| Term | Meaning |
| Active Door | The leaf in a pair of doors which the lock is applied too and which is the first to open |
| Air Gap | Air space between the panes of glass in an insulating glass unit (IGU). Also known as a cavity, airspace or spacer width, even when another gas (eg argon) is used in the cavity instead of air. |
| Air infiltration (air leakage) | The amount of air leaking in and out of a building through cracks in walls, windows and doors |
| Annealed Glass | Ordinary float glass (not safety glass or energy efficiency glass) |
| Argon Gas | An inert, non-toxic gas used in insulating glass units to reduce heat transfer |
| AS | Australian Standard |
| Awning Window | A window that is hinged at or near the top and swings out from the bottom to open allowing limited air circulation. (They do not open as fully as a casement window but can be left open in the rain) |
| Bay Window | Series of windows assembled in a polygon shape that project outward from the face of a house |
| Bead | See Glazing Bead |
| Bifold Door | Bifold doors consist of two or more panels. These doors are hinged at one side and the panels are hinged together. The doors fold into one area providing a larger opening. |
| Casement Window | Casement window is pivot on hinges that can swing outward like a door and controlled by a winding handle. They can also be hinged at the sides and swing in the vertical plane to open and close. |
| Condensation | The deposit of water vapour from the air on any cold surface whose temperature is below the dew point, such as cold window glass or frame that is exposed to humid indoor air. (Liquid forming on the windows) |
| Conduction | Heat transfer through a solid material by contact of one molecule to the next. Heat flows from a higher-temperature area to a lower-temperature one. |
| Convection | A heat transfer process involving motion in a fluid (such as air) caused by the difference in density of the fluid and the action of gravity. Convection affects heat transfer from the glass surface to room air, and between two panes of glass. |
| Double Glazed Unit (IGU) | IGU's consists of two or more panels of glass separated by an air space and some type of spacer around the edges. An example of a commonly used double glazed unit is 5-8-5 (18mm) which is 5mm glass with an 8mm air gap and 5mm glass. The spacer contains a desiccant (drying agent) which eliminates moisture vapour in the cavity. The combination of the two panels of glass and the trapped air is what makes IGU's a superior energy efficient method of glazing. The IGU can perform a thermal and noise insulating function. The narrowest air gap used is 6mm, but wider gaps (10-20mm) will improve performance. For greater performance one of the glass panels should have a low-e coating and argon gas between the panes. |
| Double Hung Window | A window that has two vertically moving sashes, controlled by spring or spiral balances, each opening and closing the top and bottom sash |
| Dormer Window | A space which protrudes from the roof, usually including one or more windows. |
| Fire Rated Door | A door that is required by building codes for certain parts of a building - between the garage and the house for residences- and takes a certain number of minutes to burn |
| Fixed Lite | Fixed panes of glass used for light and views only | Flashing | A metal or plastic strip attached to the outside of the head or side jambs to provide a weather barrier, preventing leakage between the frame and the wall |
| Flush bolts | Bolts mounted in a door to lock a door in place. These bolts slide up into the jamb above the door, and down into the threshold or floor below door. These are used primarily on double doors or bifold doors, where one door is locked in place and the other door is the one mainly used. When needed, the door locked in place can be opened. Flush bolts are mounted flush with the edge of the door |
| French Doors | Double hinged door (see Hinged Door) |
| Head | The jamb that sits at the top of the frame |
| Hinged Door | A door which is hinged in such a way that it can be opened inward or outward. Double hinged doors are also known as french doors |
| Hinges | Hinges are the metal objects that attach your door to the jamb, normally with screws |
| Hopper | A window with a top sash that swings inward |
| Gas fill | The use of gases other than air (such as argon, krypton, xenon etc) in a sealed insulating glazing unit, for the purpose of reducing conductive/convective heat transfer |
| Glazing Bead | Strip or trim surrounding the edge of the glass in a window or door that holds the glass in place. |
| IGU | Integrated Glazing Unit - IGU's consists of two or more panels of glass separated by an air space and some type of spacer around the edges. The spacer contains a desiccant (drying agent) which eliminates moisture vapour in the cavity. The combination of the two panels of glass and the trapped air is what makes IGU's a superior energy efficient method of glazing. The IGU can perform a thermal and noise insulating function. The narrowest air gap used is 6mm, but wider gaps (10-20mm) will improve performance. For greater performance one of the glass panels should have a low-e coating and argon gas between the panes. |
| Insulating Glass | A combination of two or more panes of glass with a hermetically sealed air space between the panes of glass. This space may or may not be filled with an inert gas, such as argon. |
| Jamb | Framing members used to support the window in a wall and are located at the sides |
| Lite | Lites (lights) are individual panes of glass within a window |
| Low-E glass | A thin (<100mm thick) metal, metal oxide or multi layer coating deposited on a glazing surface to reduce its thermal infrared emittance and thereby reduce radiative heat transfer. A low e coating increases a window's ability to insulate (low u value). In other words, it has a microscopic coating applied during glass manufacturer and is durable hard coat bonded to the glass. |
| Mullion | Vertical members between window units are load bearing within the window |
| Patio door | A door that opens onto a patio, deck or backyard of a house, usually made of glass to allow for viewing. |
| Palladian window | A large, arch-top window flanked by smaller windows on each side |
| Parliament Hinges | Hinges that can be folded right back against the wall |
| Picture Window | Fixed panes of glass used for light and views only |
| 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 |
| Raised Door Panel | A door panel on which the edges have been contoured or shaped to provide an aesthetically appealing, three-dimensional effect |
| Sash | A sash is the operating/moving part of a window, inclusive of glass and the surrounding pieces that hold it together. The sash fits into a frame that is tied into the surrounding walls and holds the sash into place. Other parts of the sash include (the outside vertical members) and rails (the top and bottom horizontal members) |
| Side light | A fixed, often narrow glass window, located next to a window or door opening. |
| Sill | Framing member at the bottom |
| Single Glazing | Single pane of glass - one sheet of glass |
| Sliding Window | A window that has the opening sash sliding in a horizontal direction past the other fixed half |
| Sidelite or Sidelight | An assembly of stiles and rails, with or without a wood panel, containing a single row of glass panels or lights and installed on one or both sides of an exterior door frame, especially a front entrance door frame. Also used in older houses to frame interior doors |
| Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient (SHGC) | The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of the heat from the sun that enters through a window. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits, and the greater its shading ability |
| Solstice | Time, point in ecliptic, at which sun is farthest north or south of the equator |
| Striker Plate | Plate attached to door jamb, which receives the latch, when the knob or lever is turned, allows the door to be closed or opened |
| U-value | U-value measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping. U-value is the measure of heat loss or gain due to the differences between inside and outside air temperature. The lower the U value the better the insulating performance. |
| Visible Transmittance (VT) | A measure of how much visible light comes through a windows, door or skylight. VT is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. An higher VT means more transmitted light. |
| Weather stripping | A material or device used to seal the openings, gaps or cracks of venting window and door units to prevent water and air infiltration |