What are the hidden disadvantages of panoramic windows?
We are in the beginning stages of planning our home and are currently looking at various house shows. We were in a house with a window front that was about 4 meters wide over 2 stories, which is certainly visually quite appealing. The windows were 2x2 meters wide and also 2 elements high.
My research on the internet showed that window prices are not that high. Stationary plastic – 300 x 260 cm – $750. Plus installation.
Is it possible to combine such elements without problems? In this case 4 pieces 2x2?
What other disadvantages am I buying that I may not be paying attention to now?The insulating value is clear to me, as is the window cleaning.
Answers
I have no experience with this issue myself. But I hear all the time that large window areas over 2m almost always have stability issues. Sure, it's all calculated and should work, but if you ask someone who has it: it rarely works smoothly. There is always something wrong.
Then, of course, there's cleaning, where it's not just a question of frequency of cleaning, but often just the availability of surfaces.
And it will cost a lot more to install.
Do you really understand the importance of insulation? So, what's the overall impact? We have four floor-to-ceiling doors just under 2m wide and a window almost a room high and 4m wide. This increases energy loss.
Simply put: you buy a super insulated house and then lose the energy saved by the window façade. The large surface area also makes a big difference.
It also matters what makes you cold in the winter, becomes warm in the summer. Very warm. So heat shielding, roller shutters or exterior (automatic) shading is a huge problem. (Or air conditioning) Both cost money.
Real shutters can help to some extent with winter cooling. To protect against solar radiation in the summer, I'd take care to have enough eaves. During the summer months, the sun is higher. If properly sized, not a single ray of direct sun gets through the windows. In winter, the opposite is true: you heat the entire building when the sun is there. Also, with the right roof overhang, cleaning is less labor intensive.
Both together can make up for the disadvantages to some extent.
A big problem our acquaintances had: radiant cold!!! They also had a dining table in front of a large glass façade. But I don't think it works at all. It's just too cold. The air (cold) also falls right "down" on the window. So if you really want panoramic windows then really laminated glazing or with a heating outlet in the floor right in front of the window.
We have four window elements of about 3 x 3 m on the southwest side.
The 2.5 m roof overhang increases by about 6°, so that in winter, when the sun is low, it shines about 10 degrees in front of the kitchen.
In summer, the sunlight falls on the floor in the window area from about 4:00 p.m. onward.
In winter we use sunlight and in summer we use shade.
In my opinion, the low extra consumption is more than compensated for by the flood of light in the room.
