Floor-to-ceiling windows - what you need to know when choosing such designs!

Panoramic glazing is very often used in modern buildings and cottages. This is an indicator of eliteness, unusual construction style and the “zest” of the interior. Which windows are better to choose, is the beauty and prestige of floor-to-ceiling windows worth the significant costs of their installation and maintenance, and how to solve the problems associated with panoramic glazing? It is necessary to understand everything in order.

Floor-to-ceiling windows are large-area windows that are placed across the entire wall from ceiling to floor. They are designed to create a unique interior and provide the most complete natural lighting of an apartment or house.

Classification of panoramic windows

Glazing without the use of frame structures (frameless) does not involve the use of guides and frames.

A single plate is installed across the entire wall and creates the illusion of invisibility and weightlessness. This type of window is one of the most expensive, but apart from external qualities, it does not have any great advantages. Frameless windows do not protect against cold and noise; they cannot be opened and ventilated. Their installation is often driven by a design decision to fit into a specific concept;
Frame glazing - involves the use of a frame in the window structure, which can be made of various materials: aluminum, plastic, fiberglass, metal-plastic, wood.

Let's go inside: room layout

We enter the house from the terrace through a sliding glazed French door-window. Just outside the door is a large multi-functional lounge. It combines a kitchen, a dining room with a dining table and a leisure area with upholstered furniture and a TV.

From this room you can go to the guest bedroom, or you can go to the dressing room, from which three doors lead in different directions - to the pantry, the bathroom and the washroom. And from the washing room with shower there is an entrance to the steam room with its own stove and shelves.

Also in the bath complex there is a boiler room with a separate entrance from the end opposite the central facade.

In our opinion, which, by the way, coincides with the client’s assessment, the project of a bathhouse with a terrace in the Islavsky Estate turned out to be not only thoughtful, practical and aesthetically attractive. The building also fit perfectly into its surroundings, becoming a logical continuation of a residential cottage and a component of the natural landscape.

Project of a bathhouse with a gazebo. Views from different sides (photos below):

If you liked the project of a bathhouse with a gazebo, mark it on social networks.

Floor-to-ceiling windows have a significant number of advantages

Visual increase in space. Transparent walls create the effect of a large room, even if it has a small area.
Natural light with large windows increases significantly.
Floor-to-ceiling windows give the building and interior a special aesthetic appearance and appeal.
The beautiful view that opens behind the huge windows will delight and lift your spirits.

However, before choosing floor-to-ceiling windows for your premises, you need to think through all the problems associated with such glazing and possible ways to solve them.

Problems of panoramic windows and solutions to them

Significant heat loss due to huge glass structures. To avoid this problem, you can install energy-saving windows.

They have a special layer, which is a metal coating. It is composed of metal oxides and allows glasses to reflect infrared rays without much light resistance. Such double-glazed windows reflect heat from the radiators, as a result of which the room heats up faster;

In addition, double-glazed windows are insulated in the following ways:

Increase the number of cameras. As a rule, double-glazed windows are used. There are also three-chamber windows, but their cost is much higher, and heat loss is not significantly reduced;
The space inside the frames is filled with a special inert gas, most often argon, which helps retain heat;
A thermal curtain is used to additionally prevent heat exchange between the window space and the room;
They install shutters - shutters consisting of artificial material and fixed to the vertical profiles of the window frame. They prevent the passage of cold air and are removable.

The problem of overheating due to frequent penetration of sunlight. It will help to eliminate it:

Use of energy-saving double-glazed windows. Mirror coating of glass reflects the sun's rays and does not allow them to heat the room;
Window tinting is also capable of reflecting some ultraviolet rays;
The use of shutters provides protection from overheating during the warm season.

The problem of insufficient sound insulation. To eliminate it, you should choose two-chamber windows with chambers of different thicknesses.

However, they are heavy, and excess load can lead to rapid wear of the fittings. Therefore, acoustic films are used to provide additional noise protection. They consist of three layers: the outer ones are made of ordinary film, and in the middle there is a special sound-absorbing layer. Such films have not yet become widespread in Russia, but they are very popular abroad.
The problem of icing and fogging of windows. To solve this, heat sources are installed next to the windows and thus create a thermal curtain.

A warm baseboard can solve this problem.
And to prevent the appearance of condensation, provide constant ventilation and ventilation.
Fading problem. A large amount of light and sunlight lead to fading and fading of objects located both indoors and outside the house.

This applies to a greater extent to energy-saving windows. Their glass reflects ultraviolet rays, resulting in double solar exposure. For this reason, the area near the window, for example, siding, burns out, and plants planted under the windows can dry out and die, the stone covering heats up to very high temperatures. Therefore, you should not plant plants in the area where rays reflect from windows, or place any objects there. The material around the window space must be resistant to sunlight.
The problem of maintaining and cleaning floor-to-ceiling windows. Huge windows need to be washed periodically and cleared of stains. If such windows are not on the ground floor, then special workers have to be hired to clean the glass from the outside, and this service is expensive. The manufacturer's application of a photocatalytic composition to the glass will help solve the problem. It gives windows the property of self-cleaning. When exposed to the sun, dirt decomposes directly on the glass and is washed away by the next rain or watering from a hose.
Read also: Do-it-yourself country houses (projects, photos): you can do it
The problem is a wide view of the premises from the street and low privacy. To prevent it, you can stick tinted film or mirror coating on the windows.
Safety problem when using floor-to-ceiling windows. In the case where the wall consists almost entirely of glass, the strength of the double-glazed window and its reliability must be taken into account. To strengthen panoramic windows you can use:

Windows made of tempered glass - in this case, high temperature exposure and treatment with a special chemical composition are used in the production of glass. As a result, the strength of double-glazed windows increases approximately 5 times;
Using triplex material as glass.

It consists of transparent layers of silicate glass, which are held together by a polymer. This material is highly durable and ensures safety. Even under strong mechanical stress, it remains solid and cannot shatter into fragments. Triplex also has additional sound and heat insulation qualities.

Device Features

French balcony

The frames can be fiberglass or wood, the glazing can be continuous or divided into separate sections. The second option is used to increase the strength and stability of the structure. An impost (a plastic profile with steel reinforcement inside) is absent in almost all cases, due to this the usable glazing area increases and more light enters the room. But this is an optional condition; windows with very complex geometries can have additional elements to increase rigidity.
An example of a balcony with French glazing
The sashes are attached to the frame with a pin connection or mounted on a special additional profile. The additional element is made of a durable rail profile, which holds forces during opening/closing of the sashes.
Features of the design of frame plastic windows

All other parts can have many options and depend only on the wishes of the owners. The larger the area of French windows, the stronger the glass needs to be installed and the better the double-glazed windows are needed in terms of heat saving.

Origin of French Windows

Dimensions of panoramic windows

The area of window structures is determined by state standards and also depends on the strength of the material from which the windows are made.

Basic requirements for the size of panoramic windows:

The area of the window structure should be no more than 6 sq.m.
A large window block must have partitions; the parameters of individual parts should not exceed 2.5 sq.m.
Reinforced window sashes with a thickness of 1.5 mm can have maximum dimensions of 0.9 m in width and 2.1 m in height. When the width increases to 1.2 m, the height decreases to 1.5 m.
The panoramic window sash must have a weight not exceeding 75 kg.
The radius of the arched window cannot be made less than 0.3 m.

By observing the above requirements, it will be possible to avoid problems with breakage of window structures and fittings and ensure the safety of using floor-to-ceiling windows.

Floor-to-ceiling windows require the installation of a special heating system. Conventional radiators that are installed along the walls are not suitable for this type of glazing.

Advantages and disadvantages of this type of glazing:

advantages
excellent view of the outside world;
visual expansion of the interior space of the room;
maximum light transmission, saving on lighting;
modern and exclusive interior of the room;.

flaws
as a rule, there is more heat loss;
requires constant care, since any dirt is especially noticeable on large glass;
increased risk of windows fogging during the cold season;
the difficulty of replacing a double-glazed window in case of mechanical damage.

Summary : Panoramic windows are very beautiful, but at the same time they require the use of large double-glazed windows, which requires the use of thicker (often tempered) glass, which leads to an increase in the weight of the entire structure. At some of our facilities, the weight of a double-glazed window reached 80 kg/m2, and the total weight of the structure was more than half a ton. As a result, technical difficulties arise with installation. The second nuance is that the glass in the double-glazed window is “lensed”, i.e. there is a risk of “sticking”, therefore, with maximum sizes, the double-glazed window is made ONLY single-chamber, and therefore cold. Our company’s specialists are ready to discuss all the details in detail and choose the option that suits you!

If you are used to perceiving information visually, please watch our video about the options for panoramic glazing, both in apartments and in private houses.

Together with panoramic windows, the following methods of heating the room are used:

Convector heating – the convector is mounted outside or inside the floor along the panoramic window with an indentation of 8 to 20 cm so that the curtains do not interfere with the flow of warm air. Convectors circulate warm and cold air, due to which the room quickly warms up.
Warm floors have several varieties:
Water - pipes are installed in the floor, the water in which can be heated either by electricity or using a gas boiler. Installation of such floors is expensive, but subsequently they will be a fairly economical form of heating;
Cable floors involve laying cables or special mats into which heating wires are built-in. This method of heating rooms is very expensive due to high electricity consumption. It is advisable to use cable floors in certain areas of a living space, for example, directly in the area of panoramic windows to create a thermal curtain. Installing a heating cable throughout an entire apartment or house is unprofitable;
The most convenient and economical type of heated floors are film or infrared floors.

An infrared film heated floor has been installed.
A thin polyester film contains strips of carbon paste sealed into it. They are supplied with alternating voltage via copper conductors. The film heats up quickly and radiates heat. Film heating can be installed under any type of floor covering. In addition, it can be installed in the wall and ceiling.
Warm skirting boards – a heat exchanger consisting of copper tubes with lamellas is mounted under the baseboard.

It allows you to create a thermal curtain near floor-to-ceiling windows, warming the floors themselves and adjacent walls. Warm baseboards prevent the formation of ice and condensation on windows and protect walls from mold.
To heat rooms with panoramic windows, you can use additional heating devices.

These include various radiators, infrared heating devices, fireplaces. Their constant use incurs many costs, so it is advisable to use them only in special cases.

Final stage

There is a significant difference here from installing ordinary plastic windows or doors. How are these elements installed? Craftsmen secure the frame with dowels in several places, then, without removing the spacer wedges, foam the space between the frame and the opening with mounting foam. All hope is that the foam will firmly hold the structure, and the quality of fastening with dowels does not play a key role. In most cases, such hack work passes. The windows are relatively light; the sashes are opened infrequently and very carefully.

This technology is not suitable for French windows. Large weight, frequent opening of the door, and the likelihood of slamming with great force significantly increase the load on the frame fastening hardware. You will never rely on foam; structures should only be supported by anchors. You can check this over time. Do not immediately foam the cracks; open/close the doors with great effort for several days. If construction dust appears on the floor between the frame and the opening, this is a problem; the anchors do not hold and are wobbly. Because of this, dust appears under the installation sites of the dowels. Strengthen your hold immediately.

Installing a French window block

If everything is fine, clean the surfaces from dust, thoroughly moisten them and foam them. Start foaming from bottom to top. Allow time for complete hardening. Using a sharp construction knife, cut off the excess that protrudes beyond the planes. Surfaces can be sealed with ordinary putty. If the structure on the dowels is held firmly, then cracks will not appear. If not, no finishing treatment will hide your defect. Always remember that foam is needed only for quick and high-quality insulation, and not for fixing structures.

Prices for polyurethane sealant

Polyurethane sealant

Interior design when installing panoramic windows

Interior design with floor-to-ceiling windows requires a certain approach. If the apartment is located in the city center, then it is better to make the interior in a modern style with a lively design filled with contrasts.

If this is a country house, then the interior should be decorated in a style close to nature, using calmer woody shades of colors.

The profile color of floor-to-ceiling windows can also be matched to the interior design. The choice of colors and shades of window profiles is quite large. The most popular colors are white, black and various shades of wood materials. When designing, you need to consider the combination of window frames with the overall color scheme.

If the frames are made in white or black, then these shades should also be added to the interior.

If the windows imitate wood tones, then the ideal combination would be furniture made of natural wood and parquet or laminate as flooring.

When decorating a room in a minimalist or modern style, a combination of white and black colors would be an excellent option for window profiles.

Windows Slidors

The Slidors profile system offers high-quality window designs, which can also be made from floor to ceiling.

They include a durable reinforced metal-plastic profile and are mounted on rollers, which ensure the mobility of the window frames.

The sliding system is very convenient to use and has soundproofing qualities. In addition, Slidors are the only system that can have radial designs. The semicircular shape of the window provides more possibilities when glazing non-standard window openings.

Floor-to-ceiling windows are the ideal type of glazing for people who dream of a special, exclusive design for their home or apartment. After weighing the pros and cons and understanding all the nuances of such windows, you can choose the most suitable option for yourself. Don’t forget just one thing – without a beautiful view opening from a panoramic window, installing it will be pointless.

Reviews from owners of such windows in their country house indicate that there are practically no problems with them:

Glazing

Quite a large part of the heat from the room escapes through glass, so in order to reduce heat loss, there are a lot of technologies. The most popular of them:

with two chambers or three-chamber frames, they have a layer of air between the glasses;
the space between the glasses is filled with gas;
Special spraying is performed on the glass.

No frame or glass packages provide the same thermal insulation as cinder block or brick masonry. The calculation of heat loss should be done quite carefully, otherwise your panoramic window will

will release all the heat from the house.