Garden room at a villa
Thermal-break frames and solar-control glass
Solar control glass
Sunlight arrives as light and as heat in the same beam, and a selective coating separates the two. A microscopically thin stack of metal oxides laid onto the pane at the glass works lets the visible part through and turns the infrared part back outside, so the room stays bright while the air conditioning has less to fight. Which elevation the window sits on decides how hard that coating has to work. It lives on a face inside the sealed unit, turned towards the cavity, where no cloth and no cleaner can ever reach it.
- metal oxide coating on the pane
- west and south elevations that need it most
- inside the cavity where the coating sits
What the specification turns on
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By elevation
Selection
The compass writes the brief
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Bonded to the pane
Coating
Laid at the works, not on site
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Cavity side
Position
Sealed away from cleaning
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Neutral or reflective
Appearance
Agreed against the facade
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Stackable
Build-up
Pairs with laminated or acoustic
Let's calculate
the cost of glazing
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Why choose aluminium windows?
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Durable EPDM seals
Three contours of EPDM seals keep the glass off the aluminium and close the gap between sash and frame, so dust, humid salt air and wind-driven rain stay outside.
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Foamed thermal inserts
Foamed inserts fill the profile chambers and stop air circulating inside them, so less outside heat and street noise passes through the frame into the cooled room.
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Polyamide thermal breaks
Glass-filled polyamide thermal breaks up to 40 mm wide keep the outer and inner shells apart, so the frame holds its shape and its insulation through a UAE summer.
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Energy-efficient double glazing
Double glazing up to 60 mm thick puts a sealed gap of still air or gas between the hot street and the cooled room, so less heat crosses the glass into the room.
Learn more
How the coating is specified
- Orientation of every elevation recorded Engineer on site within 48 hours
- Shading from balconies and neighbours counted in A deep overhang rewrites the brief
- Coated pane and its face in the unit fixed Always turned to the sealed cavity
- Appearance agreed against the facade Neutral where the reflection will be seen
- Units assembled in our Dubai factory One coating batch across an elevation
- Glazing into the frame and handover Coated face checked before glazing
Profile Systems
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Schuco
Learn more about SchucoSchüco aluminium systems carry large panes on slim frames — for villas, apartments and offices where the view matters.
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GUTMANN
Learn more about GUTMANNGUTMANN systems are offered by Gutmann Middle East LLC, based in Dubai Investments Park: hinged windows and doors, sliding and lift-and-slide doors, curtain walls and glass railings
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Deceuninck
Learn more about DeceuninckDeceuninck uPVC profiles are designed in Belgium for superior insulation, weather resistance and a sleek finish. A popular choice for energy-efficient homes across Europe
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Cortizo
Learn more about CortizoCortizo aluminium systems combine precise Spanish engineering with high thermal and acoustic performance. A reliable choice for windows, doors and facades that need to perform in demanding climates
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Montana 120
Learn more about Montana 120Montana 120 is a thermal-break sliding series from Gulfex (Gulf Extrusion LLC), with the profile extruded here in Dubai. A straightforward choice for sliding windows and balcony doors of ordinary size
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TB-600
Learn more about TB-600TB-600 is the thermal-break hinged window and door series of Gulfex (Gulf Extrusion LLC). The profile is extruded in Dubai, and the same maker covers sliding, folding and curtain-wall systems
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ALUK
Learn more about ALUKALUK is an Italian aluminium systems brand known for slim, minimalist frames that maximise glass area without compromising strength. Perfect for architectural projects that call for a light, contemporary look
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Vetromax
Learn more about VetromaxVetromax combines advanced glazing technology with aluminium framing for maximum light, strength and energy efficiency. A modern solution for panoramic windows and glass facades
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REHAU
Learn more about REHAUREHAU uPVC systems are engineered in Germany for outstanding thermal insulation, soundproofing and long-term durability. A proven choice for energy-efficient windows and doors worldwide
Popular ready-made solutions
- Villa glazing
- Classic windows
- French windows
- Tilt-and-turn windows
- Top-hung windows
- Patio door
- Classic door
- Panoramic sliding doors
- Panoramic folding accordion doors
Two-storey villa glazing
Sliding doors to the terrace, windows above
Panoramic villa glazing
Slim frames, glass from floor to ceiling
The honest downside
When solar control glass is not the right buy
The coating comes with the sealed unit, so getting it means new glass. In a rented flat, or in frames that will come out in a later renovation, that is a large outlay for a room you may not keep, and the landlord or the building may not allow the change at all.
Its look also has to pass the building. A reflective coating hands more of the sky back to the street, and in towers and communities where the facade appearance is controlled, a pane that reads differently from the neighbours' may need approval or be refused. Even a neutral coating trims some daylight, which a room already short of light will notice.
Where new units are not an option, a solar film on the existing glass is the cheaper, shorter-lived step. When the windows are being replaced anyway, a coating inside the unit is the better answer on every west and south elevation.
Consider instead
Window tinting for buildings, not cars
Frequently asked questions
Every elevation, up to a point. The Dubai Building Code 2021 sets limits for glass — shading coefficient, U-value and daylight transmission (Table E.5, K.13 for villas) — and they apply to a north wall as much as to a west one, so no facade is exempt. Above that minimum, start from the compass, not from the room. West takes the low afternoon sun straight through the glass and is the punishing elevation in a Dubai summer; south carries it for most of the day; east warms early and then lets go; north sees sky rather than sun, so the code minimum is usually enough there. A villa is rarely glazed the same on all four sides, and putting the strongest unit everywhere is money spent where the sun never was.
Film is stuck to the room side of glass you already own. It sits in the air of the room, so it meets every cloth and every squeegee, and how long it lasts depends on the product and the fitting; Dubai Municipality accepts films certified by Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL), so a good one is a fair retrofit. A coating is laid on the pane at the glass works. Most solar-control coatings today are sputtered soft coats, which is why they are shut inside the unit facing the cavity, where nothing touches them for the life of the glazing; only pyrolytic hard coats are baked into the surface. Film mostly darkens what you look through; the coating sorts the heat out of the light and leaves the room bright.
It should not. A selective coating is chosen for how much daylight it passes as well as for how much heat it stops, and the neutral versions read as clear glass from inside. The visible change is on the outside: on a bright day a coated pane hands more of the sky back to the street. That reflection is the part clients react to, so we show samples against the facade before anything is ordered.
On a face inside the sealed cavity, always — it must never see the weather or the room. Which of the two panes carries it depends on the job: turning the sun back before it enters the cavity is one brief, holding conditioned air inside the room is another, and the two want different positions. That is settled with the unit build-up at the quote stage, not left to whoever assembles the glass.
Related pages
Nearby pages and the rest of the catalogue.
- Acoustic glass
- Double glazed units
- Laminated security glass
- Low-E glass
- Multifunctional glass
- Self-cleaning glass
- Tinted glass
- Triple glazed units
Sections
Company
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Main Office
Dubai — Showroom
The Pinnacle Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Office 607
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Samples to see in person
Profiles, glass units and hardware to see and touch before you choose.
Dubai — Showroom
The Pinnacle Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Office 607
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