A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K M
N O
P Q
R S
T U
V X
Y Z
AAMA
American Architectural Manufacturers
Association. A national trade
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.
Argon gas
An inert, nontoxic gas used in
insulating glass units to reduce
heat transfer.
ASTM
American Society for Testing and
Materials. Organization that
develops methods for testing of
materials.
Awning window
A window that is hinged at the top
and swings outward for ventilation.
back to top
Backerboard
A flat material used on the face of
the house, between the studs and the
siding, to provide a nailable
surface for the siding.
Balance covers
A snap in covering that conceals the
EvenForce™ block and tackle
balance system within the window
frame, helping to keep dirt and
dust out of the chamber.
Bay window
An angled combination of three
windows that project out from the
wall of the home. The windows are
usually positioned at 30- or
45-degree angles.
Beveled MasterFrame
Some Alside windows feature a unique
fusion-welded design that accommodates
differing installation methods and
architectural styles. It is the angled
portion of the masterframe profile that
adds a three dimensional appearance to
the exterior of the window.
Block and Tackle Balance System
The block and tackle system utilizes a
high-density nylon cord pulley action
which is attached to a moveable block
that travels up and down within a metal
chamber. Tension from a heavy duty coil
spring at the top of the block creates
the proper resistance necessary for
smooth operation of the window sash.
Bow window
An angled combination of windows in
3-, 4- or 5-lite configurations. As the
windows are joined to each other, they
combine to form an arch shape that
projects from the wall of the home.
Buttlock
The bottom edge of a siding or soffit
panel, or accessory piece, opposite the
nailing slots, which locks onto the
preceding panel.
Butyl
A rubber material that seals the glass to
the spacer, creating an airtight and
water-tight insulated glass unit.
back to top
Cam-action lock and keeper
The mechanisms, which pull and secure the
sashes together when placed in the locked
position.
Casement window
A window with a side-hinged sash that opens
and closes outward by a crank handle
mechanism. Available in continuous
mainframe, with multi-lite
configurations.
Channel
The area of the accessory trim or corner post
where siding or soffit panels are inserted.
Channels also refer to the trim itself, and
are named for the letters of the alphabet
they resemble (e.g., J-channel, F-channel,
etc.).
ClarityOne Glass
A chemical treatment that when applied to
glass, helps to create a smoother surface that
won’t attract or hold dirt and dust.
Established by PPG Industries.
ClimaTech®
The brand name for the insulated glass unit
that is present in Alside’s insulating glass
packages. A ClimaTech unit will contain either
two or three panes of glass, with one or two of
those panes being a Low E surface. It will
utilize the SST warm edge spacer system and
contain either argon or krypton gas.
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.
Course
A row of panels, one panel wide, running the
length of the house from one side to the other,
or, in the case of vertical siding, from top to
bottom.
Coved glazing beads
A contoured piece of vinyl that holds the glass
in place within the sash and adds an elegant,
finished look.
back to top
Double-hung window
A window that has two vertical operating
sashes.
Double Channel Lineal
A siding accessory that joins two soffit
panels.
Drip Cap/Head Flashing
An accessory installed with vertical siding
to ensure that water drips away from panels
and does not infiltrate them; it is also
used as a vertical base.
back to top
E-Gard®
Brand name for specially coated, operating
hardware that helps to resist oxidation and
corrosion.
Egress Code
The minimum opening of a window for people
to exit or firefighters to enter a
building/dwelling. Different states or
regions have different code requirements.
Energy Star®
The Energy Star program is a joint venture
between the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the US Department of
Energy (DOE) designed to encourage
homeowners to purchase energy-efficient
products. Using less energy in our homes
reduces the amount of CO2 emissions released
into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels
such as coal, oil and natural gas. The
advanced components and design in the
ClimaTech™ insulated glass package
exceed all performance criteria required by
the Energy Star program.
EvenForce™
Alside’s brand name for its block and tackle
balance system. A balance system is a device
for holding the vertically sliding sashes in
any desired position within the window
mainframe.
back to top
Face
Refers to the side of a siding or soffit panel
that is showing once the panel has been
installed.
Face-nailing
The action of fastening directly onto the 'face'
side of a panel (instead of using the nail hem
slot). This practice is generally not used in
siding installation.
Fascia Board
A board attached to the ends of the rafters
between the roofing material and the soffit
overhang. Fascia cap is the covering around
that board.
Fenestration
The placement of window openings in a building
wall, one of the important elements in
controlling the exterior appearance of a
building. Also, a window, door or skylight and
its associated interior or exterior elements,
such as shades or blinds.
Fixed Lite
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.
Flashing
A thin, flat material, usually aluminum,
positioned under or behind J-channels,
corner posts, windows, etc., to keep
draining water from penetrating the
home.
French patio doors
A two panel glass door where both panels
operate and swing either inward or
outward.
Furring/Furring Strip
A wooden or steel framing material, usually
1" x 3", used to provide an even nailing
base. To “fur” a surface means to apply
these strips.
Fusion-welded
The process of joining materials by melting
them together with extreme heat (in most
cases over 500ºF), resulting in the materials
combining into a one-piece unit.
back to top
Garden window
Designed much like a bay or bow window, a
garden also extends from the wall to the
exterior of the home. It is built in a
square or rectangular shape at right
angles. The two side lights often operate
for added ventilation.
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.
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.
Grids
Optional horizontal or vertical lineals
installed between the glass panes help to
create the appearance of a divided window
design.
back to top
Hinged patio doors
A two panel glass door where one panel is
stationary or fixed, while the other
operates and swings either inward or
outward.
Hopper window
A bottom-hinged sash window that opens
inward for ventilation.
back to top
Insulating air chambers
Various chambers within the sash and
masterframe, which help to insulate
and strengthen the window.
IntegraWeld
The fusion-welding process of some
Alside windows.
back to top
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.
back to top
Krypton gas
An inert, nontoxic gas used in insulating
windows to reduce heat transfer.
back to top
Lap
To overlap the ends of two siding panels
or accessory pieces to allow for expansion
and contraction of the vinyl product.
Lift Handle
Used to raise the lower sash in a
double-hung window. Also called sash
lift.
Lite
A unit of glass in a window.
Low E (Emissivity) Glass
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
longwave infrared radiation.
Lug/Crimp
The raised 'ears' or tabs on a siding panel,
created by a snaplock punch, which can be
used to lock a siding panel into place when
the nailing hem has been removed.
back to top
Masterframe
The combination of the head, sill and jamb
sections of a window.
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.
Miter
To make a diagonal cut, beveled to a specific
angle (usually 45°). Sometimes miter cuts are
made into an overlapping siding or soffit
panel surface, to provide a neater
appearance.
Mylar
A weatherstripping material that is present
where the sash frame meets the masterframe.
Adds increased resistance to air infiltration.
back to top
Nailing Hem (or Flange)
The section of siding or accessories where
the nailing slots are located.
NFRC
National Fenestration Rating Council.
back to top
Obscure glass
Glass that has been made translucent
instead of transparent.
Origin II™
The virgin uPVC vinyl used in all Alside
windows. The material’s low thermal
conductivity makes it the best choice for
window manufacturing. Will not rot, peel,
blister, swell or deteriorate from corrosion
or pitting.
back to top
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 picture window that does not move or
operate.
Plumb
A position or measurement that is truly
and exactly vertical, 90° from a level
surface.
Positive Lock
Area below the nailing hem that the
buttlock locks into.
Profile
Describes the design of the panel
(Clapboard, Dutch lap, Triple 3, etc.)
back to top
R-value
A measure of the resistance of a
glazing material or fenestration
assembly to heat flow. It is the
inverse of the U-factor (R = 1/U)
and is expressed in units of
hr-sq ft-ºF/Btu. A high-R-value
window has a greater resistance
to 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
separate 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.
back to top
Sash
Separate from the masterframe, the
portion of the window that contains
the glass.
Sash limit locks
A feature that allows a window to be
safely raised to a certain height.
Scoring
Running a utility knife blade, a
sharpened awl, scoring tool, or other
sharp implement across a soffit or
siding panel face without cutting
all the way through the panel.
This weakens the vinyl surface in
a specific area and allows the
panel to be bent and broken off
cleanly.
Sill
The horizontal, bottom section
of the masterframe.
Sliding patio doors
A combination of fixed and sliding
glass door panels that operate
solid brass roller trucks.
Available in 2-, 3- or 4- lite
configurations with the operable
panel available in any position.
Sliding Window
A window in which the sashes move
horizontally. Available in a 2- or
3-lite configurations.
Soffit
Material used to enclose the
horizontal underside of an eave,
cornice, or overhang. Some soffit
panels may also be used as vertical
siding.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC)
The fraction of solar radiation
admitted through a window or skylight,
both directly transmitted and absorbed
and subsequently released inward. The
solar heat gain coefficient has replaced
the shading coefficient as the standard
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. SHGC can be expressed in terms
of the glass alone or can refer to the
entire window assembly.
Spacer
An object placed between two or more
pieces of glass which helps to maintain
a uniform width between the glass, and
prevent sealant distortion.
Square
A measurement of siding. One square
equals 100 square feet (10 x 10 wall).
SST non-metal spacer
A solid silicone foam spacer covered
with Mylar. It is sealed to the edge
of the glass and then sealed with
butyl for greater energy efficiency.
Strapping
A flexible framing material used to
even a surface prior to installation.
Starter Strip
An accessory applied directly to the
surface of the building and used to
secure the first course of siding to
the home.
back to top
TrueCapture™ Sloped Sill
The sill of some Alside double-hung
windows that has a downward slope
toward the outside with a capture dam
that helps to keep water from
infiltrating the base of the bottom
sash. Sloped sill assists water
drainage to the exterior of the
window.
back to top
Underlayment
Weather-resistant material placed
under vinyl siding panels.
UV (Ultraviolet light)
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.
UV reflection
The percentage of ultraviolet rays
being blocked rather than being
transmitted through the window’s
glass unit. The higher the number,
the lower the percentage of
ultraviolet rays being transmitted
through the window.
U-value (U-factor)
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-ºF (W/sq m-ºC).
Values are normally given for
NFRC/ASHRAE winter conditions of
0ºF (18º C) outdoor temperature,
70º F (21º 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.
back to top
Visible Light
The portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum that produces light that
can be seen. Wavelengths range
from 380 to 720 nanometers.
Visible transmittance (VT)
The percentage or fraction of the
visible spectrum (380 to 720 nanometers)
weighted by the sensitivity of the eye
that is transmitted through the
glazing.
back to top
Warm-edge technology
The use of low-conductance spacers
to reduce heat transfer near the
edge of insulated glazing.
Weatherstripping
Material used to form a weather-resistant
seal around operable sash.
Weep Holes
Openings cut into siding or accessories
to allow for water runoff.
back to top
|
