Glossary
AAMA (American Architectural Manufacturers Association)
AAMA is the source of performance standards, product certification and e3ducational programs for the fenestration industry.
Accent Line
A joint formed by two adjacent pieces of wood in the same plane which have beveled edges.
Accessory Groove
a groove on the frame exterior of some products designed to allow easy installation of various trim and accessory options
AF Operation (Active-Fixed Operation)
two side-by-side door panels with the first (left) panel being active and the second panel being fixed( (inoperable)
Air Infiltration
The amount of air that passes between a window sash and frame, measured in cubic feet per minute per square foot of frame area
Aluminum cladding
see cladding
Anodized finish
metallic-look custom finish available for products with extruded aluminum sash and frames
Argon gas
a colorless, odorless, inert gas that fills the otherwise empty space with an insulating glass unit
Art glass
see decorative glass
Astragal
a pair of door panels may open double wide. The astragal is a vertical component attached to the meeting edge of the less active panel, allowing the two to lock together
Awning window
a window that opens at the bottom, usually with crank operation. In some cases, can be offered as a push out.
Backband
casing usually installed over exterior flat casing, near the outer edges
Balances (mechanical balances)
the operating mechanisms within jamb liners of double hung windows
Bars-in-glass
see grilles-in-the-airspace
Bay window
one of more window units joined—usually at 30º, 45º, or 90º angle
Bi-fold doors
compromised of panels that stack or fold up to each other in an accordion style.
Bow window
windows joined in a smooth curve. As standard, the outer two sash operate
Box size
see frame size
Brickmould (aka “moulding,” “exterior casing,” or “trim”)
moulding or trim applied around window or door frames on the exterior of a building to give it a finished appearance
Bronze-lite
glass with a transparent, bronze tint, usually used to reduce glare
Butt hing
a hing with a pin inserted into a round barrel, often used on swinging doors
Casement window
a window that opens from the side, usually to the exterior, with crank operation—is sometimes offered in a pushout.
Casing (aka “trim”)
moulding or trim applied around window or door frames on the interior of a building to give it a finished appearance. Exterior brickmould is sometimes referred to as casing.
Check rails (aka “meeting rails” or “lock & keeper rails”)
the two rails on single and double hung windows which meet horizontally in thecenter of the window unit. Locking hardware is normally installed on check rails of single hung and double hung windows.
Check stiles (aka “meeting stiles”)
the two stiles on slider windows which meet vertically in the center of the window unit. Locking hardware is normally installed on the check stiles of slider windows. The term “check rail” is often used although the meeting members are technically stiles.
Clad profile
a wood window or door not having the brickmould or sill nosing tradition to wood windows
Cladding
material that covers the exterior or a window or doorm frame and/or sash, offering increased durability with less maintenance than other exterior finishes.
Clear opening
when a window or door is open, the amount of space available to enter or exit. Emergence Escape and Rescue Opening (formerly known as Egress) requirements are based on clear opening dimensions. Not to be confused with daylight openings.
Clear wood
a single piece of wood that is not a veneer, laminated, or several pieces of wood joined in any way. A common misconception is that “clear wood” refers to the grain pattern and/or color of wood
Copper Cladding
Copper cladding is available as a custom option.
Cottage-Style Single Hung or Double Hung
A single hung or double hung window with a bottom sash that is taller than the top sash.
CSI Specifications
CSI refers to the Construction Specificiation Institute. CSI specifications provide a standardized method for manufacturers to communicate the technical details of a window or door product to architects.
Cutlite (also known as “True Divided Lite”)
Cutlites are traditional window grilles with individual glass units separated by permanent wood bars.
Daylight Opening (D.L.O.)
The visible area of glass; the amount of glass area that allows light into a room. Not to be confused with Clear Opening.
Decorative Glass (also known as “Art Glass”)
term for glass that is enhanced with decorative elements, such as brass or lead caming, etched designs or glue chip.
Direct Set (alternative to Sash Set)
A window with no sash. The glass is set directly into the frame and, therefore, cannot operate.
Double Hung Window
A window with two sash that slide up and down.
Double Slider (also known as “Slide-By” or “Slider”)
A window with two sash that slide horizontally.
Egress Window
See Emergency Escape & Rescue Openings
Emergency Escape & Rescue Openings (formerly known as Egress Openings)
A window or door large enough for a person to climb out and/or for rescue in case of emergency per local building code requirements. Please consult your dealer regarding windows that meet these requirements.
ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR® is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and manufacturers of windows, doors and skylights. The purpose is to promote energy efficient products and make them easily recognizable.
Euro Hinge
Euro hinges are used on segment head and half-circle top casements that operate, casements adapted for impact performance, and whenever butt hinges are requested. NOTE: Clear opening widths change when Euro hinges are used.
Extender Clip
See Jamb Extender Clip
Extension Jambs
Wood extending from a window or door frame to accommodate different wall thicknesses.
Extrusions
Vinyl material that has been moulded into a specific shape during a heating process
FA Operation (also known as “Fixed-Active Operation;” opposite of AF Operation)
When there are two side-by-side door panels and the first (left) panel is stationary (inoperable) and the second is active.
Fenestration
Fenestration products are window and door products.
Film
See Glass Film.
Finger Groove (also known as “Finger Plough”)
Grooves routed into the wood rails of double hung & slider windows that are used as hand-holds for operation.
Fixed (also known as “Stationary”)
In the window and door industry, “fixed” refers to a window or door unit that is inoperable or stationary; i.e., it does not open.
Flanker
The outermost windows of configurations that are three-wide or more. Flankers are the windows on either side of a bay window unit or picture window, for example.
Flat Casing (also known as Casing or “Flat Brickmould”)
Casing or brickmould with a flat surface. View flat casing: wood trim or extruded trim.
Fluoropolymer Finish
The finish used on aluminum cladding
Frame
The parts of windows and doors that are secured into the rough opening of a building. Frame components include the head jamb, sill, and and side jambs.
Frame Expanders
Accessories used to cover exterior or interior gaps between the frame and rough opening after a window or door is installed.
Frame Size (also known as Box Size)
Measurement of a window or door unit from outside-of-frame to outside-of-frame, excluding the exterior trim.
French Casement
Two casement windows that have a double-wide opening because there is no center mullion between them but, instead, an astragal is attached to one of the sash.
French Door
Two door panels that have a double-wide opening because the center mullion is replaced with an astragal attached to one of the door panels.
Garden Window
Garden windows project out from the house exterior and provide a multi-dimensional view and more sunlight than other windows.
Geometric Window
A window with a specific geometric shape. Common geometric shapes include octagons, triangles, diamonds, parallelograms, pentagons and trapezoids
Glass Size
The measurement of actual glass, not just visible glass. Glass size includes the glass around the perimeter of a unit and is covered by glazing beads.
Glass Stop
See Glazing Bead
Glazing
Glazing refers to the glass used for windows, or when used as a verb, it refers to the act of installing glass into a window.
Glazing Bead (also known as “Glass Stop”)
A long, thin moulded piece of wood used to secure glass into a window.
Gray-Lite
Glass with a transparent, gray tint.
Grid
See Grille.
Grille Bar
See Muntin Bar
Grille
A grid that visually divides a window into panes.
Grilles-in-the-Airspace (also known as “GIA” or “Bars-in-Glass”)
Permanent grilles within an insulating glass unit.
Half-Circle Top (also known as “Round Top” or “Arched Window”)
Windows that are curved on top.
Head Board
The board applied to the top of a bow or bay window.
Head Jamb
The top, horizontal piece of a door or window frame.
Hinging
Hinge placement or operation on a window or door.
Hopper Window
A window that is hinged at the bottom and tilts in from the top for ventilation. Hopper windows are often used in basement or garage applications.
Impact Glass
Glass that has been prepared and tested for impact performance, especially in coastal areas where hurricanes may be a threat.
Insulating Glass (also known as "IG")
Glass units constructed of two or more glass panes separated by a hermetically sealed space.
Inswing Casement Window
A window that swings open from the side to the interior of the room.
Jamb
The top and side components of a window or door frame.
Jambliner
The vertical, side components of double hung windows that hold the sash in the frame and incorporate mechanical balances for operation.
Laminated Glass
Two or more layers of glass bonded together using heat and pressure, with inner layers of transparent plastic. Laminated glass offers one of the best levels of ultraviolet ray blockage over the entire ultraviolet spectrum.
Laminated Veneer Lumber (also known as “LVL”)
Layers of lumber with the grain directions opposite each other and laminated together with adhesive. This provides additional strength and makes the lumber less prone to warping than clear wood.
Leaded Glass
True leaded glass is comprised of small, usually irregular panes of glass which may be multi-colored and joined by lead or zinc. However, popular usage of the term often refers to decorative glass with lead caming.
Lite
Refers to a single pane of glass or, in some cases, an entire glass unit. (Ex: Cutlite refers either to individual panes of glass, or to individual insulating glass units. One “lite” of a bow unit refers to one sash of the multi-sash unit.)
LoE Coating
See Low Emissivity Coating
LoE Glass
See Low Emissivity Coating
LoE²-240 Glare Control Glass
LoE²-240 Glare Control is glass that is tinted grayish-blue for maximum solar control, while maintaining the same visible light reflectance as uncoated glass. It is less expensive than bronze- or gray-lite, yet achieves solar control over a wider range of the ultraviolet spectrum than other types of glass.
Low Emissivity Coating (also known as “LoE” or “LoE²”)
LoE coatings reduce energy transfer through insulating glass units, and thereby achieves one of the highest levels of energy performance possible for glass.
Margin (also known as “Reveal”)
The space between a door panel or window sash and the adjacent frame.
Marginal Grilles (also known as “Queen Anne,” “Prairie-Style” or “9-Lite” Grilles)
Marginal grilles are a grille pattern with a small square in each corner of a window unit; the standard corner square has a 4-inch x 4-inch daylight opening.
Masonry Opening
The wall opening in a brick, block or stone building where a window or door is installed.
Meeting Rails
See Check Rails
Meeting Stiles
See Check Stiles
Moulding
See Brickmould
Mull Casing
Mull casings cover the joints between windows and/or doors that are mulled side-by-side and/or stacked.
Mulled
Mulled windows or doors are joined together.
Mullion
The stationary frame piece that separates mulled window or door units. Being joined by mullions makes multiple window or door units appear to be one. Not to be confused with Muntin Bar.
Multi-Point Locking System
A locking system with several points where locking occurs. This system provides optimal security
Muntin Bar (also known as “Grille Bar”)
A short, light-weight bar that visually divides a window into “separate” panes. Not to be confused with mullion.
Nailing Fin
A strip of material, usually vinyl, around a window or door frame that makes installation easier. Kolbe applies vinyl nailing fins to most aluminum clad and clad profile units as standard.
NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council)
The NFRC was established in 1989 to implement a national energy rating system for windows, doors and other fenestration products and was sanctioned by the federal government under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The NFRC energy rating system is based on whole product performance, so consumers can directly compare products with different construction attributes
Nominal
A nominal measurement is an approximate measurement; the actual measurement may vary slightly.
NWWDA (National Wood Window & Door Association)
See WDMA
O.S.M.
“Outside Measurement” or “Overall Measurement”
Obscure Glass (also known as “Pattern Glass”)
Glass with a rough surface so that while it remains translucent, it offers the privacy of an obscured view. The rough surface is on the interior of the insulating unit for easy cleaning.
Octagon Window
A geometric window with eight sides.
One-Lite
Usually refers to a single insulating glass unit.
Operable (also known as “Venting”)
A window that can be opened and closed.
Operating Panel
A door panel that can be opened and closed.
Operator (also known as “Guide Bar”)
A jointed, metal arm that opens and closes a casement or awning window.
Ovolo
A glazing bead or removable grille that curves outward from the glass and is a decorative alternative to the standard beveled profile.
Palladian Window
A Palladian window is a window grouping that is divided into three parts. The center section is larger than the two side sections, and usually includes an arched window.
Parallelogram Window
A geometric window with four sides and angled corners. Each side is parallel to the opposite side. Parallelogram windows may be ordered as custom units
PDL
See Performance Divided Lites
Pentagon Window
A geometric window with five sides. Pentagon windows may be ordered as custom units.
Performance Divided Lites Lites (also known as PDL, Simulite, simulated divided lites, or SDL)
A method of providing the look of Cutlite (true divided lites), while offering the energy efficiency of one lite of glass with bars adhered on the interior, exterior and usually within the insulating glass unit.
Picture Window
Usually a configuration of casement windows with one or more inoperable center sash and operable windows on either side
Radius Window
A window with curves. As stand-alone units, they are often fixed (stationary) full-circle, half-circle, quarter-circle or elliptical windows. Operable windows, such as casements and double hungs, are also available with "radius tops." These windows may or may not operate, with the top being a half-circle or segment head (arch top).
Rails
The top and bottom horizontal pieces of a door panel or window sash.
Raised Panels
Panels that are surrounded by the stiles and rails of a door panel and are “raised.” Raised panels are common decorative accents on doors.
Reverse Cottage-Style Single or Double Hung
A double hung window with a top sash that is taller than the bottom sash.
Roll-Formed Aluminum
Aluminum cladding that is applied to the exterior of the door or window frame and/or sash by snapping it around the wood. It fits closely to the wood, thereby maintaining the beautiful profile of wood windows/doors.
Rough Opening (R.O.)
The wall opening where a window or door is installed. Usually a half-inch is added to the frame (box) size which equals the rough opening. This is allowed for insulating and squaring the unit.
Sash
The part of a window that holds the glass can be opened and closed in an operating window. Fixed windows may also have sash – the glass is set into the sash, then the sash set into the frame.
Sash Set (alternative to Direct Set)
A window with the glass set into a sash, then the sash set into a frame.
SDL
See Performance Divided Lites
Seat Board
A board applied to the bottom of a bow or bay window, providing support as well as a flat, finished surface.
Secondary Security Lock
An optional lock for sliding patio doors that locks the door panel to the sill in a partially open or closed position, allowing ventilation without sacrificing security.
Segment Head (also known as “Eyebrow Window” or “Arched Window”)
A window or door panel with an arc at the top, where the arc is less than a true half-circle. Windows that incorporate a curve, or radius, at the top.
Side Jambs
The vertical pieces of a window or door frame.
Sidelite (also known as “Sidelight”)
A wood or glass panel installed next to a door frame.
Sill Horn
The portion of sill nosing that extends past the side jambs.
Sill Nosing (also known as “Sill Nose Trim”)
A piece of moulding applied to a window sill exterior that acts as a drip edge.
Sill
The bottom, horizontal piece of a window frame or the bottom threshold of a door frame. Not to be confused with stool.
Simulated Divided Lites
See Performance Divided Lites
Simulite
See Performance Divided Lites
Single Glazing
A single panel of glass with no insulating airspace.
Single Hung Window
A window which looks like a double hung, but the top sash is stationary. The bottom sash slides up and down.
Slider (also known as “Slide-By”)
A window that slides horizontally.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient refers to the measurement of solar energy transfer through the glass, rather than the entire unit. Lower SHGC means less solar heat transmittance into a room, which will reduce cooling costs.
Spacer Bar
The bars that form the perimeter of insulating glass units, as well as PDL bars within the insulating glass units. Perimeter spacer bars are a “mill-finish” silver-gray color as standard
Specifications
Specifications are the technical details of a window or door product.
Stacked
Windows that are mulled vertically, one above the other.
Stationary (also known as Fixed)
“Fixed” windows or doors that do not open.
Sticking
In the window and door industry, “sticking” refers to the raised, profiled portion of stiles and rails which create the glass shelf on a window or door.
Stiles
The vertical pieces of a window or door sash panel.
Stool
Often called a window sill, the stool is a piece of wood that protrudes from the bottom of a window. Stools are commonly seen in 19th century homes; plants or knick-knacks are often placed on window stools.
Strike Plate
The piece of locking hardware on a door frame which receives the latch or dead bolt.
Studio Windows
Fixed (stationary) windows usually profiled to match double hungs.
Tempered Glass
Plate glass with increased strength.
Template
A pattern used to provide window dimensions for radius top, geometric or special units.
Thermoplastic
Plastic that becomes soft and moldable during a heating process
Threshold
The bottom of a door frame that is beveled on each side. Thresholds are classified as either “interior” or “exterior.”
Tilt Latch
Hardware on some double hung windows that allows the sash to be tilted in or removed for cleaning.
Transom
A stationary window unit that is stacked (or mulled) immediately above a door or window. Kolbe classifies transom windows with the basic window style that it complements. A transom above a double hung would be classified with double hungs, for example.
Trapezoid Window
A geometric window with four sides and angled corners. Usually, the top and bottom are straight and parallel, with the bottom longer than the top. The sides are the same length, but are positioned at opposite angles. Trapezoid windows may be available as custom units
Trim
For interior trim, see Casing. For exterior trim, see Brickmould.
Triple Slider (also known as “Picture Slider”)
A sliding window with three sash. The center sash is usually a large, inoperable sash, sometimes referred to as a “picture” unit.
Utility Window
A window designed for function, not aesthetics. Utility units are usually used for garages and basements.
WDMA (Window & Door Manufacturers’ Association)
A nationwide association that sets standards and guidelines for the window and door industry. (Formerly known as the NWWDA.)
Weatherstripping
A material that creates a weather-tight seal between a window or door sash and the frame.
