The expert told why the windows of Russian houses fall on the sidewalk

Owners of “torn off” double-glazed windows risk getting a criminal term

Since the beginning of the summer in Moscow and the region, heavy glass panels have fallen onto the sidewalks several times. We are talking about fencing non-residential balconies and fire escapes, other decorative elements – but also window sashes and glazing of apartment balconies. While only miraculously these accidents do not become disasters, the victims of the incidents are not reported. What glasses most often fall out into the street, how to protect yourself from such accidents and who is responsible for them – MK found out.

The most famous case occurred in one of the residential complexes in the north of Moscow on June 15: a glass panel of the fence fell from a great height, almost hitting a child riding a scooter along the sidewalk. At the same time, it was reported that only in this residential complex two more similar glasses had previously fallen from the facade.

A similar situation was observed in the new residential area of ​​the city of Pushkino (Yaroslavskoye Highway). Balcony glass has fallen on the sidewalks there several times – and, according to residents, for no apparent reason in the form of, for example, hurricane winds.

Finally, in one more block of new buildings, ZAO reports a “mass marriage” of window fittings – as a result, double-glazed windows “fall through” into the room. To restore the functionality of windows (fortunately, there is at least no risk to the life of pedestrians below), apartment owners are forced to buy or even print the necessary spare parts on a 3D printer.

– All these cases are very different, they are united only by the fact that these are glass products, – Anton Pavlovsky, an engineer for the installation of double-glazed windows, explains to MK. – The easiest way is the loss of double-glazed windows inside. This is really a hardware defect, it can be initially weak, of an economy class, and after a couple of jams (when you turned the handle to ventilate with the window open and the sash hung on the bottom hinge) it can fail. It is solved by replacing the fittings in about half an hour. The most harmless case.

True, ordinary double-glazed windows can also throw up more serious problems: if they are not securely fixed in window openings, they can fall out completely with good pressure from the inside, says the MK interlocutor. To prevent this from happening, you need to carefully control the installation of the package (the attachment points on the anchor panels should be at least four, and with large windows up to twelve). And, of course, it is not recommended to lean against the windows, especially on high floors: children are especially guilty of this.

– Now cladding panels, facades and so on. Here again, everything is clear: this is one hundred percent a question of the quality of construction. The management company is obliged to ensure that all these parapets and claddings are securely fastened. It doesn’t matter what they are made of – it’s also unpleasant to “catch” a piece of iron in the head. And where it is normally done, these glasses can stand for decades without damage.

The most difficult case, according to the engineer, is sliding balcony glazing. It is with him that such accidents most often happen. “The plastic sash goes into the guides by 10 millimeters, and the aluminum one – even less, by 6-8 mm,” says Pavlovsky. – This means that the “departure” of the guides by a couple of millimeters is already a big risk. This requires great precision – therefore, craftsmen rarely recommend aluminum glazing to clients, it is the most demanding.

“Loss of geometry” can occur not only due to installation flaws, but also during operation, the expert emphasized. For example, in extreme heat, the gaps between the rails and the panels may, under certain conditions, increase. If the weather is “nervous” at the same time, and the hot sun is replaced by a thunderstorm, all conditions are created for the wings to go into free flight.

– That is why aluminum glazing of balconies is not used at all on floors above the 20th, – the engineer emphasized.

Recall that the responsibility for the “behavior” of things (up to the criminal – if the glass falls on a person, animal or property) is their owner; and in the case of individual balcony glazing, it is the owner who will be primarily responsible for the accident. And already the court will figure out whether the window installer is to blame (if the relevant documents have been preserved). Another thing is common house property, that is, glass parapets and standard windows and balconies. Here, the entire responsibility lies with the management company.