Windows are crucial components of any building project and affect its weather resistance, livability, energy efficiency, and indoor comfort. Although new materials like uPVC are being used in the construction industry today, older materials like steel still remain a popular choice for windows. This blog serves as a comprehensive guide to steel windows, detailing their types, benefits, limitations and the steel windows cost, helping readers gain a deep understanding of the topic. Continue reading to learn more.
Understanding Steel Metal Windows
In the building industry, steel—an iron and carbon alloy—is renowned for its high tensile strength. With other properties like easy availability, affordability and durability, steel is an ideal material to make windows. Typically manufactured off-site in large factories, steel windows are also easy to install and require minimal labour on-site. These properties have made steel a preferred material among various other types of window materials available in the modern building industry.
Types of Steel Windows
Types Based on Base Material Used
Depending on the type of steel used, windows can be classified as follows:
- Mild Steel Windows: Steel with a low carbon content is called mild steel. Windows made of this steel have a lower resistance to corrosion and rusting, although they showcase good adhesion to paint and other coatings.
- Galvanised Steel: The zinc coating on this steel improves its resistance against rust. However, galvanised steel windows are less aesthetically pleasing due to their reduced adherence to paint, primer and other finishing treatments.
- Stainless Steel: This steel includes small quantities of chromium and sometimes nickel, which form rust-preventive coatings on the material’s surface. However, stainless steel for windows generally offers lower strength than the other types.
Types Based on Opening Mechanism
- Steel Sliding Windows: These windows work by means of rollers that facilitate the horizontal sliding of the shutter along tracks, which are fixed at the top and bottom of the mild steel or stainless steel window frame. Typically, two to four tracks are provided to allow the movement of glass shutters as well as mosquito mesh shutters.
- Steel Casement Window: A casement window opens horizontally toward the exterior or interior with the help of side hinges, allowing for a 90-180 degree range of motion and maximising natural light penetration. These windows come with single, double, or multiple panes (depending on the size of the opening) and are perfect for small to medium-sized openings.
- Pivot Window: A pivot steel window rotates 90 degrees along a central axis, which could be either vertical or horizontal. When the shutter of such a window is opened, it projects equally inside and outside, intersecting the window frame perpendicularly. Air and light flow may be slightly disrupted due to these visual barriers in the openings.
- Awning Window: With the aid of hinges and handles, an awning window opens upward, usually toward the exterior. Such a house steel window is usually used as part of dormer roof openings and can be left open even when it is raining lightly to allow cross ventilation.
- Steel Single Hung Window: This window has two shutters one below the other, in which the top one is fixed and the bottom one can slide up and down to open/ close. These steel house windows are ideal for spaces like bathrooms and kitchens, where the window height is larger and only the bottom shutter can be accessed easily.
- Double Hung Windows: Such windows have two shutters placed one below the other, in which both of them can slide up and down. These modern steel windows can be used to ensure energy efficiency in warm climates, as hot air can rise up and go out through the upper opening, while the lower opening can bring in fresh, cool air.
- Steel Fixed Window: As the name suggests, these windows cannot be opened to facilitate ventilation. They are typically included in buildings to increase natural light penetration or to enhance interior and exterior aesthetics.
Types Based on Finish
Based on the finish of the steel used, metal windows can be classified as:
- Painted Windows: Although cheaper, manually painted metal windows are less durable, especially under prolonged conditions of harsh weather.
- Powder Coated Windows: Powder coating involves spraying dry paint powder with an electrostatic gun to produce an extremely premium and durable finish.
Since stainless steel windows are naturally aesthetically pleasing and have good weather resistance, they are usually left exposed without any external coatings.
Benefits of Steel Frame Windows
Some of the main advantages of using windows made of steel are:
- Strength: When compared to uPVC windows, these windows are incredibly strong and able to support heavy loads. Even to span wide openings, minimal frame thicknesses and sizes are needed.
- Affordability: These windows are perfect for low-budget building projects because they are significantly cheaper than wood and aluminum windows, although more expensive than uPVC windows.
- Eco-Friendly: Even though its manufacturing process consumes high energy, a window made of steel is completely recyclable. At the end of a building’s life cycle, these windows can be easily dismantled and repurposed for use in other projects.
- Allows Larger Glazing Sizes: Since smaller frame sizes and thicknesses are possible with steel, glass panels with maximised sizes can be fixed into them , enabling larger and more unobstructed exterior views and allowing more daylight inside.
Limitations of Steel Metal Windows
The following are a few problems that frequently arise when using a steel window for homes and other buildings:
- Maintenance: Regular maintenance is necessary since these windows are prone to rust, particularly in areas with warm and humid climatic conditions. To avoid this, regular paint or polish recoatings are required.
- Thermal Conductivity and Insulation: Unless they have adequate sealing or extra insulating layers, metal windows conduct heat well. As a result, their use may result in more heat transfer between interior and outdoor areas, leading to lower thermal comfort inside.
- Minimal Customisation: Unlike wood windows, steel doors and windows cannot be cut and sanded on-site to match the available openings. It is also more difficult to shape them into organic forms like curves and arches, which makes such components costly when needed.
- Damage-prone: Steel metal frames are prone to scratches and dents caused by impact, and these problems can be challenging or impossible to fix.
Steel Windows Cost
The common prices quoted by prominent steel doors and windows manufacturers in India are currently as follows:
- Steel Casement Window: ₹600- ₹1000/ sq ft of opening.
- Steel Sliding Window: ₹500- ₹1200/ sq ft of opening.
- Steel Fixed Window: ₹600- ₹800/ sq ft of opening.
These are the prices for typical windows made of mild steel. However, the actual steel window price may vary depending on factors like the type of steel used, finish, brand, coating, location, frame sizes, glass thickness, etc.
Getting the Best Doors and Windows in Your Project
There are multiple vendors in India selling steel windows and doors, making it difficult to opt for one that will provide the best quality at the lowest prices. However, Brick & Bolt, a construction company in India, provides end-to-end construction services at the lowest prices in India by collaborating with reputed vendors and suppliers. Along with a streamlined building materials supply and premium quality assured by conducting 470+ tests (QASCON) for every project, the company guarantees absolute transparency and safe money transactions. To ensure the use of the best quality windows in the construction of your dream home or commercial building, contact Brick & Bolt today!
Apoorva H P Achar