One of the reason of uPVC Door/Window's superiority over aluminium & wooden Door/Window as It is Factory made Product so "No Last minute missing item or, Last minute Surprise ".
How uPVC Door/Window is made in the factory. Please watch the video-
How uPVC Door/Window is installed @ site. I found interesting video by a U.K. based company " Eurocell".
John Cage reports in his book Silence, that in Harvard University they have made an absolutely sound proof room for certain scientific experimentation – that is the greatest sound proof room in the whole world.He entered – it was absolute quiet – but suddenly he started hearing two noises. So he was worried. And he has heard that this place was absolutely sound proof. So he asked the technician, “What is the matter?”The technician laughed. He said, “These sounds are within you. The first sound is just your mind functioning inside – the nervous system; and the second sound is nothing but your blood running through the body – the blood circulation.”Cage said, “But I never heard these sounds before.”
The technician said, “Because there were so many sounds outside. Now it is absolute quiet, no sound at all. That’s why you hear the inner mechanism functioning: the brain continuously working, millions of nerves continuously working, and the blood circulation continuously going on just like a stream flowing.”
Cage said, “Then I thought, ‘Quiet won’t do. Silence is needed.’”
Silence is something you can rely upon – it is within you. Quiet is something which depends on conditions, which does not depend on you – you can never be a master of quiet. But there is no need! If you know silence, wherever you move your silence fills the space. Now you know the inner secret of it.
Quiet is possible through scientific technology; silence, no. Quiet is possible in an air-conditioned room, sound proofed – you can be more quiet than in the Himalayas –.~ The True Sage Book by Osho
Modern rapid development & mechanisation has created some new problems for man kind; one of them is noise or, unwanted sound… But remember it is not new phenomenon… During Roman times when rulers passed a bill that prohibited the driving of chariots through the cobblestone streets of Rome at noise…In 1899, Excessive noise was the number one “ Quality of Life” complaints in new york city…More recently, electronic sources such as powerful car stereos ( particulars cars with boom woofers), vehicle alarms, cellular phones, Marriage DJs have added to urban noise problems...
Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Lucknow like other metros in India, due to more population congestion have heavy road traffic movement, so does the noise, also not to forget aircraft, rail & metro train noise.. If You are planning to buy or, already living an apartment near Metro train or, Railway track & having painful unwanted sound or, noise experience, then don't think that You are Alone… As many people have chosen noisy locations due to locational advantage as near to work-place. ( A very common phenomenon is Delhi NCR like city) but now feeling each passing day that outside noise is becoming unbearable & could not able to sleep properly...
To understand How noise is affecting us & what is missed by modern architecture & Town planners , please watch this wonderful TED Talk by Juliane Treasure....
In this article, i am sharing a case study about a home in jaipur where their apartment was approx. with in 50 meter of railway track. This railway track is one of the favourite route for fast moving trains. ( So it means more honking as near to residential area).
Sound loses its intensity if distance increase...as depicted in below pic-
Many people think that sound travels only by air, no that's not true as There are two kind of noise, one is air-borne noise & other is structure-borne noise... Below shown picture is self explanatory-
We have assisted the Mr. Singh to make his Home liveable.....
We observed a new phenomenon while measuring noise levels on Mr. Singh's residence... It was quite surprising. In one room, it was in between 45 dB~ 55 dB for normal conversations & another room it was in between 35 dB ~ 45 dB...
Then we analysed the room conditions & discovered about sound reflective material...common building material (e.g. Concrete, tiles, Brick & gypsum boards) are largely sound reflective, that's why, they reflect back most of the sound energy that strikes them... Normally such sound reflections do not amplify noise levels but particularly in this situation it is increasing noise levels due to hard empty surfaces of the room. Mr. Rajdeep has not shifted furniture & other stuffs inside the room resulting "build-up" of noise levels with in one room...
We suggested to the client , not only changing doors- windows would not solve problem as empty room is creating situation like "Guitar- effect" "... In the guitar..... vibrating stings in contact with closed enclosures of wood amplifies the noise level...He needed to use acoustic treatment or, Sound absorbent material in walls & roofs..
It was magical experience as things went according to plan........
.
See the Noise Reduction... 20 dB reduction means approx. 75-80% reduction in noise intensity.
Testimonial by customer. (Site completed in 2013, testimonial in 2015)
This project has been done by my colleague, Amit Pandey based in Lucknow.. While sharing details of this project, He shared about client's concerns about security & same time convenience to operate Doors/ Windows.. We suggested to the client- Security Laminated Glass. ( Remember your first experience with Laminated glass is Windshield of your car as it has one PVB film in between two glasses so in case of accidental impact, Glass will not fall on you)
Secuirty Laminated Glass takes approx. same time as much Steel Grills takes to Break-in. Please watch Below video even striking with sharp object like Hammer , Glass is intact to its place & doesn't fall..
But always Customer needs to make final choice & He has made decision to go with steel grills. Then We discussed design of grill & also choice of handles to operate easily...
The important part in the project is fixing of Windows & Steel grills as most of the time we presume that if Grills are there, we are secure.. that is not true as choice of screws (anchor screws) as well as distance in between while fixing of windows & grills plays pivotal role to secure your home.
Installation team under supervision of Amit has chosen screws with burglar resistant properties in the resistant class WK2 according to DIN V ENV 1627. While choosing screws, We have considered surface properties & hole pattern of the stones..
"Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind." - Christian Larson
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the
sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed
only if there is a light from within."-Elizabeth Kubler Ross The purpose of this quote is not to let one compare once struggle during difficult time but journey of glass from stained glass to High Performance glasses....
Now modern days glasses not only creates illusion of more space but also stops heat ( partially), UV radiation & protects from Burglar or, forced entry.
While working with this Project, it was made clear to us & our fabrication partner by Architect & Client that it is like glass house and Doors/windows are going to play a very important role in the whole project.
Each room were having big window opening ( approx. width 9 feet * height 8 feet) as purpose to make it maximum natural lights in but on the contrary same time it makes whole house vulnerable to more heat during summer & less thermal insulation during winter...
We have suggested to have sun path analysis to be taken in account while quoting as it will let us know that which part of house will have more heat or, less sun...
At which angle Sun moves over your Home, makes your Home vulnerable to its Heat
Some people form the background score of your life. At times diffusing the
din. At times breaking d silence. At all times making a difference ~ Anonymous
Some times we look our job in the same way as per above Quote. While meeting & listening Mr. Sudhir Malhotra's requirements, Would You believe that it took almost two years to him finalize the Door/Window company! He want to go with the brands which are most advertised. Many consumer forums have been formed and they are full of consumer complaints of most advertised brands, which does not show good sign as it will affect on long term basis.You can see Balance sheet of these companies which are available on their website which shows they are into heavy losses as they money on advertisement but don't focus on quality through which customer can be satisfied.
In " n" number of meetings , we have tried to understand his requirements & offered him solutions in a cost effective way.
For most people the word " windows" bring the image of the computers windows rather than the image of
the house window. In our contemporary world where progress enters our
everyday life so fast that we sometimes don't even notice it,
"regular" windows have also undergone significant changes and one can
probably say that ordinary windows have managed to become
extra-ordinary.
There is surely one connection between user of the computer operating
system windows and homeowners. Without basic knowledge of how things
work it is not going to be easy to maintain both the windows system and
house windows. That's why it is important to be aware of certain
elements.
If you are buying a new home, be prepared that your builder or,
contractor might not do his best in installing the windows and doors
even if on the superficial level everything looks nice. I had a chance
to see some new homes where the owners had to deal with the window &
door problems.
Probably one may ask, " what is so special about windows ? There is just
a frame and glass". Well, both the frame and glass of a modern window
differ drastically from the earlier one.
Today there are more than 200 upvc windows & doors
manufacturers in India & as per market growth, you will be amazed to
know that in next 10 years, it is going to be more than 2000....as a
customer, options are unlimited for us. But still million dollar
question is Which one is better ? Should I go with India Manufactured
or, should I go with German Manufactured or, What is the cost of upvc
windows ? or, How do I get best deal out of my hard earned money......;
so here are few points which will definitely help you to get a better
deal -
REMEMBER "Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of
intelligent effort." - John Ruskin
1. BUY WINDOWS WITH WRITTEN SPECIFICATIONS- It
is one of the most important factors while making decision to buy high
quality doors & windows in India which is going to affect you &
your family for next 15-20 years. In my own experience which is
reinforcing same thought day-by-day , most of the time advertisements
corrupts our need-based decision making & we fill our world buy
things we do not need, instead of things we actual needs. So it is
important to buy doors & windows with written specifications rather
than buy heavily advertised No. 1 or, best Brand worldwide. One more
thing I would like to mention doors & windows are manufactured
worldwide as per International Standards as Britain has BS norms(EN
12608 ), Germany has DIN norms, America has ASTM norms even country like
china is following EN standards(GB/T 8814-2004 is same as EN Norms) but
in India still there is a long way to have standards for Doors &
Windows, so in India if you are no.1 it does not mean you are following
high quality standards. Trust my experience in Building industry, there
is no safety norms followed while designing uPVC doors &windows in
India. So once again BUY WRITTEN SPECIFICATIONS RATHER THAN BUY SELF
PROCLAIMED EXPERTS BRAND.
TRUST this if you get it in written, then Half the battle is won...
Normally Sales People will not understand your concern as rightly
said by Upton Sinclair ," It is difficult to get a man to understand
something when his job & entire salary depends on not
understanding it."
UPVC Profile specification : Which company profile he is
using? (German/Turkish/Chinese/Indian)
Steel Reinforcement type : What type of reinforcement he is
using ? (Galvanized steel & its thickness )
Fittings: What type of fittings or, hardware he is using ?
(German/Turkish/Chinese/Indian )
Glass: What make Glass he is using ? (AIS or, Saint Gobain or,
Others )
Warranty- What kind of warranty for after sales service is he
providing ? (Is he providing only on upvc profile or, also on fittings
)-ASK MIN. 10 YEARS WARRANTY ON PROFILE AS WELL AS ON FITTINGS FROM
MANUFACTURER...
2. UPVC PROFILE - Every one talks about benefits of upvc doors
& windows, no doubt upvc is best material to be used in place of
wood, aluminum & steel but it has one disadvantage i.e. limited
tensile strength, that’s why it has steel reinforcement inside all upvc
profiles.
Worldwide standards( EN 12608 accepted in Germany, Europe, China &
Britain) have been made to use regarding uPVC profile as below
mentioned-
Outer Wall Thickness- As shown in picture uPVC profile is
having outer wall thickness "A" means its outer wall thickness is more
than 2.8mm . If it is "B" than outer wall thickness is more than 2.5
mm. If it is C than it is less than 2.5 mm.
Impact Test- As shown in picture uPVC profile is having class
"II" Impact Test -Class II is better than Class I as Impact test is
for 1.5 meter height & Class I is for 1 meter height. (Please
check specially in Indian Profile as they match outer wall thickness
of International players but Impact test is important which will
confirm their Material mix )
Weather Test- As mentioned in the below picture it is " S
"i.e. for Severe weather , it can also be " M" that means for Moderate
weather which is not suitable for Indian condition ( Please check
specifically uPVC Profile from Germany as Germany has Cold climate
& Moderate weather profile can turn yellowish due to sunlight
exposure)
Please check profile marking as per EN 12608 guidelines.( check below
mentioned picture )
3. STRUCTURALLY STABLE OR, SAFE DESIGNED DOORS & WINDOWS-
This is another one of the important factors while choosing high quality
doors & windows. As discussed earlier uPVC Profile has limited
tensile strength so it is important to ask the uPVC windows & doors
manufacturer about maximum deflection allowed when exposed to wind speed
as per your city. (Please note as per DIN standards, it should not be
more than 8 mm i.e. DIN 1055 part-4 & DIN 18056).(I know it would be
bit technical but it is some thing like your car, How much maximum safe
speed you can attain with-out vibrations ). It will cover the point of
inside steel reinforcement's thickness as well as shape as reinforcement
gives required tensile strength to uPVC windows & doors system.
4. FITTINGS CHOICE – One of the major differentiating factor in
upvc windows & doors in comparison to wooden and aluminum counter
parts-i.e. wider range in fittings. We can choose multi point locking to
single point locking –no more locking the door with 3 different locking
mechanisms. ( I remember when I visited a customer’s Home & lady was
pregnant & she has to bend to lock the door from the bottom, it was
dangerous way to live life when we have wonderful product like uPVC
doors &windows –Please check picture )
3 Different Locking points in wooden doors
Also Functioning of windows & doors depends on good fittings. Three
types of fittings are available in the market. German, Turkish &
Chinese. Go with German fittings if you want peace of mind for min. 10
years.Ask your vendor about weight of sash as in uPVC doors &
windows each high quality fittings comes in according to sash weight.
E.g. Hinges for Doors are available from 50 kg. To 180 kg. . If your
supplier is not calculating or, mentioning sash weight on its proposal
then most likely you will have trouble while functioning of doors
&windows.
5. GLASS: - Glass itself is one of the important factors in
window & door. One need to do self analysis while choosing glass( I
will address Glass in a separate article )-
Written Specifications will answer below mentioned queries-
Where do I need safety?
What are my security requirements?
Do I need to control noise?
How my building look like aesthetically?
External & Internal Reflection?
Can I make my residential/commercial project more green efficient
as well as minimize negative impact on environment?
How can I control solar heat in tropical country like
India?
Availability for service in case of breakage?
U-value & UV radiation?
6.SEARCH FOR LOCAL FABRICATOR-
Try to search for local supplier for high quality windows &
doors. (Remember your old carpenter & old Doctor- I know; you can
not leave your Home & Body to be in vulnerable condition). It is
easy to contact local guy as he is always there for broken glass or
changing the handle. BUT TRY TO GET LOCAL FABRICATOR BY UPVC PROFILE
MANUFACTURER CERTIFIED !
“DON'T LEARN SAFETY RULES SIMPLY BY ACCIDENT”
7. SITE CONDITIONS & INSTALLATION STANDARDS– It is the most important factor which lies in our hands. Most of
the time we make same mistake as rightly said AL-GORE (Ex. vice
president of United States & Presenter for An Inconvenient Truth
of a documentary film about climate change, specifically global
warming and a future ice age in Northern Europe)- “ Old Habits plus Old Technology have predictable consequences. Old
Habits, that are hard to change, plus New Technology can have
dramatically altered consequences.”
Same true for while thinking about site readiness about windows &
doors. Most of the time customers request to install windows & doors
when site is not ready & bad installation conditions can kill high
quality product. (Check picture)
Drainage Slot has been blocked by Post-Stone installation
UPVC has high resistance to weather,to corrosion and to the most
materials found on Building sites so it would be best to install uPVC
windows & doors after final paint or. P.O.P. . Installed windows are
subjected to dead load, live load and wind load, high and low
temperature and weathering. These factors have also big influence on the
joint between walls and window as well as Doors. Careful planning and
good craftsmanship is therefore essential for the quality of
installation.
Some times Good Installer has to follow instruction of Customers as
Arc. Wren did. In 1688, Sir Christopher Wren, the celebrated English
architect, was asked to design a town hall for the city of
Westminster. When the mayor saw the design, he told Wren the second
floor was not secure and that it could all come crashing down. And
therefore, he wanted Wren to add two stone columns for extra support.
Wren didn't argue. He complied even though he knew it would serve no
purpose. It was only years later, when workmen got on a high scaffold
for some minor repairs did they see that the columns Wren gave in to
stopped a few centimeters short of the ceiling. They were dummies. But
the point is, both men got what they wanted. The mayor could relax and
posterity demonstrated Wren was right.
8. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS MUST-
UPVC windows & doors is an energy efficient material but we have
to choose glass & windows combination in a manner in which it
should save energy. E.g. if it is south facing opening, we should
choose heat reflective glass with double glazing to save energy.
Making mistakes in centuries and generations past would have
consequences that we could overcome. We don't have that luxury
anymore......
9. HOW TO GET BEST PRICE FOR UPVC WINDOWS & DOORS
– Most of the time first time buyer ask this question to me.One has
to understand Doors & windows is not a ready-made product &
there is no thumb-rule for costing. One has to go in details to get
best deal out of his/her hard earned money as It is customized product
so price depends on below mentioned factors-
UPVC windows & doors Profile- Good Quality profile will increase
price 15-20 % costlier than cheaper Turkish & Indian profiles made
windows & doors.(Go for Profile as per International standards as
it is customized product , You can change fittings but not profile
easily)
Fittings – Good multi point locking & as per sash weight
calculating fittings will increase price 20-30 %.
Glasshas 20-40% share in window & door price. E.g. 6 mm
toughened glass costs approx. 60/- Sq.ft & double glazed glass
costs approx. 150/- Sq.ft
10. LAST CHECKING POINT:
- Last but not the least- [quoting Mark Twain] "What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we
know for sure that just ain't so." So BE ALERT ALWAYS.
THERE IS MORE TO A WINDOW THAN MEETS THE EYE......
There is a famous song by singer-songwriter duo Simon & Garfunkel , " Sound of Silence". It is one of the song which I liked most & perfectly fit in India's metro city life right now.
But can we achieve absolute silence in a Home ! Can we control outside noise level & feel Himalayan abode in our Home ? yes it is possible... We did it many times..sharing one case study.... Residence @ Unitech South City II, Golf Course Road, Gurgaon. In my previous post, I have shared sound terminologies & ill effects of noise.
There are different standards & Indexes to measure noise levels.. I being associated with a German MNC always like to follow DIN ( German ) norms which are safest & highest in Quality.
After visiting the site, I realized that it was quite terrible situation as noise levels @ that House was around 60-65 dB during day time & also in the night, it was 70-75 dB with existing aluminium doors & windows.
Town planners, Builders & Developers are not thinking about reducing noise levels in the city & in the apartments as there is no vision for
Regularly review the City Plan rules relating to acceptable levels of noise.
To ensure the quality service is provided for enforcement, response & complaints.
To develop the noise map of Delhi NCR and monitor trends over time.
To develop a system that identifies areas of concern. e.g. residential areas which are near motorways and other road network.
Now come back to our story, the challenges for us were-
Removal of existing Doors/Windows - As family was residing their, We need to complete the house same day as they can not keep their house remains open in the night.
Fitting of New Doors/ Windows with Joint insulation- It is prevalent industry practice to use silicone for joint insulation between wall & frame. But silicon is not fixing material. For proper noise insulation, one needs to use PU Fom. ( Rw ; 61 dB )
Joint insulation by PU Fom & sealing tape
" Listen to yourself not the noise of the world, only you know what is right for you."
Removal of existing Aluminium Door/Window via cutter
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