Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help you with Replacement Windows and Home Window Services
Air Leakage
Air Leakage (AL) is indicated by an air leakage rating expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of window area (cfm/sq ft). Heat loss and gain occur by infiltration through cracks in the window assembly. The lower the AL, the less air will pass through cracks in the window assembly.
American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association or AAMA sets all performance standards, product certification and educational programs for the window industry. When a product passes AAMA tests, you can expect long and reliable service as long as the window is installed and maintained correctly.
Alloy
A homogenous mixture or solid solution of two or more substances. AMSCO® RenaissanceTM series windows are an alloy of four resins and wood fiber.
Aluminum
A malleable metallic element that has good electrical and thermal conductivity, high reflectivity, and resistance to oxidation.
Aluminum-Clad Windows
Windows with an aluminum material locked to the frame to provide a durable, low-maintenance exterior surface.
Casement Window
A window that opens from the side like a door. Historically, casements were the first working windows. They were strategically placed throughout a house to capture breezes and direct them through the rooms. Screens are hung internally to prevent dirt and insects from entering the house.
Casing
The trim around door and window openings. Interior casings are shaped and decorative pieces of moulding cover the inside edges of the jambs and the rough opening between the window unit and the wall. Exterior casing is an alternative to brick moulding.
Composite
A wood-based compound utilizing wood fibers, reconstituted wood or other wood derivatives mixed with plastic.
Condensation
Condensation occurs when excess humidity in warmer air is released in the form of water droplets onto a colder surface such as a pane of glass.
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Double Glazing
Two panes of glass separated by an air-space to form insulating glass.
Double-Hung Window
A window with two sashes, upper and lower, that slide vertically past each other.
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ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR is an independent U.S. government program establishing a standard set of guidelines to recognize the energy efficiency of various products. ENERGY STAR guidelines are used in conjunction with a variety of building materials, including windows and patio doors. Over the past 10 years, ENERGY STAR guidelines have helped double the efficiency of windows they endorse.
Exterior Casing
Trim around the exterior of a window or door frame that serves as the boundary moulding for the siding material.
Extrusion
A form produced by forcing material through a die.
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Fenestration
The placement (or arrangement) and design of the windows and exterior doors of a building. In Greek architecture, windows began as simple openings in temples. These openings began to contain glass in the 13th century, when clear glass was available for buildings such as Westminster Abbey. Another important shift in fenestration occurred in the 20th century when large windows became important components in commercial buildings.
Frame
The assembly of structural members (head, sill, jambs) used to fasten a window sash or a door panel to a structure.
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Glazing
The process of mounting glass into windows and doors. Glazing also refers to the lowest quality of plate glass. The purpose of glazing is to retain the glass adequately under the design load, provide an effective weather seal, prevent loads or pressure points on the glass resulting from building movement, prevent glass-to-metal contact, and minimize glass breakage from mechanical or thermal stress. An insulating glass (IG) unit is two glass panes separated by a spacer and sealed. IG glass is offered in clear (no special coating) and high performance, which has a tinted, low-emissivity coating for exceptional energy efficiency.
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Low-Emmisivity (Low-E) Glass
Low-e glass is manufactured by depositing a microscopically thin, transparent metal or metallic oxide layer on the glass. Low-e coatings reduce radiant heat loss, and can reduce the passage of UV rays. Use of heat-resistant (or absorbing) glass began in the 1950s, as did the use of reflective (or mirror) glass.
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Muntin
The individual pieces of a decorative grid that help divide a window opening into smaller sections.
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National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
The NFRC is an independent, third-party certification organization with industry-accepted standards for evaluating and certifying energy performance. The NFRC Certificate contains U-factor, SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) and VT (Visible Transmittance) values. These values form the basis for the ENERGY STAR® Door and Window Program.
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Pane
A single section of glass.
Picture Window
A fixed window – typically of a large size in relation to adjacent windows.
PVC Capstock
Poly-vinyl coating used to form a protective durable layer on AMSCO composite windows. This capstock helps create the strong construction and prevents chipping, pealing and fading.
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Resin
Any of various synthetic substances similar to natural resins normally used in plastics.
R-Value
Refers to a window's resistance to thermal transfer or heat flow. The higher the value, the better the insulation.
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Safety Glass
See "tempered glass."
Sash
An assembly of stiles and rails that forms a frame for holding the glass in a window.
Single-Hung Window
A window with a fixed upper sash and movable lower sash that slides vertically.
Slider Window
A window with a sash or sashes that move horizontally.
Solar Heat Gain
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window, both directly transmitted and absorbed, then subsequently released inward. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits.
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Tempered Glass
Glass that is treated with heat during the manufacturing process. Safety glass can withstand abnormal force or pressure on its surface and doesn't break into sharp pieces. Code requires tempered glass in all doors (including patio doors) and in windows that are located near doors, bathtubs or showers. Also called safety glass.
Tilt Window
A double-hung window designed in such a way that the sashes tilt inward for easy cleaning of both sides.
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U-Factor/U-Value
U-factor or U-value is a number that represents the rate of heat loss through a window or door. The lower the number, the greater a window resists the transfer of heat. A U-factor of 0.4 or lower represents good insulating value.
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Vinyl
Any of a various number of tough, flexible, shiny plastics.
Visible Transmittance
Visible Transmittance (VT) measures how much light comes through a product. The visible transmittance is an optical property that indicates the amount of visible light transmitted. VT is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The higher the VT, the more light is transmitted.
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Weatherability
Performance in various climates.
Wood Veneer
A thin layer of finely grained wood adhered to the frame of the window.
Birmingham, Alabama Huntsville, AL, Birmingham,
Alabama Little Rock, AR, Birmingham, Alabama Mobile, AL, Birmingham,
Alabama Montgomery, AL, Alaska Birmingham, AL, Albuquerque, N.M.,
Anchorage, AK, Arizona Anaheim, CA, Arizona Gilbert town, AZ,
Arizona Glendale, AZ, Arizona Mesa, AZ, Arizona Peoria, AZ, Arizona
Phoenix, AZ, Arizona Scottsdale, AZ, Arizona Tempe, AZ, Arizona
Tucson, AZ, Arkansas Chandler, AZ, Atlanta, Ga., Austin, Tex.,
Baltimore, Md., Boston, Mass., California Arvada, CO, California
Bakersfield, CA, California Berkeley, CA, California Burbank,
CA, California Chula Vista, CA, California Concord, CA, California
Corona, CA, California Costa Mesa, CA, California Daly, CA, California
Downey, CA, California El Monte, CA, California Escondido, CA,
California Fontana, CA, California Fremont, CA, California Fresno,
CA, California Fullerton, CA, California Garden Grove, CA, California
Glendale, CA, California Hayward, CA, California Huntington Beach,
CA, California Inglewood, CA, California Irvine, CA, California
Lancaster, CA, California Long Beach, CA, California Los Angeles,
CA, California Modesto, CA, California Moreno Valley, CA, California
Norwalk, CA, California Oakland, CA, California Oceanside, CA,
California Ontario, CA, California Orange, CA, California Oxnard,
CA, California Palmdale, CA, California Pasadena, CA, California
Pomona, CA, California Rancho Cucamonga, CA, California Riverside,
CA, California Sacramento, CA, California Salinas, CA, California
San Bernardino, CA, California San Buenaventura, CA, California
San Diego, CA, California San Francisco, CA, California San Jose,
CA, California Santa Ana, CA, California Santa Clara, CA, California
Santa Clarita, CA, California Santa Rosa, CA, California Simi
Valley, CA, California Stockton, CA, California Sunnyvale, CA,
California Thousand Oaks, CA, California Torrance, CA, California
Vallejo, CA, California West Covina, CA, Cape Coral, FL, Charlotte,
N.C., Chicago, Ill., Cleveland, Ohio, Colarado Lakewood, CO, Colorado
Aurora, CO, Colorado Bridgeport, CT, Colorado Colorado Springs,
CO, Colorado Denver, CO, Colorado Fort Collins, CO, Colorado Pueblo,
CO, Colorado Springs, Colo., Colorado Westminster, CO, Columbus,
Ohio, Connecticut Hartford, CT, Connecticut New Haven, CT, Connecticut
Stamford, CT, Connecticut Washington, DC, Connecticut Waterbury,
CT, Dallas, Tex., Denver, Colo., Detroit, Mich., El Paso, Tex.,
Florida Athens-Clarke County, GA, Florida Clearwater, FL, Florida
Coral Springs, FL, Florida Fort Lauderdale, FL, Florida Hialeah,
FL, Florida Hollywood, FL, Florida Jacksonville, FL, Florida Miami,
FL, Florida Orlando, FL, Florida Pembroke Pines, FL, Florida St.
Petersburg, FL, Florida Tallahassee, FL, Florida Tampa, FL, Fort
Worth, Tex., Fresno, Calif., Georgia Atlanta, GA, Georgia Augusta-Richmond
County, GA, Georgia Columbus, GA, Georgia Honolulu, HI, Georgia
Savannah, GA, Hawaii Cedar Rapids, IA, Honolulu CDP, 2, Hawaii,
Houston, Tex., Idaho Aurora, IL, Illinois Chicago, IL, Illinois
Evansville, IN, Illinois Joliet, IL, Illinois Naperville, IL,
Illinois Peoria, IL, Illinois Rockford, IL, Illinois Springfield,
IL, Indiana Fort Wayne, IN, Indiana Gary, IN, Indiana, Indianapolis,
IN, Indiana, Kansas, KS, Indiana South Bend, IN, Indianapolis,
Ind., Iowa Boise, ID, Iowa Des Moines, IA, Jacksonville, Fla.,
Kansas City, Mo., Kansas Lexington-Fayette, KY, Kansas Overland
Park, KS, Kansas Topeka, KS, Kansas Wichita, KS, Kentucky Baton
Rouge, LA, Kentucky Louisville, KY, Las Vegas, Nev., Long Beach,
Calif., Los Angeles, Calif., Louisiana Boston, MA, Louisiana Lafayette,
LA, Louisiana New Orleans, LA, Louisiana Shreveport, LA, Maryland
Ann Arbor, MI, Massachusetts Baltimore, MD, Massachusetts Cambridge,
MA, Massachusetts Lowell, MA, Massachusetts Springfield, MA, Massachusetts
Worcester, MA, Memphis, Tenn., Mesa, Ariz., Miami, Fla., Michigan
Detroit, MI, Michigan Flint, MI, Michigan Grand Rapids, MI, Michigan
Lansing, MI, Michigan Livonia, MI, Michigan Minneapolis, MN, Michigan
Sterling Heights, MI, Michigan Warren, MI, Milwaukee, Wis., Minneapolis,
Minn., Minnesota Independence, MO, Minnesota St. Paul, MN, Mississippi
Charlotte, NC, Missouri Jackson, MS, Missouri, Kansas, MO, Missouri
Springfield, MO, Missouri St. Louis, MO, Nashville-Davidson, Tenn.,
Nebraska, Manchester, NH, Nebraska Omaha, NE, Nevada Buffalo,
NY, Nevada Las Vegas, NV, Nevada North Las Vegas, NV, Nevada Reno,
NV, New Hampshire Elizabeth, NJ, New Jersey Albuquerque, NM, Jersey
City, NJ, New Jersey Newark, NJ, New Jersey Paterson, NJ, New
Mexico Henderson, NV, New Orleans, La., New York Akron, OH, New
York New York, NY, New York Rochester, NY, New York Syracuse,
NY, New York Yonkers, NY, New York, N.Y., North Carolina Durham,
NC, North Carolina Fayetteville, NC, North Carolina Greensboro,
NC, North Carolina Lincoln, NE, North Carolina Raleigh, NC, North
Carolina Winston-Salem, NC, Oakland, Calif., Ohio Cincinnati,
OH, Ohio Cleveland, OH, Ohio Columbus, OH, Ohio Dayton, OH, Ohio,
Oklahoma City, OK, Ohio Toledo, OH, Oklahoma City, Okla., Oklahoma
Eugene, OR, Oklahoma Tulsa, OK, Omaha, Neb., Oregon Allentown,
PA, Oregon Portland, OR, Oregon Salem, OR, Pennsylvania Erie,
PA, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, PA,
Pennsylvania Providence, RI, Philadelphia, Pa., Phoenix, Ariz.,
Portland, Ore., Rhode Island Columbia, SC, Sacramento, Calif.,
San Antonio, Tex., San Diego, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., San
Jose, Calif., Seattle, Wash., South Carolina, Sioux Falls, SD,
South Dakota Chattanooga, TN, St. Louis, Mo., Tennessee Abilene,
TX, Tennessee Clarksville, TN, Tennessee Knoxville, TN, Tennessee
Memphis, TN, Tennessee Nashville-Davidson, TN, Texas Amarillo,
TX, Texas Arlington, TX, Texas Austin, TX, Texas Beaumont, TX,
Texas Brownsville, TX, Texas Carrollton, TX, Texas Corpus Christi,
TX, Texas Dallas, TX, Texas El Paso, TX, Texas Fort Worth, TX,
Texas Garland, TX, Texas Grand Prairie, TX, Texas Houston, TX,
Texas Irving, TX, Texas Laredo, TX, Texas Lubbock, TX, Texas McAllen,
TX, Texas Mesquite, TX, Texas Pasadena, TX, Texas Plano, TX, Texas
Provo, UT, Texas San Antonio, TX, Texas Waco, TX, Texas Wichita
Falls, TX, Tucson, Ariz., Tulsa, Okla., Utah Alexandria, VA, Utah
Salt Lake, UT, Utah West Valley, UT, Virginia Beach, Va., Virginia
Bellevue, WA, Virginia Chesapeake, VA, Virginia Hampton, VA, Virginia
Newport News, VA, Virginia Norfolk, VA, Virginia Portsmouth, VA,
Virginia Richmond, VA, Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA, Washington
Green Bay, WI, Washington Seattle, WA, Washington Spokane, WA,
Washington Tacoma, WA, Washington Vancouver, WA, Washington, DC,
Wichita, Kans., Wisconsin Madison, WI, Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI
