Glazing
Glass panes used in HAUFEN® wooden windows are certified and produced in EU. They are distinguished for their exceptional features and offer high thermal insulation and security in the building.
The standard in our products (without any additional cost) has a composition of 4mm float glass / 16mm argon gas / 4mm Low Emissivity glass, with a thermal conductivity index Ug = 1,1 (W / m²K) 36 db. These glass panes make HAUFEN®’s windows the ideal choice for our country’s climatic conditions and at the same time overlap with the stricter requirements of the relevant legislation on the energy efficiency of buildings.
Our windows can also be equipped with energy glasses with other crystal composition and specialised energy features to achieve up to Uw = 0.7 (W / m²K).
Glass panes based on crystal compositions with special features, such as laminated-triplex, anti-ballistic, acoustic, soundproof glazing, sunblocks, UV-absorbers, reflectors and plenty of other crystals are available to cover any request.
Energy glass panels
Thermal, visual and acoustic comfortEnergy double thermal insulating glass panesConventional double glazingConventional glass panes
Thermal, visual and acoustic comfort are the three most important components that affect human well-being and are heavily dependent on the building materials and climate control systems. The feeling of thermal comfort is created when the minimum energy is consumed by the body to maintain the thermal balance.
The thermal comfort of each person depends on various parameters, some of which depend on human body and the rest on the surrounding area.
One of the most important physical parameters is the surface temperature of the elements surrounding an area and the elements enclosed within the area itself. The temperature on the surface of the glass panes surrounding a building is usually different from the air temperature inside the room.
The temperature difference depends on the thermal behaviour of the glass and affects significantly the air temperature and hence the thermal comfort of the people which are in the area but also close to the glass panes.
Dual-emission double-glazed energy glasses are crystal compositions of the same structure as conventional doubles but using different types of crystals and gas in their gap. They are also composed of two crystals joined together by an aluminium profile and sealed around the surface with a special glue.
One crystal is a conventional plain float glass while the second crystal has been specially processed during its production a low emissivity coating which exhibits high reflectivity in the infrared portion of the radiation. At the same time, the gap between the two crystals is filled instead of dry air with a noble gas (argon gas), which has increased thermal insulation properties.
Energy double glazing significantly reduces the transmission of infrared radiation through the glass pane, achieving lower heat losses from the inside to the outside during the winter, as well as limiting solar gains in the summer in order to achieve more dew in the interior.
For many years, HAUFEN® is fully harmonized with the European building legislation. Every wooden window that we install in Greece and all European countries is equipped with double energy heat-insulating glass panels.
Double glazing consists of two crystals which are joined together with an aluminium profile and the whole system is sealed with special glue. In the gap we find a trapped layer of dry air. The most common thicknesses of the crystals are 3 to 6mm and are combined with 8 to 16mm gaps between them.
Compared to the single-glazing system, double glazing reduces thermal losses due to the heat-insulating properties of air in the gap. They also exhibit greater sound-proofing and safety properties.
Compared to the single-glazing system, double glazing reduces thermal losses due to the heat-insulating properties of air in the gap. They also exhibit greater sound-proofing and safety properties.
These glass panes are the oldest and simplest form of glazing. Essentially we are talking about a single crystal in various thicknesses (usually from 3 to 6mm), which has limited thermal insulation, sound insulation and reduced safety.
These glass panes have been placed for many years in all traditional narrow door sections and very simple profiles.
In Greece their use was very common until recently. Their thermal behaviour is no longer in line with the modern building insulation regulations and, in addition, these glass panels exhibit the highest energy exchange between the indoor and outdoor environment, allow for maximum penetration into the solar radiation, provide almost no sound insulation, low safety and increased risk of injuries in case of breakage.
These glass panes have been placed for many years in all traditional narrow door sections and very simple profiles.
In Greece their use was very common until recently. Their thermal behaviour is no longer in line with the modern building insulation regulations and, in addition, these glass panels exhibit the highest energy exchange between the indoor and outdoor environment, allow for maximum penetration into the solar radiation, provide almost no sound insulation, low safety and increased risk of injuries in case of breakage.
The importance of glazing in modern building requirements
The windows, doors, glass panes and curtain walls of a house or a building in general are surfaces that exchange energy with the environment.
These surfaces affect a significant proportion of the energy consumption for heating and cooling the spaces of a building, because they pass considerable amounts of energy. Generally, heat is lost in the winter from the inside outwards, and undesirable heat loads enter the summer from the warm outside environment.
These heat exchanges can be minimised by using appropriately selected, constructed and installed energy efficient windows. It is immediately apparent how important it is to choose the right glazing.
At this point we have to emphasize that we are talking about energy efficient frames and not thermal insulation (as is often wrongly heard). Climatic conditions, in this case typical Mediterranean weather, are the most common way of controlling solar thermal input from heat losses from the inside of the building to the environment during the winter period. It is known, however, that the cost of air conditioning (cooling) for a building in the Mediterranean area is comparable and several times much higher than the heating cost for this space.
HAUFEN’s technical consultants, having attended intra-company and extra-company seminars, are in position to assess the microclimatic conditions and needs of a building or home and to suggest specific types of glazing with appropriate technical characteristics (thermal conductivity, reflectivity, brightness, incoming radius etc.) to achieve high efficiency rates and a corresponding reduction of the cost of air conditioning of the building.
In order to select the appropriate pane, the use of the building, the contribution of the glass pane to energy savings on an annual basis and the resulting money-saving (cost, benefit, depreciation time) should be considered. Particular attention must be paid to the choice of the thermal and optical characteristics of the glazing, which will be chosen on the basis of its behaviour in the heating and cooling of the building, together with the overall design of the openings, provide the natural lighting requirements of the rooms.
Glass panes are important components for windows and balcony doors, not only from the energy point of view but also from the point of view of sound insulation, safety, fire safety and even decoration. Particularly in the field of safety, special laminated, triplex laminated or triplex structures are used.
Laminated: Triple glazing consists of two or more panels of glass (panels or panes), interposed one or more membrane layers glued together with the glasses into a single body, without substantially altering the transparency of the resulting composite glass pane. When this glass breaks, the pieces remain stuck due to the membranes. They are used in places where possible glass breakage is dangerous to human safety. They are also necessarily used in patios and structures that are tilted to the vertical.
The strength and other properties of the multi-layered pane can be adapted to meet specific needs. Other substrates can reduce noise and others can help the glass work more like a structural composite. The multi-layered glass pane can combine security with aesthetics and energy savings. But beyond its main use of protection and safety, the multi-layered glass pane can satisfy additional architectural needs including:
- Soundproofing
- Resistance to burglary
- UV protection
- Fire propagation delay
- Weather protection
- Improved structural performance
- Protection from bombings
Energy saving results not only from glass panes, but also from the replacement of the old type of window frames with modern certified high-quality windows, which entails the elimination of air leakage and water tightness.
In addition to saving energy from modern double glazing windows due to reduced thermal exchanges with the environment, they also have a number of other advantages, such as: reducing radiation from or to the interior as they present surface temperature closest to that of other surfaces and limit air currents near the window, resulting in improved thermal comfort conditions. They also prevent winter condensation on their surfaces and reduce noise.
Significant indicator of thermal insulation capacity of a pane system is the thermal transmittance given by manufacturers with the value (K or U) and expressed in W / m2K. In addition to heat transmission, there are properties that affect the overall energy performance of a window or glass (air permeability, light transmission, emission factor, etc.), which modulate the thermal and even visual comfort of the window and the consequent saving energy.
There is a range of energy efficient types of glass and window frames that can be chosen for the building depending on its use and the size of the building as well as the cost of each system. In any case, the buyer should ask the manufacturer to inform him at least of the thermal transmissibility of the window he will place.
The use of improved special glazing can make a significant contribution to saving energy for heating, cooling and lighting the buildings and improving the thermal and visual comfort conditions in the interior.
Glazing with special characteristics
HardenedLaminated (vandal proof)Bullet proofLow energy heat conductiveReflectiveFire proofDiamond typeWire meshTintedElectrochromic Photochromic Thermochromic
Glass that has undergone heat treatment to achieve greater mechanical and thermal strength. The glass is first heated to more than 600°C and then cooled sharply (full hardening) or slower (thermal boost). In both cases with carefully controlled cooling speed. These treatments subject the surface of the glass to a permanent compressive stress giving the glass specific characteristics. Resistance to mechanical and thermal shock up to 2 times longer (thermally reinforced crystal) or 5 times longer (heat-hardened crystal) than a common glass. This treatment protects the glass from rupture caused by a high temperature difference in its surface (caused, for example, by local shading). This is especially important for glass types with high energy absorption exposed to solar radiation.
Laminated glazing consists of two or more panels (panels or panes) bonded together. Intermediate crystals are interposed with one or more special adhesive films (polyvinylbutyral PVB film) which have the property of not substantially altering the clarity of the composite glass with respect to a single crystal. The membrane acts as a bonding agent between the crystals, creating a “sandwich” of crystals and membranes, composing a single body that is very durable and inseparable that achieves increased breaking strength, safety and increased sound insulation. The laminated crystals break but do not collapse, which is due to the special membrane that interferes with each other and which adheres the broken parts of the glass. This also does not reveal sharp and dangerous edges of broken parts that could cause serious injury, hence the designation of safety glasses.
Bulletproof glass panes are a top version of laminated glass panes with many laminated glass sheets and membranes that are resistant to gunfire. Their composition usually exceeds 40mm in thickness and for this reason they are particularly heavyweight per square meter. Their resistance to gunfire has varying degrees and depends on their durability depending on the weapon and the distance they apply.
These crystals are treated by applying a special coating to the surface to exhibit a high thermal insulation coefficient. This prevents a large part of the thermal radiation either from entering the building or exiting (depending on how they are installed). They are recommended to reduce the thermal losses of a building (winter and summer), while contributing significantly to the reduction of energy consumption for heating / cooling of the building and are available in many types and qualities.
They reflect a significant part of solar radiation so that it does not enter the interior but may cause light reflection in the surrounding area and surrounding buildings.
Flat glass with built-in wire mesh which retards fracture in the event of fire, slowing the dispersion of fire and smoke. Such glazing is classified as class G, which resists fire and prevents the spread of fire and smoke for a specific period of time or class F, which has the characteristics of class G but also prevents the dispersion of radiant heat for a specific period of time. As another version we encounter pre-stretched glass of borosilicate (without metallic mesh) with double glazing and with the gap space filled with expanded material which acts as a heat shield.
Translucent glass made of clear or coloured glass that has passed between two rolls at the end of the oven and the embossed pattern has been imprinted at high temperatures on one or both sides of the glass from the embossed roll. It is possible to incorporate wire mesh into the mass of glass. Besides the wide variety of relief patterns, the diamond glass can provide light scatter and reduce the glare from the sunlight. It is used in places where natural light is required, but the interior of the room is not visible from the outside. In many cases sandblasted glass is used with an opaque (soft white) appearance.
Rolled glass containing a layer of wire mesh fully integrated as close as possible to the center of thickness of the glass panel. Glass is available as polished (one or both surfaces) and as a relief. Approved polished wire mesh glass is used as transparent or translucent fire protection glazing. An embossed wire mesh glass is usually used as a decorative. It breaks more easily than a simple glass of the same thickness but the wire mesh holds the fragments from falling down when it breaks.
With the help of chemical treatment, they exhibit low thermal permeability, but also reduced photoproperability and are recommended to reduce the amount of sunlight in an area.
Electrochromic are glass panes whose properties (optical characteristics, permeability) change with the flow of electricity.
Photochromic are glass panes whose optical properties change depending on the amount of solar radiation in them. Their photodegradability is reduced by increasing the intensity of light radiation.
Thermochromic are glass panes whose optical properties change depending on the outside temperature. With the rise in temperature they change from transparent to dull.
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