Doors, windows, glass and sealants

Question 1

To note about steel doors.

Answer 1

Commercial steel doors have a hollow core. They are usually 45mm in thickness and they may or may not be insulated.

Question 2

Steel doors must be…

Answer 2

• Fire-resistant
• Termite-free
• Rust proof
• Anti-burglar

Question 3

Name different types of doors.

Answer 3

• Stainless steel door
• Combination door powder-coated
• Combination door polyvinyl-coated

Question 4

Name the different components of a door. There are 12.

Answer 4

1. Top Rail
2. Panels
3. Mullion
4. Lock Stile
5. Lock Rail
6. Bottom Rail
7. Hinge
8. Hinge Stile
9. Stop
10. Jamb
11. Threshold ( Saddle )
12. Casing

Question 5

To note about wood doors.

Answer 5

• 45mm in thickness
• Birch; paint grade
• White birch, mahogany, ash, red oak, walnut, teak; stain grade
• P. Lam 1/16in wood grain, textured, solid colours
• Hollow core honeycomb fill

Question 6

To note about specialty doors.

Answer 6

• There are coiling doors and grilles
• Overhead commercial, manual, sectional overhead, hardware, and glazing included.
• Can be made of steel, aluminum, or wood.
• There are also industrial ( roll up doors ), non-labeled service doors
• Class A; 3hr labeled

Question 7

Explain ‘Vasisdas’

Answer 7

Vasisdas refers to a transom window. It translates to ‘what is this?’ from a German viscount when he saw a transom window at Place Versailles.

Question 8

What opens automatic doors?

Answer 8

Infra-red controllers

Question 9

To note about revolving doors.

Answer 9

Revolving doors help control the pressure of a building and the traffic flow in the interior environment. However, it cannot be used for fire exiting.

Question 10

Name different types of common window styles.

Answer 10

• Fixed ( non-operating )
• Casement
• Awning
• Tilt and turn
• Single/double-hung
• Horizontal slider

Question 11

Tell me about windows; frames specifically.

Answer 11

• Materials, thermally broken
• Sealed glazing unit
• Condensation
• Low-E coating

Question 12

To note about skylights.

Answer 12

Try to avoid it. They are prone to leakages.

Question 13

Tell me about Glass.

Answer 13

• Larger thicknesses are typically employed for buildings or areas with higher thermal resistance, relative humidity, or sound transmission requirements, such as laboratory areas or recording studios.
• Glass may be used as transparent, translucent, or opaque.
• Transparent glass usually refers to vision glass in a curtain wall. ( you can read through it )
• Spandrel or vision glass may also contain translucent ( light passes through but you can’t read through it ) glass, which could be for security or aesthetic purposes.
• Opaque ( no light passes through ) glass is used in areas to hide a column or spandrel beam or shear wall behind the curtain wall. Another method of hiding spandrel areas is through shadow box construction ( providing a dark enclosed space behind the transparent or translucent box )
• Shadow box construction creates a perception of depth behind the glass that is sometimes desired.

Question 14

What are the different types of glass.

Answer 14

• Tempered
• Laminated
• Annealed
• Wired ( armoured )

Question 15

Describe ‘tempered glass’

Answer 15

Shatters in smaller pieces; used in side, rear and windshield of a car.

Question 16

Describe ‘laminated glass’

Answer 16

Shatters but the pieces stay together due to clear vinyl inter-layer film within the glass.

Question 17

Describe ‘wired glass’

Answer 17

Shatters but has a wire-mess within the glass.

Question 18

Define ‘sealant’ ( aka caulking )

Answer 18

A sealant is a viscous material that changes state to become solid, once applied, and is used to prevent the penetration of:
- Air
- Gases
- Noise
- Dust
- Fire
- Smoke
- Liquid from one location through a barrier into another

Typically, sealants are used to close small openings that are difficult to shut with other materials, such as concrete, drywall, etc.

Question 19

Name the desirable properties of sealants.

Answer 19

• Insolubility
• Corrosion resistance
• Adhesion

The uses of sealants vary widely and are used in many industries, suhc as:

• Construction
• Automotive windshields
• Aerospace industries

Question 20

What is the main difference between sealants and adhesives?

Answer 20

The main difference between adhesives and sealants is that sealant typically have lower strength and higher elongation than adhesives do.

Question 21

To note about sealants.

Answer 21

Since the main objective of a sealant is to seal assemblies and joints, sealants need to have sufficient adhesion to the substrates and resistance to environmental conditions to remain bonded over the required life of the assembly. Additionally, when sealants are used between substrates having different thermal coefficients of expansion or differing elongation under stress, they need to have adequate flexibility and elongation. They usually have a paste consistency to allow the filling of gaps between substrates. Low shrinkage after application is often required. Many adhesive technologies can be formulated into sealants. Furthermore, sealants fall between higher-strength adhesives at one end and extremely low-strength putties and caulks at the other. Putties and caulks serve only one function - i.e. to take up space and fill voids.

• Sealants are particularly effective in keeping moisture in or out of the components in which they are used.
• They provide thermal and acoustical insulation and may serve as fire barriers.
• In short, sealants are often called upon to perform several of these functions at once.

Question 22

Name the 3 basic functions of sealants.

Answer 22

No matter what the application, a sealant has three basic functions.
1. It fills a gap between two or more substrates.
2. It forms a barrier through the physical properties of the sealant itself and by adhesion to the substrate.
3. It maintains sealing properties for the expected lifetime service conditions and environments.

Question 23

Name the different types of sealants.

Answer 23

• Acrylic sealants
• Asphalt sealants
• Pipe thread sealants
• Acoustical sealants
• Adhesive sealants
• Aerospace sealants
• Aircraft sealants
• Aquarium sealants
• Butyl rubber sealants
• Car sealants
• Concrete sealants
• Construction sealants
• Dental sealants