The making of a Comeca Window

ECO FRIENDLY

Toward the end of last millennium we witnessed a veritable cultural revolution:
our centurylong habit of exploiting the resources of our planet for the sake of human progress has been questioned when we realized that the earth is much more fragile than we expected.
We took for granted that nature would always keep its balance, but we had to reconsider that notion in the light of the climatic changes our planet is undergoing, particularly because of the greenhouse effect.
More and more we had to start considering the sustainability of development:
Can we keep pursuing the social and economical growth of our communities while preserving natural resources for future generations?

In this context, the importance of avoiding deforestation has become crucial: during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 it became evident that the preservation of forests and a sustainable use of this resource play a key role in the effort of sparing our planet a fast and irreversible environmental deterioration.
With this objective in mind, a set of criteria and indicators were defined in order to guarantee a sustainable management of forests and woods.Criteria and indicators to be applied vary according to the geographical setting and the evaluation scale adopted
In the last decade several projects were undertaken worldwide at different levels – the United Nations founded the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests, the European Union organized several Ministerial Conferences on the Protection of Forests, particularly those held in Helsinki in 1993 and in Lisbon in 1998 – and a lot of macro-regional activities focussed on the preservation of forests were started (in particular, in Italy, the University of Padua’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry Systems for sustainable forestry management is entwined with similar processes focussed on the implementation of product certification systems conceived to direct the market toward a sustainable production practice.

A lot of international organizations were funded to deal with all those issues – e.g. the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – and to enforce environmental, social and economical parameters in all connected business.

Eco-friendly COMECA considers all those concerns when designing its products and evaluates with great care all the following aspects:

• The wood COMECA chooses has to come from forests that are correctly managed;
• Certification requirements have to be rather strict or at least meet the standards defined by FSC;
• Paints have to be water based: no paint or glue containing organic solvents will be used on COMECA products
• COMECA uses only wood preservatives containing no carcinogenic, teratogenic or allergenic substances that may affect the human reproduction system, in compliance with European Council Directive 67/548/EEC;
• COMECA designs its products so that all parts can be easily disassembled in order to be recycled;
• COMECA prefers local raw materials and products to reduce the impact of transportation on the environment;
• COMECA continuously invests on efficient production technologies limiting the use of water, energy and materials and minimizing industrial waste;
• COMECA uses wood waste and shavings to heat its premises.

 

As we all know, wood comes from tree trunks and comprises a variety of cells that are not scattered in a shared mass, rather, they are grouped in several types of tissues.

The trunk grows and develops year after year adding more and more peripheral layers (if you look at the cross-section of a log, they look like concentric rings). Structurally, wood is made of: carbon (50%), oxygen (42%), hydrogen (6%) and minerals, nitrogen and pigments (2%).

Wood seasoning The wood of a growing tree may contain a quantity of water equal to up to 75% of its humid weight.
Once the tree is logged and cut into planks, its wood gradually looses its initial moisture until it reaches an equilibrium with the humidity of the environment where it is stored.
During this drying process , wood undergoes remarkable volume reductions, therefore it cannot be used before it is adequately seasoned. Drying wood in the open air is the simplest, most ancient technique: wood is left to dry in the open air under a shelter which protects it from the rain and the sun, until its moisture level reaches a compromise balance with the surrounding environment.
The success of this technique depends on the care taken in piling up planks, on the way planks are laid out throughout the depot and on the conditions of the ground on which piles are stacked.
Nowadays there are also specific kilns designed to make wood dry faster anytime of the year, but unfortunately this method has a few drawbacks if the drying process is not carried out correctly: color may be slightly modified and many pieces risk to be damaged during the process.

The reasons why wood has to be dried are:

• to make wood-working (i.e. treatments, gluing, finishing) easier – or just make it possible;
• to avoid fungus-induced alterations;
• to adapt it to the thermohygrometric conditions (typically 12%) of the environment where it will be used, thus avoiding modifications in size and/or shape later on.

 

Wood warping Size reduction is an inevitable phenomenon and it is due to the loss of the water contained in the tree.
It starts when wood moisture decreases below 30% of its dry weight, i.e. when “saturation water” gets lost because it is absorbed by cellular walls. Most problems arising with the use of wood are due to wood warping. The latter is connected with wood shrinkage – in fact there’s a great difference between tangential shrinkage and radial shrinkage values – and it strictly depends on how and where the plank was cut from the log.

Technical properties of wood The properties of wood are connected to its structure and features and are essential to determine which is the best use for any kind of wood and which woodworking methods and equipment are the most suitable.
Generally, features which make the difference between the various species can be grouped as follows: organoleptic properties,, i.e. properties pertaining visual-aesthetic features, such as color, pattern, etc. physicalmechanical properties,, i.e. density, porosity, etc. main properties required for cabinetmaking wood: easy to be worked (easy to cut and to be polished), stability, look.

COMECA raccurately follows all processes that are necessary to work this noble material. WOOD is extraordinary, warm, strong, elegant, inviting and precious, so wood products can fit any environment perfectly, be it luxurious or simple, rustic or modern, small or large. Wood can be combined with both elaborate and clean-cut furniture, or can be used to create one’s own original mix with a bit of classic and contemporary styles and numerous wood kinds and shades.

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

The craftsman’s know-how and attention to details find their best expression in COMECA's production.

The craft accuracy and thorough knowledge dof our experienced carpenters are enhanced by the use of high-end, numerical-controlled machinery and by a strict process engineering, which belong the industrial tradition.

This successful mix is the key to manufacture technologically up-to-date products in the most precise, time-effective way, without compromising on accuracy, thanks to our artisans’ mastery.

A strict quality control – which covers the whole process, from the receipt of raw materials to the final testing – drastically reduces non-conformities with the company’s high standards and places COMECA among the most important manufacturers on the market.

COATING

Coating is an extremely important phase in wooden window manufacturing, as it does not influence the window appearance only, but – and most of all – its duration in time.

To better understand the importance of a food coating, we need to analyze the causes of wood decay: water, because wood exchanges humidity with the surrounding environment, thus changing its size and shape.
Moreover water has a decolorizing effect and facilitates the proliferation of fungi; sunrays, because they alter wood color and may also cause the surface protection coating to wear out before time, until it cracks; fungi, because they stain and weaken wood irremediably; insects, because they dig holes in wood, thus weakening wooden structures until they collapse.

Until a few years ago, monocomponent, solventbased paints were used to protect wooden products made for the outdoors. These paints created a transparent, crystal-clear, protective film which looked nice, but rigid and fragile.

As a consequence, after two years the worn-out film had to be removed and the window had to be repainted.

Today, thanks to modern technology, we use water-based coatings, which not only drastically reduce the emission of dangerous solvents in the atmosphere, but guarantee a better protection. In fact, they have completely different features: the top coat structure is extremely elastic and never crystallizes.

Without compromising with the aesthetical result, water-based coatings allow for a considerable extension of the life of windows, but also reduce and simplify their maintenance.

It takes only a periodic cleaning, followed by the application of a waterbased regenerating product (applied with a cloth) to make windows last forever.

 

Every wooden product by COMECA undergoes a rigorous, accurate coating cycle, which is divided into four phases:

• Comeca first coat – waterbased impregnant coating containing pigments, applied by flow-coating systems. It colors wood by penetrating into it, protects it from UV-rays, kills bacteria and fungi;
• second coat – water-based intermediate coating, also applied by flow-coating systems. It further insulates wood and consolidates its fibers, thus creating the solid, compact, smooth surface which is necessary for the final coating;
• sanding and smoothing – done by hand on all windows. It uniforms the surface and eliminates any coating deposit by a surface peeling;
• third coat – water-based top coating. It creates a continuous surface protection film which is at least 250 micro-thick that guarantees an effective protection against weathering agents.

Comeca’s top quality surface finish is our distinctive hallmark!

CE MARKING ON WINDOWS

The CE marking is a symbol that is immediately recognized by those who buy or use a product, as it means that the product complies with the legal standards. Compliance to these standards is required by the directive 89/106/CE on construction products (CPD).

CE marking has become mandatory for windows as well on February 1st, 2010: this marking certifies that windows meet the essential requirements concerning mechanical resistance and stability, safety of use, protection against noise, energy saving, and heat retention, as specified by standard Uni EN 14351 – 1:2006.

 

Manufacturers must declare the following:

• AIR PERMEABILITY
• WATER-TIGHTNESS
• RESISTANCE TO WIND LOAD
• BEARING CAPACITY OF SAFETY DEVICES
• THERMAL TRANSMITTANCE
• NOISE REDUCTION

 

 

Manufacturers may add any other performance result that they consider important to qualify their products.
Every window must carry a label containing the CE marking with: Manufacturer’s name and addressthe last two figures of the year in which the CE marking was applied number of the standard concerned product performance classes Windows must be accompanied by a Declaration of conformity, where the manufacturer declares that the product complies with the relevant standard; this declaration must contain the data indicated on the label as well.

THERMAL INSULATION

The insulating capacity of an element is determined by its thermal transmittance, i.e. the average heat transfer through one square metre of a structure dividing two environments with different temperatures (for instance, a heated room from the outside, or a heated room from a non-heated room). The thermal transmittance is expressed in watts per square metre per kelvin, or W/m² K. Now it is indicated with a “U", whereas in the past it was known as the “K coefficient”.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Since saving energy also means minimizing heat loss (Legislative decrees no. 192/05 and no. 311/06), it is necessary that the elements constituting the outer part of a building have a low thermal transmittance value, so that less heat is lost. As for windows and French windows, Uwindow - i.e. the thermal transmittance of the window - is the weighted average of Uframe, i.e. the thermal transmittance of the frame, and Uglass, i.e. the thermal transmittance of the glazing, plus Yg, i.e. the linear thermal transmittance. The latter is due to the interaction between the two components and to the spacer placed along the visible perimeter of the glazing.

When a structure has a low value, it means that it is well-insulated.
Transmittance increases when the thickness DIMINISHES and the thermal conductivity INCREASES. Structures with a very low thermal transmittance value allow for excellent thermal insulation.
To sum up:

• W/m2 °K = thermal transmittance
• Uwindow = thermal transmittance of the window
• Uframe = thermal transmittance of the frame
• Uglass = thermal transmittance of the glazing
• Yg = linear thermal transmittance

 

AIR PERMEABILITY
It is defined as the capacity of a closed window to let air filter in or out, in case the outside pressure differs from the one inside. Basically, a good air permeability: avoids draughts, reduces the amount of dust entering the building, thus curtains and rooms stay clean longer, and therefore allows for greater energy saving. increases noise reduction, i.e. high air permeability values allow for a better sound-proofing. It is influenced by: quantity and type of joints. Mounting often makes the difference. How is it assessed? It is divided into classes: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4

WATER-TIGHTNESS
It is the capacity of preventing water leakages when the inside and outside pressures are different. IIt is tested in a way similar to the method used for air permeability. Essentially: high ranking performances guarantee the prevention of leakages from the windows, thus avoiding damages to window sills, walls, wooden floorings or carpets nearby windows and French windows; moreover water tightness prevents the decay of window frames.
How is it assessed? Water-tightness performances are ranked into nine “classes”, i.e. 1 to 9, according to the pressure applied. Next to the class number, there is an A or a B; this letter stands for the water spraying system used for testing. The latter is chosen according to the use of the window: A is for windows with no shelter,
B is for windows which are partially sheltered (shelter above the window). Therefore, performance results may be expressed, for instance, as 8A, or 7B, etc.

WIND RESISTANCE
It is the capacity of a window to resist to a high pressure and/or depression – just like wind pressure – without deforming too much. Windows with a good wind resistance maintain their properties and keep users safe. To sum up: high performance results mean resistance to gusts of wind, prevention of sudden window openings. This feature is often connected to the resistance to wind-driven rain.. It is essentially influenced by: the hardware used for the window How is it assessed? Wind resistance performances are ranked into nine “classes”, i.e. 1 to 9, according to the pressure applied. Next to the class number, there is a letter which indicates the deflection limit measured during deformation:
A relative frontal deflection 1/150 of L
B relative frontal deflection 1/200 of L
C relative frontal deflection 1/300 of L where L is the distance between the deflection measuring points on the window transoms. The final ranking of the sample may be expressed, for instance, as C5, or B4, etc.

GLASSES

Glass is a fundamental component of a window and it is necessary to choose it carefully. Choice must be guided by several parameters, such as its outward transparency, indoor natural lighting, sunrays control, noise reduction, safety of use.

Thanks to continuous study and research, we can offer customized, up-to-date solutions in terms of thermal transmittance, sunrays control, luminosity, soundproofing, and safety. Not only legal standards are complied with in full, but specific needs and local climate are also taken into account.

COMECA designs windows which can fit any type of insulating glazing on the market.
Today there are some special types of glazing, which can considerably reduce heat loss.
Not only legal standards are complied with in full, but specific needs and local climate are also taken into account. One the most common glasses of this kind is low-emissivity glass: it lets almost all the solar radiation spectrum in, but stops low-frequency radiations. i.e. they need to let a great quantity of light filter in.

Altri e più avanzati sistemi per migliorare le proprietà isolanti degli infissi contemplano l’uso di particolari materiali trasparenti (contenuti all’interno del vetro) che riducono fortemente la dispersione termica ma sono trasparenti alla luce solare diretta e diffusa.

There are other, more recent systems to improve window insulating properties which use special transparent materials (incorporated in the glazing) which notably reduce heat loss, but are transparent to both direct and indirect sunlight. But the actual “revolution” today resides in the use of non-reactive gases, such as argon and krypton. These gases are used to fill the space between the glazings: this minimizes the convection currents within the space and reduces heat conduction through the glazing, thus heat loss is considerably cut down.

SOUNDPROOFING

Sound-proofing is becoming more and more important, as we increasingly feel the need to be isolated from chaotic, stressful noises when we are at home, in the office, at school, staying in a hotel or wherever else we spend our time.

Soundproofing in building became mandatory in Italy with law no. 447/95 "Framework Act on Noise Pollution”, which was enforced with the Prime Minister’s Decree of December 5th, 1997.

The parameter taken into consideration is the “SURFACE NOISE REDUCTION” D2m,nT,w.

 

These limits must be observed REGARDLESS of the area where the building is located.

To evaluate the surface noise reduction we use the weighted sound reduction index, which is the weighted average of the sound-proofing coefficient of each element on the surface, proportionate to the surface exposed to the sound.

As a reference, consider that a good masonry wall has a Rw of 50 dB.

REFURBISHING

Refurbishing may be demanding, and that is particularly true when it comes to windows, which have to be suited to the work required (total or partial refurbishing). Also, it is important to know whether construction work can be done, which type of windows are in place, which architectural restrictions exist, how much work progress is being achieved, etc.
A radical refurbishing agreed with the customer during the designing phase is similar - in a way – to the construction of a brand-new building, whereas a conservative or partial refurbishing considerably restricts the options available and often leads to “carpenter’s adjustments”.

An experienced technician’s visit on the site is essential to suggest feasible – or even customized – solutions and to prepare a quotation.
Trust COMECA when it comes to all that: with its many years of experience and know-how, COMECA can solve any window problem, anywhere.

 

 

REPLACEMENT

A window is replaced to increase energy saving, improve noise reduction, avoid water leakages or simply when the outer surface has been damaged by weathering agents.

The technical features of the products are particularly important and the seller needs to be formed to pass “certainties” onto his/her clientele, suggest innovative, complete solutions and avoid mistakes (e.g. keeping the roller shutter box in a place usually subject to a high heat loss).
Beside a thorough inspection by a technician, it is essential that works be carried out with the least disturbance for those who live in there – so service is of the utmost importance.

At COMECA's, product quality, precision in service and care during installation are always a must.