04 May, 2023
Windows
French style is also synonymous with beauty and glamour in the world of window joinery. On a day-to-day basis, however, it is surprisingly casual and lightweight, perfectly matching the French people's practical approach to life. porte-fenêtre, monoblock, and renovation windows grow out of this hybrid.
Translating the life philosophy of the French into architecture and design, in general, produces truly intriguing results. This is particularly captivating when it comes to window joinery. They are increasingly becoming an inspiration for the look of Polish offices, houses and flats.
It is impossible to pass by indifferently in the face of French porte-fenêtre windows for monoblock and renovation windows embody the practical attitude towards life characteristic of the French. Unfortunately, they are still too little known in our country.
French windows are far more common in our surroundings than we might think. We don't notice them, though. That is to say, we do see them, but we are not aware that they are French-inspired.
Porte-fenêtre windows are tall windows reaching from floor to ceiling, behind which small balustrades appear. Now it's crystal clear - there are plenty of them, particularly in newly constructed multi-family buildings.
Those who know the basics of French must have already sensed something fishy with the name. The formula for naming French-type windows is banal:
porte + fenêtre = porte-fenêtre
(door + window = porte-fenêtre)
At this point, it is already easy to guess that we are dealing with a window that is a bit like a door, and we can use it almost like a door. It all depends on the fittings used. There are three options to choose from:
The first type opens the standard way, swinging the whole sash mostly towards the inside of the building. The partial opening usually divides the window into two or more parts, with only the top half or one-third of the opening, depending on the configuration.
The fix option improves the thermal performance of windows. For this reason, it is most commonly used with large sizes. While windows always insulate poorer than an insulated wall, fix windows can offer adequate protection.
Since its inception, window joinery has combined pure aesthetics and coldly calculated utility. When we learn that the porte-fenêtre was a 17th-century French invention that found its way into the townhouses of the bourgeoisie and the palaces of the aristocracy, it is easy to guess which of these issues dominated.
The beauty of the porte-fenêtre manifested itself in many ways. The windows were enchanting with:
Hidden in all this was, of course, function. Good timber was a prerequisite for wooden windows of such dimensions to be practical in those days. Today, porte-fenêtre are increasingly aluminium or steel windows, but wood is still valued.
The railings here are a substitute for a balcony. In densely developed Paris, it was not possible to build large balconies. This is not always feasible in our modern cities either. The decoration of balustrades is rarely as spectacular today as it was in France years ago, but it can still be a beautiful addition to a façade.
Large glazings, on the other hand, are a way of bringing light into rooms. porte-fenêtres were developed long before incandescent light bulbs. Today, we are more concerned with natural light as a healthy alternative to artificial light, but the essence remains the same.
French windows usually appeared singular, surrounded by a beautifully decorated façade. Nowadays, it is more common to form rows of them to create an entire transparent wall. They then look a bit like a row of balcony windows.
In the 21st century, we are in the habit of inviting porte-fenêtre into interiors. In offices, we can use them to create so-called aquariums as they are the partition walls of large rooms. We can also divide space with them more subtly, separating, for example, a study space from a large living room with a wall of windows.
Porte-fenêtre is also ideal for modern construction, where we create huge, uniform spaces. We certainly don't want them to be homogeneous, although a design loft may consist entirely of just one room. Rather, we want to divide them into sections.
So as not to do this with walls or similar heavy partitions, we use light coming in through French windows:
All this together results in countless original design possibilities, and the use of such windows is already something special. We do not face any major challenges either, as modern window production technologies mean that, regardless of the materials used, such windows are at least satisfactorily warm.
Replacing windows with airtight, warm and economical windows is a priority for every owner of a house, flat or just any building. The reason is obvious: heating costs. The snag is that such an operation can be very damaging to the infrastructure. It's not a problem if all it takes is a bit of plaster and paint to get things back to normal, but...
Renovation is a particular challenge when we are dealing with historic buildings, in which not only can interference be costly, but it is sometimes impossible for legal reasons. The monoblock and renovation windows, most commonly used in France, were developed for such projects.
A plus window, or monoblock window, is usually a PVC window of an entirely regular type with the most ordinary extras the average window has. The difference is that it uses a characteristic fin – a built-in sill.
A monoblock window is not a French window per se but something we can see often in France. And not only in France. This type of window joinery also appeals to, among others, the inhabitants of Benelux, and the Mediterranean countries have always been an important export market. Why do people there opt for monoblock windows? There are at least several reasons:
As we can see, there are many advantages.
We should note that monoblock is an option that appears in a variety of systems. Aluminium monoblock windows are as readily available as their more common PVC equivalents. Although, of course, not every system offers this feature.
Therefore, by choosing this solution, we can take full advantage of all the benefits of the standard systems from which they originate. This also means all sorts of varnishes, veneers or aluminium frames in systems that provide such finishes.
What's more, such windows are also a convenient solution for properties that are insulated on the inside. Unusual wall dimensions are then no obstacle at all.
Renovation windows are aptly named because they are designed primarily for building renovation tasks. They look similar to monoblock windows except that when using them, there is no need to fully disassemble the old window frames.
Fitting renovation windows is possible directly onto the old window frames, which means almost no interference with the wall and façade. Where it would be necessary to restore any damage using period methods, any damage to the masonry is undesirable.
In Poland, uPVC renovation windows are sometimes used to improve the thermal properties of old buildings, although they tend to be chosen more extensively only where there is no other option due to the need to preserve the architectural values of a historic structure. It is also a good option for buildings insulated from the inside, as is the case of the monoblock window.
They are more common in France and southern European countries, where there is not only much more of the old, well-preserved urban fabric but also because people there place more importance on being untroubled. Putting in such a window solves all the builder's problems in one stroke and immediately gives the full effect:
What are French windows most appreciated for? For the design? What are the design possibilities they offer? There are numerous considerations when choosing French windows, but there are not many people who can resist them.
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