Steel joinery is used, among other things, in the restoration of architectural heritage. One of the advantages of the steel profiles is that they can be formed into curves without any problems.
Why steel?
Due to the complex processing and the limited number of actors who know how to handle it, steel joinery is undeniably an expensive product. But on the other hand there are also significant advantages. In addition to the fact that today steel joinery with thermal break achieves market-compliant U-values without any problems (up to Uw = 0.8 W / m2K), it mainly benefits from high strength, versatility and unparalleled durability.
Strong and slim
The high strength of steel makes it possible to make window and door frames very large and yet slim (see box). This means that there is proportionally more glass surface - a property that has its advantages both aesthetically and energetically. After all, more glass not only provides more light; it also limits the (negative) impact of the profile on the thermal performance of the whole.
Robust
The high strength of steel further translates into an extremely durable and robust product. It has a high color fastness, a limited sensitivity to scratches and is easy to make burglar and bullet resistant. Since connections are welded, the joinery as a whole is also much more robust and very resistant to frequent opening and closing. In principle, no adjustment of hinges is necessary.
Aesthetic freedom
Finally, steel also offers important aesthetic benefits. Not only can steel profiles, as mentioned, be made very slim, they can also be processed in all kinds of shapes and configurations. For example, by rolling the profiles, different arc shapes can be realized, and because profiles are welded together, they can be combined in any corner. Welding, in combination with sandblasting and powder coating, also offers an important aesthetic advantage, namely the lack of visible seams. The entire joinery thus becomes one beautiful formal entity. This effect is most pronounced when a black or white color is chosen - this is how the glazing bead is visually integrated into the whole, but in principle the joinery can be painted in any RAL color. The smooth and sleek character of the whole can also be further expressed by making use of concealed hinges
Applications
In other words, steel joinery also has its advantages, and it is in projects where it is precisely those aspects that prevail that it proves its worth. Think of schools and cultural centers - where doors are repeatedly opened and closed, of barracks and bank and insurance offices - where security and good burglar resistance are crucial, or of (industrial) monuments - where aesthetic integrity must be preserved as much as possible. Other projects that pose specific technical or aesthetic challenges can also benefit from steel joinery. Ultimately, the more complex and demanding the assignment, the smaller the price difference with other systems - and the greater the added value of steel - will be. A long-term consideration is therefore required.
Ultraslim profiles
One of the biggest advantages of steel joinery is its remarkable slimness. Steel profiles, regardless of whether they are thermally interrupted, already exist with face widths from 20 mm and window frames can be made about half as wide as with aluminum, for example. However, with the very slimmest profiles it is recommended to take the following into account:
Wind, water and airtightness: not all profiles have been tested for wind, water and airtightness. Non-certified systems are best used only for interior joinery;
Glazing: profiles without thermal breaks are not only very slim; their depth is usually also limited (from 32 mm). However, this also has implications for the choice of glass: not all glazings can be installed in that limited depth and in certain cases even standard double glazing is not possible;
Fittings: due to the limited width and depth of some profiles, it is also not always possible to integrate fittings such as locks and hinges into the profiles. Lock cases then offer a solution.
Reference
• http://projecto.pmg.be/
• 27 march 2020
• by Elise Noyez