Services for Windows
Hi, we have for each category of service, compiled relevant information that you may find useful.
Please note: All information contained within this section is for guidance only. It is best that you check current sources of information.
If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion, please click here.
Please note: All information contained within this section is for guidance only. It is best that you check current sources of information.
If you would like to contribute or make a suggestion, please click here.
Windows
Services
Useful Links
Products
Jargon Buster
Areas covered under this Category are as follows:
- Blinds
- Draughty
- Emergency
- Leaded
- Metal Casement
- Sash/Wooden
- Seals
- Shutters
- Skylight
- Velux
- uPVC
- I am looking for an expert - Register to Request a Service
- I am an expert - Register to Provide a Service
NHIC membership comprises many of the most important companies and organisations operating in the home improvement sector - www.nhic.org.uk
British Woodworking Federation - www.bwf.org.uk
FENSA - www.fensa.org.uk - Is the largest Competent Person Scheme for replacement windows and doors, to allow companies to self certify compliance to Building Regulations.
Glass and Glazing Federation - www.ggf.co.uk - Is the leading Trade Federation for companies who manufacture, supply or fit flat glass, windows and related products.
Steel Window Association - www.steel-window-association.co.uk
- AC Yule
- Arbor
- Benlowe
- Bespoke Aluminium
- Broxwood
- Cristal Glass & Glazing
- Crittall
- Dempsey Dyer
- Door Technik
- Doors Deals
- Duration Windows
- Eurocell
- Express Toughening
- Glaze For Trade
- Interframe
- Internorm
- Jeld-Wen
- Jenrose Projects
- Kloeber
- Koemmerling
- McMullan O'Donnell
- NADC
- Olsen Doors & Windows
- PeterLee Glass
- Pioneer
- Prrdy Glass
- Qualplas
- Recclesia Stained Glass
- Reflex
- Rubben
- Sashless Windows
- Solarlux
- Space Glass
- Stained Glass Group
- The Window Store
- Valdi
- Velux
- Winkhaus
A to B
- Air leakage rating: a measure of the rate of air leakage around a window, skylight or door in the presence of a specific pressure difference.
- Angle bay window: describes multiple windows arranged to project out from a wall.
- Architrave: moulding around openings such as doors or windows.
- Barn sash: a plain sash for cottage or farm, used as a sliding, fixed, or casement window.
- Basement window inserts: the window frame and glass unit that is installed in the window buck.
- Bay window: an arrangement of three or more individual window units, attached so as to project from the building at various obtuse angles.
- Belt course: a decorative, horizontal, narrow brick course that projects slightly from the rest of the masonry, such as with window cills.
- Borrowed light: an internal window in a partition or wall that allows natural light from one room to enter another.
- Bow window (compass or radial): a curved bay window that projects from a wall in the shape of an arc. It is formed by five or more windows that are joined at obtuse angles.
- Box-head window: a style of window made so the sash can slide vertically into the wall space above the header.
C to D
- Cabinet window: a projecting window that is used for the display of goods, such as in a shop.
- Cames: lead strips that are used to hold the small pieces of glass in leaded windows.
- Casement window: a window with hinges on one of the vertical sides and swings open like a normal door.
- Casement: are a particular type of opening window where the window is hung from a hinge either across the top, or down one of the sides and opens outwards.
- Casing: wood trim molding installed around a door or window opening.
- Centre deadlock: door and window locking device.
- Clerestory: a small, narrow window in the upper part of a high room that admits light to the centre of a room.
- Colonial window: a window that is divided up into small squares or rectangles by strips of wood, plastic, or aluminium within the main window frame.
- Composite frame: a frame that consists of two or more materials for example, an exterior fibreglass element with an interior wood element.
- Control or push rods: these are used to adjust the louvres on shutters, so you can get as much or as little light as you want.
- Deadlock: door and window locking mechanism.
- Diocletian window (Therm): a semi-circular window that is divided by wide mullions into three light.
- Divided light: a window that consists of a number of smaller panes of glass separated and held in place by muntins.
- Dormer: a dormer window is a structure that protrudes from a sloping roof, so that the window has a little roof of its own.
- Double-hung sash: sash window with moving top and bottom sections. Single-hung versions have a fixed top or bottom section.
E to F
- Extension casement hinge: a hinge for a casement window that provides clearance for cleaning the two sides of the sash from the inside.
- Fan light: a semi-circular window with radiating bars usually situated over a window or a door.
- Fogging: describes a deposit of contamination left on the inside surface of a sealed insulating glass unit due to a failed seal or extremes of temperatures.
- French windows: double outward opening windows that meet in the middle without a mullion, giving a clear unobstructed opening.
- Full height: this describes shutters that cover the full height of a window.
G to H
- Gasket: the black rubber strip that runs around the pane of glass in a window to create a weatherproof join.
- Georgian window: a mullioned, sashed window in the stripped-down classical domestic architecture style.
- Glazing clip: a metal clip that is used for holding glass in a metal frame whilst putty is applied.
- Gothic-head window: a term that is used to describe a window that is topped with a pointed arch.
- Hanging sash: a sash that is hung on a cord connected to a counterweight.
- Hardwood: wood from trees such as oak, beech, mahogany and maple..
- Head drip: head drips appear at the top of a window and are a means of channelling water away from the front face of the window or door.
- Hit and miss window: a two-part window in which the lower sash contains movable ventilation panels.
- Hook-lock: a type of door lock that throws a hook or multiple hooks into a keep when the door is locked.
I to J
- Jal-awning window: a type of window that consists of several out-swinging, awning type units that operate in unison, pivoting near the top of the glass.
K to L
- Lattice window (Lozenge): a style of window with diagonally set glazing bars that form diamond shapes.
- Loop window (Balistraria): a narrow, long vertical opening, usually widening inward, cut in a wall, parapet, or fortification, originally for use by archer.
- Low 'e' glass: low 'e' stands for low emissivity glass. This glass varies from normal clear glass in that one side has a special metal coating, technically known as a low emissivity coating. Low 'e' glass is a type of insulating glass which works by letting in energy from the sun while blocking heat loss from the home.
M to N
- Main frame: describes the head, cill and jambs sections of a window.
- Muntin: the vertical strut of a window frame or a glazed doorframe which sits between panes.
O to P
- Operator: a crank-operated mechanism that enables the easy opening and closing of windows, such as casement.
- Outer frame: an alternative term for the main frame of a window system.
- Palladian window (Venetian): a tripartite (three part) window featuring a large arched centre and flanking rectangular sidelights.
- Putty: a type of dough used in sealing glass in the sash, filling small holes and crevices in wood, and for similar purposes.
Q to R
S to T
- Shutter: usually lightweight louvered decorative frames in the form of doors located on the sides of a window. Some shutters are made to close over the window for protection.
- Sidescreen: fixed full window to the side of a residential, French or patio door.
- Sill: bottom horizontal member of a door or window frame.
- Soffit: part of the roofline system on a house that seals the house from the elements, between the tiles and the brickwork. Soffit is the horizontal part that runs from the fascia back to the house wal.
- Softwood: the wood of trees such as pine, fir, cedar, larch, spruce.
- Solid shutters: these Victorian and Edwardian-style shutters are tall panels that are hinged together. They have to be opened to let in light.
- Stay: locking device on wooden window frames, used to hold a hinge window in an open position for ventilation.
- Storm window: a second set of windows installed on the inside or outside of the primary windows to provide additional wind protection and insulation.
- Stress crack: damage often caused by over tightening a fitting, or applying too much pressure.
- Thermal break: a way of stopping heat or cold transfer between two surfaces. In windows, thermal breaks are often used within the double glazed unit - see warm edge spacer.
- Tilt and turn: a window system that opens inwardly in two ways. Tilt and turn windows swing completely inwards allowing for easy cleaning. They also tilt at the top to provide good ventilation without leaving the window fully open.
- Top light: narrow height opening or fixed glazed panel above door or main window.
- Top-hung: top-hung window sashes are hung from hinges fixed along the top horizontal edge of the window opening.
- Transom: the horizontal member of a window frame.
- Trickle vent: a ventilation system built into the top of the window frame.
U to V
- UPVC (unplasticised polyvinyl chloride): a rigid plastic material widely used in the construction industry in the form of pipes, guttering, window and doorframes, fascias and soffits.
- U-value: a measure of heat loss. The lower the u value, the more energy efficient the window.
- Vertical slider: a window in the style of a traditional vertical-sliding sash window. The frames will tilt inwards for ease of cleaning.
W to X
- Warm edge spacer: used to separate the two panes of glass in a double-glazed unit with a spacer made of a different material (often plastic) that transmits less heat.
- Weep hole: a small opening in a window cill or wall member through which water may drain to the building exterior.
Y to Z