House under construction - ideas for details like windows, materials, etc.

I cannot understand that you want to make the windows floor-to-ceiling because of the appearance and then think of [Aufsatzkasten]. That just doesn't fit together at all.

Better to have proper flush-mounted boxes and the windows only up to 30cm below the ceiling.

Everything else is just rubbish and ultimately looks crappy.

Hello ivenh0,

Maybe that’s also what I mean – I'm not entirely sure about the exact terms.

Visually, I’m thinking of a solution that is plastered on the inside and looks like a very long window lintel from below. But that’s probably not so easy to build because there are no lintels that are 11 meters long.

How do you think it could work?

The other alternative would be to do without [Raffstore] entirely...

Exactly what you are looking for has been installed.

Since we have quite a few floor-to-ceiling windows on the south side of the ground floor (9.5m out of 12m), we have complete coverings above them that also extend about 5m around the corner each. That means the ceiling of the ground floor is "suspended" from the upper floor and the boxes at the ceiling...

For the implementation, you need a good structural engineer who works closely with the architect above all.

Maybe also question why so many windows are planned, whether that makes sense. On 12m we only have 3m floor-to-ceiling, and that really is completely sufficient. More would be disadvantageous regarding privacy, usable space, and heat in the summer.

the invisible aluminum frame is "hidden" here in screed, side wall cutout and ceiling

I would be interested to know how that is installed.

The boundless loft look can already look very nice.

In my opinion, such a thing is not suitable for a long passionate friendship with self-plastering builders.

Would you say that the additional cost of €15,000–20,000 from Drutex plastic to Josko or Actual aluminum or wood-aluminum also results in better quality and durability, or have you only referred to the wood selection in wood-aluminum when talking about the inferior discount offers?

My criticism was specifically aimed at the so-called "sheeted battens," to put it harshly. In my view, they are simply inferior. "Discount" is something else; there the low price arises in retail, and although mostly no-name brands are behind it, at least it is not a farmer’s trap.

I had looked at the websites of the mentioned manufacturers and did not get the impression that I urgently needed to warn against them. But as I said, for (quasi-) frameless I lack a detailed assessment; those were never relevant competitors for us.

Personally, I would always choose aluminum for high stress (front door because of frequent and comparatively forceful use, and lift-and-slide elements because of size and weight) and otherwise "bow" to the forum majority that PVC can be considered sufficient for normal use. For fashionable dark surfaces, I would always take an aluminum cladding even for small elements on sunny sides, which somewhat relativizes the price difference.

In summary: I would not decide on one material throughout, but choose the suitable material "individually" for each element. In the final consequence, even a small window in my own house could turn out to be PVC.

One more question is currently on our minds: blinds, yes or no.

This question does not arise in practice because you have no choice: on the north side, there are no large window areas, and on the south side, shading is not a "luxury"; the element color only plays a secondary role there.

Hello everyone,

: Sounds very exciting. Unfortunately, for us it would fail both at the structural engineer and the architect. The structural engineering took several months and we are glad that it is now finalized and fits.

Thank you very much! How the loft system is installed can be seen in the drawing attached.


What do you mean by sun protection in the south as a luxury? Exactly there on the southeast facade we are considering the venetian blinds.
We have also thought about material mixing, for example at JOSKO and Actual you could mix plastic-aluminum in wet and secondary rooms and otherwise wood-aluminum with the same exterior appearance.

: We are making the large window front mainly because no windows are possible in the back and on the left side due to the slope. It is basically a terraced house situation and there we are already glad in our current apartment and in my parents’ house that almost the entire front is fitted with windows. Our room will be a whole lot deeper - therefore the more light, the better...