What are the chambers inside a PVC window profile for? Does a higher number of chambers automatically mean better quality? Does the price of PVC windows depend on the number of chambers? How do you choose the ideal PVC profiles for new windows?
When it comes to the balance of price and quality, PVC windows are definitely the most popular choice today. Even if you’ve already ruled out wood and aluminum windows, selecting the right PVC windows can still be challenging.
Many manufacturers and sellers proudly advertise the number of chambers in their PVC profiles, with the general rule being—more is better. But is this always true? Does the price increase along with the quality as the number of chambers rises?
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First, let’s clarify what these chambers are. Chambers are the visible air pockets when you look at a cross-section of a window profile. For example, the image below shows a PVC profile with six chambers. This means that from the outer edge to the inner edge of the window, there are six distinct air pockets. One of these chambers is always larger, designed to house a steel reinforcement (marked in red), which gives the window its structural strength.
The primary purpose of these chambers is to provide thermal and sound insulation. Air is a great insulator, so each of these separate chambers acts as a barrier, preventing heat from transferring from the outside to the inside of the window.
Imagine a window with only one chamber. During the winter, the warmth from the inside would only need to heat up that one air pocket before the cold transfers to the outer edge. However, with multiple chambers, each air pocket serves as a new barrier to heat transfer, improving insulation significantly.
Today, the most common profiles on the market come with five or six chambers. Some manufacturers cleverly use this as a marketing strategy, offering profiles with as many as eight chambers. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these windows are better. It also doesn’t mean they’re worse. The problem is that producing profiles with more chambers is more complex, making the final product more expensive.
The question is whether this investment will pay off, especially if an eight-chamber window performs the same or only slightly better than a six-chamber window. Additionally, if you opt for the best profile but cut corners on the quality of the glass, you’ve still made a poor investment.
The number of chambers alone doesn’t mean much without considering the profile’s width. For example, high-quality PVC profiles with five chambers are typically between 2.75 and 2.95 inches (70 to 75 mm) wide, while six-chamber profiles range from 3.25 to 3.5 inches (83 to 88 mm).
If a manufacturer manages to fit eight chambers into the same width, it means the chambers are narrower, and likely the PVC walls between them are thinner. As a result, such a window may not only fail to perform better – it could actually perform worse.
The conclusion is straightforward. It’s similar to buying a camera. A camera from a reputable brand with 20 megapixels will usually outperform one from a lesser-known brand boasting 40 megapixels as a marketing trick. The quality of the photos will simply be lower, and the numbers won’t change that.
The same applies to windows – it’s a much better choice to go with a mid-range profile from a well-known manufacturer with five or six chambers, combined with triple glazing, than an eight-chamber profile from a lesser-known brand paired with double glazing.
When selecting windows, it’s also essential to choose manufacturers with a long-standing reputation. Visit several suppliers, ask questions, and ensure you make an informed decision. Windows are a long-term investment that should last for decades.
Info: Deceuninck, Veka