Hello everyone,
we are about to start our second attempt at building our dream house, or rather, we have already begun and are currently waiting for a detailed offer with a construction description.
I now need to gradually deal with several topics, such as:
- windows and doors
- central ventilation system with heat recovery
- heating
- possible DIY contributions
- fireplace
Windows and doors will be the first on the list. Our supplier usually works with windows and exterior doors from Schüco and CePal interior doors from Garant.
What concerns me now is whether these manufacturers are a good choice based on my requirements or if it would make sense to tender this part with other manufacturers as well.
My requirements are as follows:
Interior doors: I was thinking of white hollow-core doors with a robust and easy-to-clean surface.
Front door: A standard front door with a side panel, decent thermal insulation, and burglary resistance (RC2). One feature I find particularly appealing is the Schüco "SCHÜCO 211 853 4 multi-point latch lock 'SafeMatic' with anti-panic function," which I consider very useful. Furthermore, I am unsure whether an intercom system with or without video or an integrated door chain would be advisable, although I don’t know if Schüco offers the latter. Is Schüco a good choice at all, or are there suppliers with a better price-performance ratio? Is such an automatic locking system worthwhile? Can it generally replace the need to manually lock the door, or are there significant weaknesses that make the additional cost unjustified?
Windows: The requirements are a bit more complex, so I’ve listed them in bullet points:
- white
- ground floor: RC 2 N
- upper floor: RC 1 N
- electric external roller shutters
- 200 Nm (148 lb-ft) handle torque (I’ve read several times that 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) is not enough)
- triple glazing
The questions that come to mind regarding the windows are:
- push button or lockable handles? (Lockable looks unattractive, and who really locks their windows in everyday life? Is a locked window with a key actually more secure than one with a push button handle?)
- Schüco or another manufacturer?
- which U-value is most economical? (Will the extra cost pay off over time through energy savings?)
- PVC or aluminum?
- Is it better to invest in higher-quality glass or a better frame? Where is the best balance?
- Does anyone know the window manufacturer Morlok from Rötha near Leipzig? Would you recommend them?
Garage: The garage will have a large insulated Hörmann sectional door with an electric drive, as well as a window, a door to the garden, and a door to the house, since it will be built directly attached to the house. The access to the garage will be through the utility room, so the door does not need to meet high aesthetic standards.
Is it sufficient for the exterior garage door to have RC 2 certification, or should the door to the house also meet this standard? From what I understand, the door to the house must be at least a T30 fire door; at another construction site of the builder, this was realized as a metal door, but I have concerns about the thermal insulation.
Which doors should meet which standards here? Are there alternatives to the Hörmann sectional door?
Regardless of the specific points, I am interested in whether the price-performance ratio of the individual products is right. Of course, I want the best value for my money and to use as little as possible to achieve a practical and lasting satisfactory solution. That means I am open to all manufacturers. It does not have to be a well-known brand if this saves money or offers better performance for the same price. I don’t want to pay unnecessarily much but am willing to invest extra for sensible upgrades where possible. What should one pay attention to with the respective products, and which features are worth the money?
Many questions to start with, but I have so much on my mind. Every decision in house building is one that you live with for many years, if not forever, which is why I honestly worry about making a wrong choice or wasting money where it could be better spent elsewhere.
Thank you in advance for your help, and I hope you won’t be too harsh with me.
Best regards,
Markus
we are about to start our second attempt at building our dream house, or rather, we have already begun and are currently waiting for a detailed offer with a construction description.
I now need to gradually deal with several topics, such as:
- windows and doors
- central ventilation system with heat recovery
- heating
- possible DIY contributions
- fireplace
Windows and doors will be the first on the list. Our supplier usually works with windows and exterior doors from Schüco and CePal interior doors from Garant.
What concerns me now is whether these manufacturers are a good choice based on my requirements or if it would make sense to tender this part with other manufacturers as well.
My requirements are as follows:
Interior doors: I was thinking of white hollow-core doors with a robust and easy-to-clean surface.
Front door: A standard front door with a side panel, decent thermal insulation, and burglary resistance (RC2). One feature I find particularly appealing is the Schüco "SCHÜCO 211 853 4 multi-point latch lock 'SafeMatic' with anti-panic function," which I consider very useful. Furthermore, I am unsure whether an intercom system with or without video or an integrated door chain would be advisable, although I don’t know if Schüco offers the latter. Is Schüco a good choice at all, or are there suppliers with a better price-performance ratio? Is such an automatic locking system worthwhile? Can it generally replace the need to manually lock the door, or are there significant weaknesses that make the additional cost unjustified?
Windows: The requirements are a bit more complex, so I’ve listed them in bullet points:
- white
- ground floor: RC 2 N
- upper floor: RC 1 N
- electric external roller shutters
- 200 Nm (148 lb-ft) handle torque (I’ve read several times that 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) is not enough)
- triple glazing
The questions that come to mind regarding the windows are:
- push button or lockable handles? (Lockable looks unattractive, and who really locks their windows in everyday life? Is a locked window with a key actually more secure than one with a push button handle?)
- Schüco or another manufacturer?
- which U-value is most economical? (Will the extra cost pay off over time through energy savings?)
- PVC or aluminum?
- Is it better to invest in higher-quality glass or a better frame? Where is the best balance?
- Does anyone know the window manufacturer Morlok from Rötha near Leipzig? Would you recommend them?
Garage: The garage will have a large insulated Hörmann sectional door with an electric drive, as well as a window, a door to the garden, and a door to the house, since it will be built directly attached to the house. The access to the garage will be through the utility room, so the door does not need to meet high aesthetic standards.
Is it sufficient for the exterior garage door to have RC 2 certification, or should the door to the house also meet this standard? From what I understand, the door to the house must be at least a T30 fire door; at another construction site of the builder, this was realized as a metal door, but I have concerns about the thermal insulation.
Which doors should meet which standards here? Are there alternatives to the Hörmann sectional door?
Regardless of the specific points, I am interested in whether the price-performance ratio of the individual products is right. Of course, I want the best value for my money and to use as little as possible to achieve a practical and lasting satisfactory solution. That means I am open to all manufacturers. It does not have to be a well-known brand if this saves money or offers better performance for the same price. I don’t want to pay unnecessarily much but am willing to invest extra for sensible upgrades where possible. What should one pay attention to with the respective products, and which features are worth the money?
Many questions to start with, but I have so much on my mind. Every decision in house building is one that you live with for many years, if not forever, which is why I honestly worry about making a wrong choice or wasting money where it could be better spent elsewhere.
Thank you in advance for your help, and I hope you won’t be too harsh with me.
Best regards,
Markus
ToNKeY schrieb:
A second thought that always bothers me is this: If it is obvious from the outside that the house is extremely well secured, it might actually attract burglars even more because they assume there’s a lot to steal inside. Opportunity burglars probably not. Allegedly, burglars can be deterred if all the houses in a neighborhood display signs like “Watchful Neighbor,” which the police often distribute. The assumption is that the police have advised everyone in the street, and usually people have taken additional security measures. As a burglar, you’d then rather go a few streets away where this is not the case.
Whether a sign really has that effect, I cannot say for sure. At least, that’s what the police have indicated.
One more comment about the trash bin being used as a climbing aid: The bin itself usually isn’t tall enough to be a direct starting point for breaking into an upper floor. However, with the help of the bin, you can reach the garage roof, from there the house roof, the balcony, etc., and then a burglar might gain access through security-neglected windows or doors.
In my case, it was the window for the chimney sweep’s exit up on the roof that burglars used to get into the attic and from there via the pull-down staircase into the first floor. Even the police hadn’t seen that often before.
B
Bieber08158 Sep 2015 21:07ToNKeY schrieb:
As I said, I still don't fully understand the possible attacks on the handle lever and how they work Piercing the frame or the glass, inserting a wire, wrapping around the handle, opening the window.Sebastian79 schrieb:
Also, RC 2N (and RC 2 without N) has nothing to do with the hardware except for mushroom cams It is true that the standard initially only requires that the tested element withstands a specified attack described in the standard using defined tools for a set period of time. Nothing more, nothing less. If there was a window made of chocolate that passed the test, it would be classified as "RC2." In practice, however, certain design details have proven effective in meeting the standard (chocolate is not included). Therefore, as far as I know, you will not find an RC2 window without drill protection.Lockable handles are, as far as I know, explicitly required and mandatory for all classes according to DIN EN 1627.
In addition, from RC2 onwards, installation must follow the manufacturer's instructions using blocking pads, tested masonry anchors, etc. (only if "tested/certified" according to DIN EN 1627 is required). <== There are quite a few different opinions about this here on the forum.
My recommendation, weighing cost versus benefit for typical private households or valuable property, would be to ask your trusted carpenter for "windows with hardware based on RC2."
We had a consultation appointment with the police. A window with a key cylinder or knob that sticks out isn’t very effective. However, you can place or hang the key slightly away from the window so that it can’t be reached through a broken window.
In our district, there were several break-ins involving broken windows, where the window was opened using the handle, but in recent years there have been very few cases of entry through the broken window itself.
And, what was even more important to me: there were attempted break-ins that were aborted when the window couldn’t be opened.
Edit: Also, you should make sure it’s not just labeled “like RC2,” which can mean anything, but that the certification is explicitly stated. However, many smaller manufacturers cannot afford the standard. You can take the offer to the police and ask if it meets the requirements.
In our district, there were several break-ins involving broken windows, where the window was opened using the handle, but in recent years there have been very few cases of entry through the broken window itself.
And, what was even more important to me: there were attempted break-ins that were aborted when the window couldn’t be opened.
Edit: Also, you should make sure it’s not just labeled “like RC2,” which can mean anything, but that the certification is explicitly stated. However, many smaller manufacturers cannot afford the standard. You can take the offer to the police and ask if it meets the requirements.
B
Bieber081524 Sep 2015 21:30derelvis schrieb:
Also, you should make sure it doesn’t just say “like RC2,” since that could mean anything; the certification should be explicitly stated. However, many smaller manufacturers cannot afford to meet the standard. Above all, there are homebuilders who cannot afford certified windows. We receive windows with fittings and handles "like WK2" (the carpenter and especially the developer consistently use WK instead of RC). I am satisfied with this because it allows us to get the best out of a limited budget.
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