Glossary of Industry Terms |
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AAMA - American Architectural Manufacturers Association
- An association of member manufacturing firms who produce finished
components for the construction industry. AAMA is primarily noted
as being the agency which sets test methods and administers a certification
program (through a third party) to establish and maintain clearly
definable product types, and performance classes.
Annealed glass - A glass product that was manufactured in
a process that allowed it to cool in a controlled fashion, thus preventing
objectionable stress within the finished sheet of glass. Annealed
glass is a very stable product which can be cut and processed in
a variety of ways but when broken will not tear into shards which can
cause severe bodily injury.
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Back Bedding Compound - A sealant used in the glazing of
window products. Back bedding compound is primarily a sealant used
to prevent water and air infiltration between the glass and frame
but also has an adhesive quality that holds the glass and frame together
even under structural load. Additionally back bedding compound has
an elastic quality which after curing allows for the expansion and
contraction of the glass and frame without losing its seal.
Bay Window - A series of three windows that have been mulled
together utilizing a forty-five degree mullion. The finished product
will project away from the building exterior two to three feet.
Bottom Rail - The lower horizontal sash member in the bottom
sash, the bottom rail provides a seal between the sash and mainframe
sill, sometimes referred to as "lift rail".
Bow Window - A series of narrow windows, (usually five to
eight) which have been mulled together utilizing a twelve degree
mullion. The finished product will produce the effect of a single
window which bows or curves horizontally and projects twelve to eighteen
inches from the building exterior.
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Casement - A window type that operates with the sash side
hinged to the main frame and may be designed to swing in or out to
provide ventilation.
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Double Hung - A window type comprised of two vertically
operating sashes.
Double strength - Flat glass, approximately 1/8" thick.
Drop - Useable remnants of a stock length or piece of material
components produced in normal cutting operations, this remnant does
not appear in inventory quantities or values but is an asset to be
maintained and utilized by those persons responsible for cutting
materials for production use.
Drop Glazed - A method of glazing whereby the window or
sash frame is first assembled then glazed by means of "dropping"
or "setting" the glass in place and then finishing the
assembly by installing glazing beads around the perimeter of the
glass.
Dry Glazed - A method of glazing, either drop or channel
glazed, which utilizes soft vinyl or rubber gaskets, channels, wedges
of any material component other than a ductile back bedding compound.
Durometer - A machine to measure shore hardness. (See shore
hardness.)
Dust Plug - A small hardware part attached to the prime
sash at the ends of the meeting rails. A dust plug closes a hole
that weather strip alone cannot seal - thus reducing the amount of
air, dust & noise-infiltration through the window.
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Egress - A way out, an exit. - Window products must be designed
and manufactured in accordance with the Life Safety Codes and local
fire codes to provide emergency egress from a building, standard
egress minimum openings are 20" width and 24" height with
a minimum total opening of 5.7 sq. ft. but may vary from one location
to another.
Exterior glazed - Glass set from the exterior of the building.
Extrusion - A material component profile formed by pressing
heated raw material through a forming die. SEAL CRAFT uses extrusions
of our own design in aluminum, rigid vinyl and soft vinyl but any
reference to extrusion will commonly refer to aluminum extrusions.
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F.E.R. - (Forced Entry Resistant) - A performance characteristic
of window products that must be considered during both design and
manufacture. F.E.R. testing is required for most of the contracts
involving commercial window products and is a major concern to both
building owners and occupants. There are different performance classes
at which a product may be rated depending upon its ability to withstand
direct forces of up to 300 pounds applied in an effort to operate
the sash without disengaging the locks.
Flange - or "fin" - An extended portion of the
window frame that protrudes beyond the nominal dimension of the window,
a flange may be either integral to the mainframe or snap applied.
A center flange extends from approximately the center of the frame
depth and allows the window to be installed directly to the rough
framed opening in new construction prior to the installation of the
exterior building finish. A front flange is used in remodeling applications
where windows are being replaced and it is desirable to cover a portion
of the existing construction around the windows perimeter. Front
flanges are available in a variety of sizes.
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Glaze - To install glass or a similar product into a sash
or frame accomplishing a weather-tight seal.
Glazing leg - Or Rabbet - A two
sided L shaped recess in a window sash or mainframe designed to receive
glass, a removable stop is added after the glass is set. The glazing
leg must be completely flat prior to setting the glass, if not any
imperfections may stress the glass and cause breakage. Dents and
burrs must be removed prior to the application of backbedding compound.
Glazing tape - A backbedding compound that is available
in a tape form and comes on a reel for application into window frames.
Tape type backbedding compound is much thicker than a pumpable product
and is available in different thicknesses and with or without a rigid
shim.
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Hermetic Seal - 100% sealed, insulated glass units must
be completely sealed to prevent moisture from forming on the unit's
inner surfaces. The majority of all warranty calls on insulated glass
units are due to improper application of edge sealants, therefore
extreme care must be taken as this process occurs.
Hung Windows - A window type comprised of vertically operating
sash which are "hung" or "balanced" in the mainframe.
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Insulated Glass - (I.G.) A panel of glass comprising of
at least two pieces of glass separated by a hermitically sealed air
space. The most common method of achieving the hermetic air space
is to prepare a spacer system of hollow aluminum bars that are filled
with desiccant and placed between the pieces of glass, a sealant
is then applied to the perimeter which will prevent moisture penetration
and bond the unit together structurally. Also frequently called "double
pane" glass.
Integral Flange - A mainframe design that incorporates an
extended front flange which adds width or height to the nominal frame
dimension.
Interior glazed - Glass set from the interior of the building.
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Jamb - The vertical main frame members. The "jamb" is
usually the longest, heaviest and most expensive extrusion in a hung
window, therefore extreme care must be taken in purchasing, handling,
cutting, and fabricating lengths for production.
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Keeper Rail - The meeting rail member that the sash locks
engage when in the locked position (the keeper can be a hardware
attachment, a punched hole, or an extruded groove). The keeper rail
is the lower rail of the top sash on a double hung window or the
fixed meeting rail member in a single hung window, sometimes referred
to as "stationary meeting rail" or "center bar".
Kerf - The cut made by a saw blade (the material actually
removed by the blade). Saw blades of different thicknesses will leave
a different kerf. When changing saw blades, if a blade with a different
kerf is installed, caution must be exercised because a different
kerf will affect the accuracy of the linear measuring system on that
machine.
K.D. - "Knocked Down" - Products that are sold
with all parts processed and ready for assembly.
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Lite - Another term for a pane of glass used in a window.
Lock on Panning - A panning type that is designed to be
assembled, usually in the field, around the exterior leg of the new
window mainframe in a fashion that results in the pan being permanently
locked to the window, the final assembly is then installed as one
unit.
Lock Rail - The meeting rail member that the sash locks
are attached to, (the top rail of the lower prime sash), sometimes
referred to as "operating meeting rail" or "sash head".
Low E Glass - Low emissivity means to have a low rate of
emitting absorbed radiant energy. Low E glass is a glazing product
with an ultra thin metallic coating on one side which not only limits
the amount of radiant energy radiated through the glass but actually
redirects the energy back toward the source. The low e coating is
typically very delicate and care must be used in handling and glazing
this product.
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Main Frame - or "Master Frame" - the jambs head
and sill members of a window make up the main frame, these are commonly
the heavier and therefore more expensive components in a window.
Mastic - A heavy consistency compound that may remain adhesive
and pliable with age.
Marine Glaze - or "Channel Glaze" refers to a
method of installing glass into a window sash whereby a soft vinyl
"u" shaped channel is wrapped around the perimeter of a
piece of glass and the sash frame members are pressed on separately
and then screwed together at the corners.
Meeting Rails - The horizontal rails which form the connection
between upper and lower sash (lock rail & keeper rail).
Mini-Pan - A flange type pan that is designed to snap in
place at the windows mainframe perimeter by use of a male/female
provision in the window and mini-pan profiles, mini-pan can be applied
in the shop or in the field and effectively becomes a part of the
window frame.
Mullion - An accessory extrusion that is used to join two
or more windows side by side above or below, mullions are designed
of several types; "snap" - provides a rigid connection,
"slip" provides an expansion capable connection, "structural"
- provides a connection that will withstand very high wind loads.
Muntin - An extruded sash component that allows for the
glazing of two or more lites of glass in a single sash, muntin can
run horizontally, vertically or both. Sash glazed using muntin are
said to be of "true divided lite" type (false muntin can
be installed in the air space of an insulated glass unit or externally
applied over a single lite).
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Nominal Dimension - The exact mainframe dimension minus
any flange, fin or other accessory.
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Oriel - A hung window whose upper and lower sash are not
of equal size, most commonly, the upper sash is larger, being 66%
to 80% of the window height.
Open frames - Window frames that are stocked or sold without
glass or other glazing in place.
Operating Characteristics - The way a sash feels, sounds,
and moves as it is operated. Operating characteristics are one of
the most crucial areas by which windows are inspected and judged
and must be given constant attention in the plant and on the jobsite.
Operator - Term used to describe an operating window or
sash, it could refer to a hung, horizontal sliding, casement, or
any window type that has operable sash.
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Panning - An accessory used in the installation of window
products, the pan helps by covering exposed wood between the new
window and the existing brick. Panning can also assist by providing
enough distance between the brick and light opening for correct squaring
and common sizing of replacement windows.
Polished wire glass - A glass product that is manufactured
by rolling molten glass over a layer of meshed wire, completely embedding
it as nearly as possible to the center of the sheet, and then around
and polished on both surfaces. It breaks more easily than unwired
glass of the same thickness, but the wire restrains the fragments
from falling out of the frame when broken.
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Rabbet - See Glazing leg.
Rails - Horizontal sash members.
Reflective glass - Glass with a reflective surface film
to reduce heat gain and light transmission.
Receptor Pan - A panning type that is designed to be assembled,
usually in the field, and installed independently into the existing
opening, the pan is then ready to receive a window frame for a complete
installation.
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Safety drop test - Hung window products must undergo this
test because the storm sash is not balanced but kept in various open
positions by use of spring loaded latches which interact with notches
punched in the jambs. This test is done by lifting the sash to its
highest position and dropping it to see whether or not the latches
will engage in the jamb notches and stop the sash. A failure would
be a sash that falls all the way to the sill, an incident which can
cause glass breakage, and injury to hands and fingers.
Safety glass - See tempered glass.
Sash - The operating component of a window, the vent.
Setting Block - Neoprene or lead blocks used in glazing
window products, setting blocks are placed in the frame to support
the weight of the glass and prevent the glass from resting on the
frame itself. When setting insulating glass both lites of glass must rest
on the setting blocks to prevent "shearing": which can
cause I.G. failure, the setting block also prevents the unit's perimeter
sealant from sitting in any water that may penetrate into the glazing
track which can also cause I.G. failure.
Single Hung - A vertically operating window that is comprised
of one operating and one stationary sash.
Shore Hardness - Measure of
firmness of a compound by means of a Durometer.
Stile - Vertical sash members.
Storm Sash - or secondary sash is a lightweight sash designed
to be installed over the prime sash for the purpose of reducing air
infiltration and conduction through a single sash.
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Tempered glass - Glass that
has been heat treated to produce a product that is four to five times
stronger than annealed glass. Tempered glass, when broken, will disintegrate
into many small pieces which are more or less cubical, these pieces
are not as likely to cause personal injury - thus the term safety
glass.
Test specimen - A window prototype that is built for the
purposes of AAMA testing. Test specimens must be fabricated and assembled
with exacting tolerances and the greatest care because any inconsistencies
will result in a lower performance rating on the product which will
affect its ability to compete in the market.
Tinted glass - Glare and heat reducing glass which is intended
for applications where glare and solar heat gain reduction is desirable.
Tinted glass is also used where color can enhance design; standard
tints are bronze, gray, and green.
Tip to Tip - Outside frame dimension including flange, fin
or pan.
Top Rail - The top rail on the upper sash of a double hung
window, the top rail provides the seal between the upper sash and
the mainframe head members, sometimes referred to as "sash head".
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Unit - A term normally used to refer to one single assembly
of insulating glass.
United inches - The total of one width and one height in
inches.
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Weeps - Drain holes in the sash or mainframe to provide
an exit for water while preventing leakage to the interior of the
building.
Wet Glazed - A form of drop glazing that is accomplished
by first applying a "wet" back bedding compound prior to
setting glass.
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