Are PVC windows harmful to your health or not?

The job of any window is to protect rooms from cold, dust and noise. PVC windows handle all these aspects particularly easily. However, there is an opinion that plastic windows can be harmful to the human body. This is mainly explained by the fact that the plastic profile may contain harmful chemical elements.

Together with the engineer of the Valent.md double-glazing factory, Ion Banari, we will address this kind of misunderstanding by considering the main structural elements and properties of the materials used in the production of double-glazed windows.

Is PVC material harmful?

In the production of PVC constructions, polyvinyl chloride is used - a toxic substance belonging to the group of thermoplastics. Polyvinyl chloride is a material used by all modern companies. Many products are made from this type of plastic, displayed on store shelves: children's toys, syringes and dishes, furniture, indispensable accessories, computers, etc. This substance is harmful and can have negative effects, but for that it must be heated to a temperature of 225 degrees Celsius. That can only happen in a fire. Under normal conditions, the plastic that is part of modern window structures is absolutely non-toxic, even when exposed to direct sunlight.

However, in the production of PVC windows, it is mixed with many other substances that are not harmful or poisonous. In this state, polyvinyl chloride becomes inactive, which means it cannot negatively affect people or the environment. The mixture for making plastic can release harmful elements, but their quantity is so small that it carries no weight even for environmentalists.

As for the lead that is part of plastic profiles as a stabilizing component, here too most people tend to exaggerate the harm. Today, instead of dangerous lead, safe substances are used to stabilize polyvinyl chloride: calcium and zinc. To make sure a PVC product is eco-friendly, it is enough to study the quality certificate from the manufacturer. One of the trusted manufacturers the Valent.md company works with is the GEALAN brand.

Insufficient ventilation of the room

The harm of plastic windows, first of all, is that they do not allow air to circulate freely. Plastic windows are very tight, have no gaps and therefore do not provide natural ventilation of the rooms.

The tightness of the plastic window blocks the natural flow of fresh air into the room, thus disrupting ventilation.

To avoid such a turn of events, it is necessary to ventilate the room more often. Moreover, setting the window to the micro-ventilation position is not always able to saturate the air with oxygen - it is necessary to periodically ventilate it fully, with the sash wide open.

Which plastic windows are better to install?

To avoid the harm that PVC windows can cause, you should install:

• lead-free products;
• profiles and double-glazed units that provide sound and thermal insulation;
• systems with the possibility of comfortable ventilation;
• structures with sufficient light transmission.

The main thing when choosing windows is to turn to trusted manufacturers and window companies that hold all the certificates and guarantees, just as we do - the Valent.md company with over 20 years of experience.