The following definitions cover window, siding and door terminology common to the home remodeling industry.
Window and Door Terms
Awning Window: A window that is hinged at the top of the sash and cranks outward toward the exterior of the building.
Balances: A system used in tile double-hung and tilt single-hung window units that allows the sash or sashes to be raised and lowered easily.
Bay Window: A picture window combined with casement or double-hung windows on both sides of the picture window placed at 30- or 45-degree angles. The bay window extends past the exterior of the building and may have a roof system, head and seat boards, and/or edge banding.
Bow Window: A series of four to six casements angled in a bow shape extending past the exterior of the building. Typically, only the end casements are operable. The bow window may have a roof system, head and seat boards, and/or edge banding.
Camming: Usually made of brass, lead, or zinc, camming is the material used to bond decorative glass components.
Casement: A window that is hinged on one side and cranks out pivoting on the left or right. A fixed casement is a non-operable window and has no hinges or crank mechanism yet resembles the look of a casement window.
Circle Top: Also known as a “round top.” A circle top can be a quarter-circle, half-circle, half ellipse, arch top, full ellipse, or full-circle window. Circle top windows can be stand-alone, in combination with other windows, or stacked above a door.
Clad/Cladding: The aluminum or vinyl that covers the exterior side of a window or door making it maintenance free, in that it doesn’t require painting.
Double-Hung Tilt: In these windows, both the upper and lower sash move up and down and both sashes tilt in for easy cleaning.
Drip Cap: A piece of formed aluminum installed at the top of clad windows and doors that allows water to run off of the unit instead of seeping around behind the unit.
French Casement: A twin-casement hinged on the outsides with no center mull strip, allowing for a full unobstructed view when opened.
Garden Window: A 90-degree bay window that extends beyond the exterior of the house featuring a glass roof to allow natural light to shine down. Garden windows usually come with glass or wire shelves upon which to place potted plants.
Glazing: This refers to both the type of glass used in a window and the actual process of installing glass in the window frame or sash.
Grilles: Also called “grids” or “muttons.” Grilles are the horizontal, vertical, or diagonal bars applied to either the exterior or interior of windowpanes.
Grids: See “Grilles.”
Muttons: See “Grilles.”
Round Top: See “Circle Top.”