to an open area and back into the room becomes very convenient. Also with this design, the air flow inside the room is easily regulated, which ensures a comfortable stay in it.

A living room with a panoramic glazing of the angular type can create the feeling that there are no obstacles between the inner and the outer world. This effect is most valuable if the windows overlook the beautiful landscape.It seems that all those present in the room are directly in the natural environment.

A panoramic window on the balcony will turn this part of the apartment into another small room. It can be a supplement, for example, bedrooms. Then here it is reasonable to place a table with a mirror and a chair for a relaxing stay.

Sliding floor-to-ceiling designs provide comfort in the home, especially in summer. Even a small room with such a window creates a feeling of spaciousness and freedom, which most positively affects the sensations in the room.

Panoramic arch window with a view of the city looks very stylish, affecting the perception of the room itself, where it is installed. Thanks to this form of the glazed section of the wall, a good view outside the window can be subtly entered into the design of the internal space of the house.

On the glass veranda you can relax with comfort until late autumn. Comfortable furniture, high-quality lighting allow you to enjoy reading or chatting with friends in such a space at any time of the day. Natural surroundings make it possible to enjoy peace and solitude,especially if the panoramic windows easily regulate the access of air and light to the veranda.

Panoramic glazing is sometimes performed in the form of a semicircle. This gives the room a special representativeness. Panoramic window fits perfectly into the general view of the attic. Through it is nice to watch the stars from a prone position. And if it also allows access to the terrace, this increases its functionality.

If it is not possible to make a real panoramic glazing overlooking the natural or urban landscape, you can at least install a false glass using a mirror. It visually increases the space of the room. At the same time, the openwork frame will be its wonderful decoration.

The process of installation of panoramic windows in a private house, see the following video.