ADVANCED WINDOW SYSTEMS
1406 Old County Road Belmont, Ca

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591-5253
E-mail Don@AWS650.com

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AWS650.COM
Advanced Window Systems 650 area code
AAMA
American Architectural Manufacturers Association.  A national trade association that establishes voluntary standards for the window, door,storefront, curtain wall, and skylight industries. The AAMA label on windows has a identification number to identify the product manufacturer..
Absorptance
A measure of the rate of decrease in the intensity of electromagnetic radiation (as light) as it passes through a given substance
Acrylic
A clear thermoplastic that resembles glass but is stronger and lighter with good weather resistance, shatter resistance, and optical clarity,used for glazing.
Air-leakage(air infiltration)
The amount of air leaking through cracks in walls, windows, and doors.
Air-leakage rating (AL)
The measurement of the rate of air-leakage around a window, door,or skylight in the presence of a specific pressure difference.  It is expressed in units of cubic feet per minute per square foot of frame area (cfm/sq ft).  Formerly expressed as cubic feet per minute per foot of window perimeter length (cfm/ft) but not now in use.  The lower a window’s air-leakage rating, the better its airtightness.
Annealed glass
Standard glass which has not been heat-treated.
Argon
An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating glass units to reduce heat transfer and reduce sound.
ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials. A globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. www.astm.org
 Awning
A window that the sash is hinged at the top and swings out by means of a crank or a handle.
AWS
Advanced Window Systems AWS650.com
Balancers
A mechanical device usually coil or flat spring used in single-and-double-hung windows as a means of counterbalancing the weight of the sash during opening and closing.
Bay window
Three or more individual window units, joined so as to project from the home at various angles usually 30 or 45 degree.  In a three-unit bay, the center section is normally fixed, with the end panels operable as double-hung or casement windows.
Bead stop
A wood strip between double- hung sash. 
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, at 15 degrees per section.
Brick molding
A milled wood trim piece that surrounds the window or door frame. Same as stucco molding but without the grove to accept stucco
Btu (B.T.U.)
An abbreviation for British Thermal Unit-the heat required to increase the temperature of one pound of water from 39 °F (3.9 °C) to 40 °F (4.4 °C) 
Bull nose stucco
Stucco that rounds into a window usually on steel windows and only on the top and sides. The bottom of these type of windows usually have a wood exterior sill.
Casement
A window that the sash is hinged on one side and is cranked or pushed out.
Casing
Decorative molding or framing around a window or door
Caulking
A compound for filling joints and sealing cracks to prevent leakage of water and air, commonly made of polyurethane silicone for exterior or latex for interior.
CFM
Cubic Feet per Minute.
Clerestory
A window in the upper part of a lofty room that admits light to the center of the room.
Composite
Made up of two or more materials or blended materials such as fibrex.
Condensation
The physical process by which a vapor becomes a liquid or solid
Conduction
The transfer of heat or cold through substances that are in direct contact with each other
Convection
Transfer of heat from the airspace in insulated glass.
CRF
Condensation Resistance Factor.  The rating of a window’s ability to resist condensation.  The higher the CRF, the less likely condensation is to occur. 
Desiccant
A substance used to absorb moisture from within the sealed air space of an insulating glass unit.
Dew point
The temperature at which water vapor in air will condense at a given rate of humidity and pressure.
Divided light
Bars that divide a window into a number of smaller panes of glass,also known as grids or Muntin.
Double glazing
Two pieces of glass separated by an air space within an opening to improve insulation against heat transfer and/or sound transmission. 
Double-hung window
A window consisting of two sashes that the top and bottom both open.
Double-strength glass
Glass that is 1/8 thick.
Drip cap
A metal strip above a window to divert water away from the window.
Egress
Fire escape 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.
Evacuated glazing
Insulating glazing composed of two glass layers, hermetically sealed at the edges, with a argon fill between to eliminate convection and conduction.
Extension jambs
A flat piece of wood that goes between the window or door and interior wall to adjust for the difference in wall thickness. The interior casing is attached to the extension jamb to finish off the window or door.
Extrusion
The process of producing vinyl or aluminum shapes by forcing heated material through an orifice in a die. Also see pultrusion
Fenestration
The placement of windows or glass in a building wall.
Fiberglass
A composite material made by embedding glass fibers in a polymer matrix.  May       be used as a diffusing material in sheet form, or as a standard sash and frame element.
Fibrex
A material developed by Andersen Corporation from vinyl and wood materials.
Fixed light
A non-operable window or sash.
Fixed panel
An non-operable panel of sliding glass door or slider window.
Fixed window
A window with no operating sashes.
Flashing
Sheet metal or other material applied to seal and protect the joints formed by     different materials or surfaces.
Float glass Glass
Formed by a process of floating the material on a bed of molten metal. It produces a high-optical-quality glass with parallel surfaces,without polishing or grinding.
Fogging
Moisture on the inside surface of a sealed insulating glass unit due to failed seals.
Frame
The perimeter of a window which holds the sash or casement as well as hardware.
Fusion welded
The process of melting vinyl frames together with heat.
Gas fill
Argon or krypton placed between the insulated glass in windows or door glazing panes to reduce the U-factor by suppressing Noise, 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.
Garden/Greenhouse window
A window that protrudes out at a 90 degree angle with three glass sides and a glass top.
Bull nose stucco
Stucco that rounds into a window usually on steel windows and only on the top and sides. The bottom of these type of windows usually have a wood exterior sill.
Handing
Windows and patio doors are handed from the exterior as this is how building plans are viewed. X = operator  O = stationary as viewed from exterior
Head
The upper horizontal member of a window frame. 
Heat gain
the transfer of heat from outside to inside by means of conduction, convection, and radiation through all surfaces of a home.
Heat loss
The transfer of heat from inside to outside by means of conduction, convection, and radiation through all surfaces of a home.
Heat mirror
Insulated glass with a plastic film suspended in the middle. The film can usually be identified by a small hole in the upper or lower corner to allow for air movement.
Heat-strengthened glass
Same as tempered glass
Hinged windows
Windows that are hinged from the side(casement) top (awning) or bottom (hopper)
Hopper
Window with sash hinged at the bottom. Opens from top.
Horizontal slider
A window with a movable horizontal sliding panel or panels.
ICC
International Code Council.  A national organization that publishes model codes for adoption by states and other agencies.  Codes include the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
IECC
International Energy Conservation Code published by the ICC.  The successor to the Model Energy Policy Act (EPAct) as the baseline for residential Energy Codes in the United States.
Infiltration
Air that leaks through a window or door.
Infrared radiation
Invisible, electromagnetic radiation beyond red light on the spectrum, with wavelengths greater than 0.7 microns
Insulating glass
Two or more pieces of glass spaced apart and hermetically sealed to form a sing glazed unit with one or more air spaces in between.  Also called double glazing.
Insulating value
See U-factor.
Insulation
Materials used for protection from noise, heat, cold or fire.
Jalousie
Window made up of horizontally-mounted louvered glass slats that overlap each other tightly when closed and rotate outward when cranked open.
Jamb
A vertical member at the side of a window or door frame.
Krypton
An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating windows to reduce heat transfer.
KWH
Kilo Watt Hour.  Unit of energy or work equal to one thousand watt-hours.
Laminated glass
Two or more sheets of glass with an inner layer of transparent plastic to which the glass adheres if broken.  Used for safety glazing and sound reduction. Same glass used in automobile windshields.
Lift Handle
Hardware for raising the lower sash in a double-hung window.  Also called sash lift.
Lite
A window; a pane of glass within a window.  Double-hung windows are designated by the number of lights in upper and lower sash, as in-six-over-six. 
Lintel
A horizontal member above a window or door opening that supports the structure above.
Liquid crystal glazing
Glass in which is controlled by a en electrical current, changing from a clear to a diffusing state.
Low-conductance spacers
None conductive spacers placed between the glass designed to reduce heat transfer at the edge of an double or triple pane insulating window.
Low-E
low-emittance coating Microscopically thin, virtually invisible, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on a window or Patio door 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 double-hung window where two panels meet and create a weather barrier.
Metal-clad windows
Exterior wood parts covered with extruded or roll form  aluminum or other metal, with a factory-applied finish to deter the elements.
Micron
One millionth (10-6) of of a metric meter.
Mil
One thousandth of an inch, or 0.0254 millimeter.
Mullion
A major structural vertical or horizontal member between window units or sliding glass doors.
Muntin
A secondary framing member (vertical or horizontal) to hold the windowpanes 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 multi-light sash, but removable for ease in cleaning the window.
Nailing fin
Usually a one inch extension of a window or patio door frame to nail over the conventional stud construction.
NFRC
National Fenestration Rating Council.
Obscure glass
Any textured or colored glass used for privacy, light diffusion.
Operable window
Window that can be opened for ventilation.
Operator
Crank-operated device for opening and closing casement awnings or jalousie windows.
Pane
One of the compartments of a door or window consisting of a single sheet of glass in a frame.
Panel
A section of a door or window that is removable.
Panning
Old terminology for z-bar replacement windows (see z-bar)
Parting stop
A narrow strip, either integral or applied, that holds a sash or panel in position in a frame.
Photochromic
Capable of changing color on exposure to radiant energy.
Picture window
A fixed window
Pivot window
A window with a sash that swings open or shut by revolving on pivots at either side of the sash or at top and bottom.
Plastic film
A thin plastic substrate, sometimes used in triple glazing.(also see heat mirror)
Plastics
Artificial substances made of organic polymers that can be extruded or molded into various shapes including window frames and sashes.
Plate glass
The old process of rolled, ground, and polished glass with true flat parallel plane and surfaces affording excellent vision.  It has been replaced by float glass process.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
An extruded plastic material used to make vinyl  windows and door products.  
Projected window
A window fitted with one or more sashes opening on pivoted arms or hinges.  Refers to casements, awnings, and hoppers.
Pultrusion
a continuous process of manufacturing composite materials with constant cross-section whereby reinforced fibers are pulled through a die. Fiberglass and Andersen's Fibrex are manufactured in this manor.
Push out
A casement or awning window that has only a handle to unlock and open. The screens on these must have a door to get to the handle or rolling screen which makes them unpopular where screens are needed.
R-value
A measure of the resistance of a glazing material or fenestration assembly to heat flow.  A high R-value window has a grater resistance of heat flow and a higher insulating value than one with a low R-value.
Radiation
The transfer of heat in the form of electromagnetic waves from one surface to another.  Energy from the sun reaches the earth by radiation,and a person’s body can lose heat to a cold window or skylight surface in a similar way.
Rail
Horizontal member of a window sash.
Reflectance
The ration of reflected radiant energy to incident radiant energy.
Reflective glass
Window glass coated to reflect radiant heat  striking the surface of the glass.
Relative humidity
The percentage of moisture in the air in relationship to the amount of moisture the air could hold at that given temperature.  At 100 percent relative humidity, moisture condenses and falls as rain.
Retrofitting
As applied to windows and patio doors retrofitting is installing a new window or door inside of an existing window or door opening usually leaving the old frame in place.
Roof window
A fixed or operable window similar to a skylight placed in the sloping surface of a roof.
Rough opening
The opening in a wall into which a door or window is to be installed.
Safety glass
A strengthened (tempered)or reinforced (laminated) glass that is less subject to breakage or splintering.
Sash
The section of a window that includes the glass and framing directly attached to the glass, not to be confused with the complete frame into which the sash sections are fitted.
Screen
Fiberglass or metal mesh stretched into a aluminum frame to keep bugs out.
Sealant
A compound for filling joints and sealing cracks to prevent leakage of water and air, commonly made of polyurethane silicone for exterior or latex for interior.
Shade screen
Special fiberglass mesh to block sunlight.
Shading coefficient (SC)
A measure of the ability of a window or skylight to transmit solar heat, relative to that ability for 1/8 inch clear, double-strength,single glass.  It is being phased out in favor of the solar heat SHGC multiplied by 1.15.  It is expressed as a number without units between 0and 1.  The lower a window’s solar heat gain coefficient or shading coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits, and the greater is its shading ability.                            
Shoe
A rectangular block that spiral balancers are attached to balance double hung or single hung windows.
Sill
The lowest horizontal member in a window or patio door.
Sill track
A track on the bottom of a patio door or window that the sliding panel slides on.
Simulated divided lights
A window that has muntins placed inside outside and  between to have the appearance of true divided lites.
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 (SS)
Glass thickness of 1/16 inch or between  0.085” and 0.100” (2.16-2.57mm). Single strength glass is normally used up to 15 square feet and offers better thermal insulation but reduced sound deadening properties.
Skylight
(operable or pivot)A roof window that gives light and ventilation.
Sliding glass door
A door with one or more panels that moves horizontally on a track.   Also called gliding door or patio door.
Sliding window
A window fitted with one or more sashes opening by sliding horizontally. 
Solar control coatings
The film coatings on glass or plastic that absorb or reflect solar energy, thereby reducing solar gain.
Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC)
The fraction of solar radiation admitted through a window patio door or skylight, both directly transmitted, and absorbed and subsequently released inward.  The solar heat gain coefficient indicator of a window’s shading ability.  It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits, and the greater its shading ability. 
Solar radiation
The total radiant energy from the sun, including ultraviolet and infrared wave lengths as well as visible light.
Solar screen
Special fiberglass mesh to block sunlight.
Sound Transmission Class (STC)
The sound transmission loss rating of a selected range of sound frequencies.  The higher the number, the less sound transmitted.
Stile
The upright or vertical edges of a door, window, or screen.
Stool
The interior part of the window sill, against which the bottom rail of the sash closes.
Stop
Also called bead, side stop, window stop, and parting stop.
Storm windows
A second set of windows installed on the outside or inside of the primary windows to provide additional insulation and wind protection.
Stucco Exterior
A three parts sand to one part cement mixture used to side homes. It is usually installed in a multi coat process consisting of a scratch brown and finish although there are now one coat systems available.
Stucco molding
 Exterior trim that is installed around a window or door with a grove to lock the stucco in and provide a better weather barrier.
Sun control film
A tinted or reflective film applied to the glazing surface to reduce visible, ultra-violet, or total transmission of solar radiation. Reduces solar heat gain in summer and glare. 
Tempered glass
Glass that is strengthened by reheating it to just below the melting point and then suddenly cooling it. It is 40% stronger than annealed glass. When shattered, it breaks into small pieces.  It is required as safety glazing in patio doors, entrance doors, side lights, and other hazardous locations.  Tempered glass can’t be cut..
Thermal break
An element of low conductance placed between elements of higherconductance to reduce the flow of heat usually used in aluminum windows.
Thermal expansion
Change in dimension of a material as a result of temperature change.
Thermal mass
Mass in a building (furnishings or structure) that is used to absorb solar gain during the day and release the heat as the space cools in the evening.
Thermo gram
An image of an object taken with an infrared camera that shows surface temperature variations.
Threshold
The member that lies at the bottom of a sliding glass door or hinged door; the sill of a doorway.
Tilt latch
 Hardware on the top of single and double hung tilt in windows to allow the sash to tilt in. Usually about 1 1/2 x 3 inches and made out of plastic
Tilt window
A single- or double-hung window whose operable sash can be tilted into the room for cleaning.
Tinted glass
Glass colored by incorporation of a mineral admixture.  Any tinting reduces both visual and radiant transmittance.
Transom
A horizontal beam or bar in a frame separating a door or window. Also, a window above a door or other window.
Transom window
The window sash located above a door.  Also called transom light.
Triple glazing
Three panes of glass or plastic with two air spaces between.
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 (W/sq m-C). Values are normally given for NFRC/ASHRAE winter conditions of 0F (18 C)outdoor temperature, 70F (21 C) indoor temperature, 15mph 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.
UBC
Uniform Building Code.
Ultraviolet light (UV)
The invisible rays of the spectrum that are outside of the visible spectrum at its short-wavelength violet end.  Ultraviolet rays are found in everyday sunlight and can cause fading of paint finishes, carpets, and fabrics.
United Inches (U.I.)
United Inches is the calculated amount of the window's Width added to its Height. For example, if you have a window measuring 30"w X 50"h theU. I. would add up to 80 (30 + 50 = 80).  
Vapor retarder
A material that reduces the diffusion of water vapor across a building assembly.
Vent
The movable framework or sash in a glazed window .
Vinyl  Polyvinyl chloride (P V C)
Material which can be both rigid or flexible, used for window frames.
Vinyl-clad window
Exterior wood parts covered with extruded vinyl.
Visible light
The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that produces light that can be seen. 
Warm Edge technology
The use of low-conductance spacers to reduce heat transfer near the edge of  insulated glass.
Weather stripping
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. Better quality window generally have weep hole covers to keep wind,bugs and dirt out of the window drainage cavity.
Weep hole covers
A plastic cover to keep wind,bugs and foreign debris out of the window drainage system
Window
A glazed opening in an external wall of a building consisting of a frame and sash that may or may not open.
Z-bar
A flange around the exterior of a window or door approximately 1 1/2 to 2/14 inches wide to self trim and seal over a existing window. As  easy as this seams many window installation companies don’t have proper training or caulking procedures in place to do this correctly causing property damage.