Glossary Flashcards
AAMA
AMERICAN ARCHITECTURAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION. A national trace association that establishes voluntary standards for the window, door, storefront, curtain wall, and skylight industries.
Air infiltration
The amount of air leaking in and out of a building through cracks in walls, windows and doors.
Air-leakage (air infiltration)
The amount of air leaking in and out of a building through cracks in walls, windows, and doors.
Annealed glass
Standard sheet of float glass which has not been heat-treated.
Annealing
Heating above the critical or recrystallization temperature, then controlled cooling of metal, glass, or other materials to eliminate the effects of cold-working, relieve internal stresses, or improve strength, ductility, or other properties.
Argon
An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating glass units to reduce heat transfer.
Awning
Window similar to a casement except the sash is hinged at the top and always swings out.
Balance
A mechanical device (normally spring-loaded) used in single- and double-hung windows as a means of counterbalancing the weight of the sash during opening and closing.
Bay window
An arrangement of three or more individual window units, attached so as to project from the building at various angles. In a three-unit bay, the center section is normally fixed, with the end panels operable as single-hung or casement windows.
Bottom rail
The bottom horizontal member of a window sash.
Bow window
A rounded bay window that projects from the wall in an arc shape, commonly consisting of five sashes.
Casement
A window sash that swings open on side hinges: in-swinging are French in origin; out-swinging are from England.
Casing
Exposed molding or framing around a window or door, on either the inside or outside, to cover the space between the window frame or jamb and the wall.
Caulking
A mastic compound for filling joints and sealing cracks to prevent leakage of water and air, commonly made of silicone, bituminous, acrylic, or rubber-based material.
Condensation
The deposit of water vapor from the air on any cold surface whose temperature is below the dew point, such as a cold window glass or frame that is exposed to humid indoor air.
Double glazing
In general, two thicknesses of glass separated by an air space within an opening to improve insulation against heat transfer and/or sound transmission. In factory-made double glazing units, the air between the glass sheets is thoroughly dried and the space is sealed airtight, eliminating possible condensation and providing superior insulating properties.
Double-hung window
A window consisting of two sashes operating in a rectangular frame, in which both the upper and lower halves can be slid up and down. A counterbalance mechanism usually holds the sash in place.
Double-strength glass
Sheet glass between 0.115” and 0.133” (2.92–3.39 mm) thick.
Emergency exit window
Fire escape window (egress window) large enough for a person to climb out. In U.S. building codes, each bedroom must be provided with an exit window. The exact width, area, and height from the floor are specified in the building codes
Exterior stop
The removable glazing bead that holds the glass or panel in place when it is on the exterior side of the light or panel, in contrast to an interior stop located on the interior side of the glass.
Extrusion
The process of producing vinyl or aluminum shapes by forcing heated material through an orifice in a die. Also, any item made by this process.
Fixed light
A pane of glass installed directly into non-operating framing members; also, the opening or space for a pane of glass in a non-operating frame.
Fixed panel
An inoperable panel of a sliding glass door or slider window.
Fixed window
A window with no operating sashes.
Frame
The fixed frame of a window which holds the sash or casement as well as hardware.
Gas fill
A gas other than air, usually argon or krypton, placed between window or skylight glazing panes to reduce the U-factor by suppressing conduction and convection.
Glass
An inorganic transparent material composed of silica (sand), soda (sodium carbonate), and lime (calcium carbonate) with small quantities of alumina, boric, or magnesia oxides.
Glazing
The glass or plastic panes in a window, door, or skylight.
Glazing bead
A molding or stop around the inside of a window frame to hold the glass in place.
Greenhouse window
A three-dimensional window that projects from the exterior wall and usually has glazing on all sides except the bottom, which serves as a shelf.
Header
The upper horizontal member of a window frame. Also called head.
Hinged windows
Windows (casement, awning, and hopper) with an operating sash that has hinges on one side. See also Projected window.
Hopper
Window with sash hinged at the bottom.
Horizontal slider
A window with a movable panel that slides horizontally.
Insulating value
See U-factor.
Interlocker
An upright frame member of a panel in a sliding glass door which engages with a corresponding member in an adjacent panel when the door is closed. Also called interlocking stile.
Jalousie
Window made up of horizontally-mounted louvered glass slats that abut each other tightly when closed and rotate outward when cranked open.
Jamb
A vertical member at the side of a window frame, or the horizontal member at the top of the window frame, as in head jamb.
Low-emittance (Low-E) coating
Microscopically thin, virtually invisible, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on a window or skylight glazing surface primarily to reduce the U-factor by suppressing radiative heat flow. A typical type of low-E coating is transparent to the solar spectrum (visible light and short-wave infrared radiation) and reflective of long-wave infrared radiation.
Meeting rail
The part of a sliding glass door, a sliding window, or a hung window where two panels meet and create a weather barrier.
Muntin
A secondary framing member (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) to hold the window panes in the sash. This term is often confused with mullion.
Muntin grilles
Wood, plastic, or metal grids designed for a single-light sash to give the appearance of muntins in a multilight sash, but removable for ease in cleaning the window.
Nailing fin
An integral extension of a window or patio door frame which generally laps over the conventional stud construction and through which nails are driven to secure the frame in place.
NFRC
National Fenestration Rating Council.
Obscure glass
Any textured glass (frosted, etched, fluted, ground, etc.) used for privacy, light diffusion, or decorative effects.
Operable window
Window that can be opened for ventilation.
Operator
Crank-operated device for opening and closing casement or jalousie windows.
Pane
One of the compartments of a door or window consisting of a single sheet of glass in a frame; also, a sheet of glass.
Panel
A major component of a sliding glass door, consisting of a light of glass in a frame installed within the main (or outer) frame of the door. A panel may be sliding or fixed.
Picture window
A large, fixed window framed so that it is usually, but not always, longer horizontally than vertically to provide a panoramic view.
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)
An extruded or molded plastic material used for window framing and as a thermal barrier for aluminum windows.
Retrofitting
Adding or replacing items on existing buildings. Typical retrofit products are replacement doors and windows, insulation, storm windows, caulking, weatherstripping, vents, landscaping.
Rough opening
The opening in a wall into which a door or window is to be installed.
Safety glass
A strengthened or reinforced glass that is less subject to breakage or splintering.
Sash
The portion of a window that includes the glass and the framing sections directly attached to the glass, not to be confused with the complete frame into which the sash sections are fitted.
Screen
Woven mesh of metal, plastic, or fiberglass stretched over a window opening to permit air to pass through, but not insects.
Sealant
A compressible plastic material used to seal any opening or junction of two parts, such as between the glass and a metal sash, commonly made of silicone, butyl tape, or polysulfide.
Sill
The lowest horizontal member in a door, window, or sash frame.
Sill track
The track provided at the sill of a sliding glass door. Also, the sill member incorporating such a track.
Single glazing
Single thickness of glass in a window or door.
Single-hung window
A window consisting of two sashes of glass, the top one stationary and the bottom movable.
Single-strength glass
Glass with thickness between 0.085”and 0.100” (2.16–2.54 mm).
Sliding glass door
A door fitted with one or more panels that move horizontally on a track and/or in grooves. Moving action is usually of rolling type (rather than sliding type). Also called gliding door, rolling glass door, and patio sliding door.
Sliding window
A window fitted with one or more sashes opening by sliding horizontally or vertically in grooves provided by frame members. Vertical sliders may be single- or double-hung.
Solar control coatings
Thin film coatings on glass or plastic that absorb or reflect solar energy, thereby reducing solar gain.
Stile
The upright or vertical edges of a door, window, or screen.
Stop
The molding on the inside of a window frame against which the window sash closes; in the case of a double-hung window, the sash slides against the stop. Also called bead, side stop, window stop, and parting stop.
Tempered glass
Treated glass that is strengthened by reheating it to just below the melting point and then suddenly cooling it. When shattered, it breaks into small pieces. Approximately five times stronger than standard annealed glass; is required as safety glazing in patio doors, entrance doors, side lights, and other hazardous locations. It cannot be recut after tempering.
Threshold
The member that lies at the bottom of a sliding glass door or swinging door; the sill of a doorway.
Tilt window
A single- or double-hung window whose operable sash can be tilted into the room for interior washability.
Tinted glass
Glass colored by incorporation of a mineral admixture. Any tinting reduces both visual and radiant transmittance.
U-factor (U-value)
A measure of the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through a material or assembly. It is expressed in units of Btu/hr-sq ft-°F (US) or W/sq m-°K (European metric). Values are normally given for NFRC/ASHRAE winter conditions of 0° F (18° C) outdoor temperature, 70° F (21° C) indoor temperature, 15 mph wind, and no solar load. The U-factor may be expressed for the glass alone or the entire window, which includes the effect of the frame and the spacer materials. The lower the U-factor, the greater a window’s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value. To convert the U-factor from US (imperial/IP) to European (metric/SI), multiply the imperial number by 5.678. For example, If U=0.35 Btu/hr-sq ft-°F in imperial units, then 0.35*5.678 = 1.9873. The U-factor in metric units will be 1.9873 W/sq m-°K.
Vent
The movable framework or sash in a glazed window that is hinged or pivoted to swing open.
Vinyl
Polyvinyl chloride material, which can be both rigid or flexible, used for window frames.
Weatherstripping
A strip of resilient material for covering the joint between the window sash and frame in order to reduce air leaks and prevent water from entering the structure.
Weep hole
A small opening in a wall or window sill member through which water may drain to the building exterior.
Window
A glazed opening in an external wall of a building; an entire unit consisting of a frame sash and glazing, and any operable elements.
Window hardware
Various devices and mechanisms for the window including catches, fasteners and locks, hinges, pivots, lifts and pulls, pulleys and sash weights, sash balances, and stays.
