Doors & Windows
Improved Acoustics & Thermal Comfort Through
Effective Fenestration
A
luminium doors,
windows and
curtain walls are
considered to be
the technological
and architectural elements with
designed functions to interact
between two inside and outside
environments and are supposed to
guarantee general comfort within
the home. The main functions
between others are mechanical
properties, air, water and wind
resistance, thermal insulation,
acoustic insulation, light and
shade, ventilation and safety.
CURRENT TRENDS IN
ALUMINIUM WINDOWS, DOORS
& CURTAIN WALLS IN CONTEXT
TO THE ACOUSTIC & THERMAL
PERFORMANCE
Nowadays, an important
element in the design of low
energy buildings is the use of
high-performance windows
coupled with passive solar design
strategies. As energy efficiency
becomes more important, north
Indian designers sometimes look
to Europe for energy-efficient
standards and technologies,
such as the passive house
approach. However, comparing
European and Indian windows
is complicated by the significant
differences between European
and Indian energy performance
rating standards. The different
evaluation methods and boundary
conditions also affect product
design, as European windows are
optimised to achieve the lowest
U-values under their respective
rating systems, while India is still
establishing a foothold in these
technologies and implementation
in the systems.
THE MOST PREFERRED
SOLUTION IN WINDOWS IN
CONTEXT TO ENVIRONMENT
Windows, doors and curtain walls
are available in wood, steel, PVC,
etc., but those made in aluminium
have all the advantages of
the unique characteristics of
such metal alloy. Aluminium is
however also an excellent thermal
conductor, and allows temperature
WFM | MAY-JUNE 2019 35
Doors & Windows
A project by Mixx Windows – Minimal sliding windows with thermal break
migration from outside to inside
and vice-versa, acting as a “thermal
bridge”. Such a disadvantage of
aluminium can be neutralised by
using thermal break systems.
THERMALLY BROKEN
ALUMINIUM WINDOWS & DOORS
Thermal break, an equally
important component in any
window and door system, refers
to the reinforced polyamide bar
between the inside and outside
aluminium profiles, creating
an insulated barrier within the
window frame. In simple words, it
acts as a circuit breaker – cutting
off the inside with the outside.
The frame can greatly affect
the actual energy efficiency of
any window and door, including
that of double glazed systems.
Plus, efficient wall and ceiling
insulation will make an even
bigger difference to the overall
insulation of your home, office or
building.
Standard aluminium is a good
conductor of heat and cold, which
means you can lose or gain a
great deal of heat through the
frame of the window/door. This
36 WFM | MAY-JUNE 2019
can ultimately undermine the
performance of double glazed
windows. A thermal break needs
to be added to the frame. Thermal
break technology features a
reinforced polyamide bar between
the inside and outside aluminium
profiles, creating an insulated
barrier within the window frame.
This will conduct heat, cold and
noise a thousand times slower
than standard aluminium.
PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES
OF THERMAL BREAK SYSTEMS IN
TERMS OF ACOUSTICS
By installing thermally broken
double glazed windows and doors,
you will be able to stop noise by
up to 42db and keep your home
cooler during the summers and
warm during the winters.
India is a diverse country in terms
of geographies, having extreme
heat in the west to extreme cold in
the north – thermal break works in
both these cases.
Sections can be anodised or
powder coated with a durable
surface coating that can withstand
the harsh Indian climate, including
UV mage and salt corrosion.
All Aluminum Frame for Low-
Maintenance + Durability
High Performance
Glazing Unit
Argon Filled Glazing
Warm Edge Spacers
Insulation
Air Seal
Insulated Thermal Break
Thermal section
TECHNIQUES FOR SOUND
REDUCTION
Silence is golden. Constant outside
noise, whether from the vehicle or
air traffic, dogs, wildlife, machinery,
or loud neighbours, can present a
serious intrusion in your home life.
Double glazing is the most
common noise reducing system
of insulation or soundproofing.
Typically called an IGU (insulating
glass unit), it comprises two panes
of glass, an air gap in the middle,
and a specialised frame. The
frame, extra glass and air pocket
work together as a noise filter
to create soundproof insulation
between the inside and outside of
the window or door.
Standard windows with an
ordinary frame and one pane of
glass account for a huge amount
of noise transmission. With double
glazed systems, the window glass,
air gap and frames act as a noise
reducer. This makes sure that
the annoyance of street noise,
neighbour noise, traffic noise and
even barking dogs can be filtered
out.
Using specialised thermally
broken aluminium/brass/

Using specialised thermally broken aluminium/brass/steel frames, a high acoustic performance
can be achieved
steel frames, a high acoustic
performance can be achieved.
Thermally broken aluminium
contains a soundproof material
that is placed between the inside
Thermal breaksection
Doors & Windows
and outside of the frame and the thousand times slower than
sash. This creates an insulating standard aluminium.
buffer against the outside world. The Weighted Sound Reduction
Thermally broken aluminium Index (Rw) measures the reduction
conducts heat/cold/noise a of sound decibels transferred
through a single building element
i.e. walls or windows. The higher
the RW rating, the better the sound
insulation. The Sound Transmission
Class (STC) reflects the amount of
noise that is reduced when sound
passes through a window. Both
are the measurements that are
20mm slim windows
Lift and slide Alu wood cross section
WFM | MAY-JUNE 2019 37
Doors & Windows
Bronze thermal break windows
Glass allows radiant solar energy to enter the building so as to give a
positive thermal gain
used to measure the level of sound
insulation in houses, buildings and
apartments.
Is it possible to have a thermal
break in any other metal? Yes,
indeed it is possible to have a
thermal break in other precious
metals such as brass, corten steel,
stainless steel and galvanised steel.
38 WFM | MAY-JUNE 2019
Although the market for them is
very small as aluminium is the most
preferred metal with the architects
for performance and value.
THE MARKET FOR THERMAL
BREAK SYSTEMS IN INDIA
Thermally broken window frames
have been available for a number
of years, but for some reason their
uptake has not been as rapid as
might be expected from the
promotion given to them. In the
exterior wall of a house, the most
thermally inefficient portion
is the windows. We tolerate
this disadvantage because the
inhabitants like to be able to look
out, and also the glass allows
radiant solar energy to enter the
building so as to give a positive
thermal gain. A double-glazed
aluminium framed window has
an R-value (insulation) which
is only about a tenth of that of
the adjacent insulation wall of
standard construction. Now, the
customers are getting aware of
thermal break systems, whether
through social media or personal
references, definitely, the trend is
going upwards.
On the architect’s demand side,
the demand for (both: acoustic
and thermal) high-performance
fenestration products continue
to increase for noisy metropolises,
and utilisation of more efficient
material will need to be
augmented by the introduction
of more innovative and efficient
designs. Manufacturers are
rushing with new products to
help builders, and designers
to achieve higher levels of
comfort for both residential and
commercial constructions in the
best way possible.
Customers are only getting
more aware of the energy
consumption and how to
minimise the carbon footprint.
Many European countries offer
a tax rebate when citizens are
using certified high-performance
systems for fenestration. The
governments are aware that
energy saved using these systems
is substantial and helps in
minimising the carbon footprint
and savings for both, as the
customer gets reduced energy
bills while for the government,
the environmental impact is
minimised.
Doors & Windows

Additional Benefits of Thermally Broken Aluminium

Windows & Doors:
• Conducts heat and noise 1000 times slower than normal
aluminium
• Flame retardant
• Added layer of security
• Low maintenance
• Long lasting
• Durable
• Non-corrosive
• Thermal break technology
• Excellent thermal and acoustic insulation
• Powder coated surfaces with a large range of colours
specially Binario, where you have a different colour outside
to match your exterior and different colours inside to match
your interior theme. ABHINAV GAIND
Partner,
Mixx Windows

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE industry to add subscripts for

RIGHT VALUES FOR CERTIFIED
WINDOWS
Firstly, it is important to be aware
that NFRC, ISO, and passive house
U-values cannot be compared
as they are based on different
calculation procedures. For
example, when comparing a
product from Europe and a
product from North America,
designers should ask for and
compare values determined
under the same standards. Going
forward, it may be useful for the
the NFRC and ISO U-values to
distinguish European from the
North American U-values (e.g.
UNFRC, UISO). Those comparing
certified passive house window
U-values should be aware that
results are climate-specific, and
have been determined according
to different boundary conditions
for the different climates. For
instance, the cold-temperate
climate, passive house recognises
both U-values determined at 0ºC
and 5ºC.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Abhinav Gaind is a partner at
Mixx Windows - a one-stop
shop for luxury fenestration
solutions. Mixx Windows
represents some of the top
European brands in India,
including Metra - Italy, Secco
Sistemi -Italy, Klimaflex -
Germany, Otiima - Portugal,
Renson - Belgium, IMAR -
Spain, Acristalia - Spain to
name a few. Gaind belongs to
a business family, who owns
Aquolac Paints- one of the
oldest paint manufacturing
companies in India. He did
his undergraduate studies
from London and came back
to India in 2001. He gave
up a successful career in
the corporate world with a
fortune 100 as a Risk Manager
for Asia and Europe, to come
back to India and start his
own venture.

Customers always prefer high-performance systems for fenestration

38 WFM | MAY-JUNE 2019