Helpful Tools
Glossary
Knowledge is power... When remodeling your home, you may be faced with unfamiliar confusing language. Use this glossary below as a resource and reference when you are researching your home remodeling project:
Here are some terms that you should be familiar with...
Bay window
A composite of three or more windows, usually made up of a large center unit and two flanking units at 30", 45" or 90" angles to the wall.
Bow window
A composite of four or more window units in a radia or bow formation.
Brick mould
Outside casing around window to cover jambs and through which nails are driven to install the window.
Casing
Inside casing is a flat, decorative molding which covers the inside edge of the jambs and the rough openings between the window unit and the wall. Outside casing (or Brick Mould) served the same purpose, while it also is an installation device through which nails are driven to install the window unit to the wall.
Dormer
A space which protrudes from the roof, usually including one or more windows.
Double glazing
Use of two panes of glass in a window to increase energy efficiency and provide other performance benefits.
Drip cap
A molding placed on the top of the head brick mould or casing of a window frame.
Fenestration
An architectural term referring to the arrangement of windows in a wall.
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.
Gasket
A pliable, flexible continuous strip of material used to create a watertight seal between sash and frame of roof windows much like the seal around a refrigerator door.
Glazing
The glass panes or lights in a sash of a window.
Glazing bead
A plastic or wood strip applied to the window sash around the perimeter of the glass.
Glazing compound
A pliable substance applied between the window sash and the lights of glass to seal against the elements and sometimes to adhere the glass to the sash.
Glazing stop
The part of the sash or door panel which holds the glass in place.
Backerboard
Any flat material fastened to the side of a house between the studs and siding to provide a surface to attach siding to.
Beveled
Clapboards that are tapered rather than cut rectangular.
Buttlock
The bottom edge of a piece of vinyl siding which locks into the previously installed panel.
Caulking
Material used to seal joints at intersections of different materials. Used with different types of siding to join the siding to pre-existing materials.
Channel
The area where siding and soffit panels are attached to the trim or corner post. Also refers to the trim itself, which is named for the letters of the alphabet they resemble (J-channel, F-channel, etc).
Clapboard
Horizontal, overlapping wood planks
Course
A row of siding.
Double Course
When an underlayer of shingles or shakes is covered by a new application of siding.
Face
The siding that is visible once it is installed.
Fascia
The exterior board that runs along the edge of a roof. The fascia creates a finished look by covering up the ends of the roof rafters.
Gable
The triangular end of a house that stretches between the eaves and the ridgeline of the roof.
Gable Vent
A vent placed in the gable of a home that increases air flow to the attic, thereby reducing heat and moisture buildup.
Header
A heavy beam extended across the top of the rough opening to prevent the weight of the wall from resting on the window frame.
Hopper
A window with a top sash that swings inward.
Lift
A handle or grip installed on the bottom of rail of the lower sash of a double-hung window to make it easier to raise or lower the sash.
Light (also spelled lite)
Glazing framed by sash in a window or door
Low-E Glass
A common term used to refer to glass which has low emissivity due to a film or metallic coating on the glass or suspended between the two lights of glass to restrict the passage of radiant heat.
Masonry Openings
The openings in a masonry wall to accept a window or door unit, the same as a rough opening in a frame wall.
Mullion
The vertical or horizontal divisions or joints between single windows in a multiple window unit.
Nailing Hem
The section of siding where the nail slots are located.
Lap
The overlapping of two siding panels to allow for expansion or contraction of the siding material.
Overhang
The portion of the roof that extends beyond the walls of a home. The soffit or eave is the underside of an overhang.
Panel
Usually refers to the separate panel or panels in a door frame.
Rails
The horizontal members of a window sash or door panel.
Rough Opening
The opening left in a frame wall to receive a window or door unit.
Rough Sill
The horizontal rough framing member, usually two inches by four inches, which forms the bottom of the rough opening.
Sash Balance
A system of weight, cords and/or coiled springs which assist in raising double-hung sash and tend to keep the sash in any placed position by counterbalancing the weight of the sash.
Sash Cord
In double-hung windows, the rope or chain that attaches the sash to the counter balance.
Sash Lock
Generally, a cam-action type lock applied to the check rails of a sliding window or at the open edges of a projecting window to pull the check rails tightly together or to seal the sash tightly to the frame, both for security and weather tightness.
Sash Weights
In older double-hung windows, the concealed cast-iron weights that are used to counterbalance the sash.
Shims
Wood wedges (often wood shingles) used to secure the window or door unit in a rough or masonry opening in a square, level and plumb position during and after installation.
Side Lights
Tall, narrow, fixed or operating sash on either or both sides of a door to light an entryway or vestibule.
Sill
Horizontal member that forms the bottom of a window frame.
Sill Course (soldier course)
The row of brick, cement blocks or stones laid across the bottom of a masonry opening which lie under the outside edge of the window sill.
Single Glazing
Use of single panes of glass in a window. Not as energy-efficient as double glazing or triple glazing.
Single-Hung
A double-hung type of window in which the top sash is fixed or inoperable.
Soffit
The underside space between the end of the roof and the side of a home, often vented to provide circulation to the attic.
Sole Plate
The bottom horizontal member in a frame wall. Usually either single or double 2" x 4"s.
Square
A measurement that equals 100 square feet of siding.
Stile
The vertical side member of a window sash or door panel.
Stool
Inside horizontal trim member of a window or sash.
Stop
A wood trim member of a window nailed to the window frame to hold, position or separate window parts. The stop is often molded into the jamb liners on sliding windows.
Stud
Vertical wood framing members which form a frame wall. In normal construction these are 8 foot long 2" x 4"s
Tenon
A rectangular projection cut out of a piece of wood for insertion into a mortise.
Transom
A smaller window above a door or another window. A transom joint is also the horizontal joining area between two window units which are stacked one on top of the other.
Triple Glazing
A sash glazed with three lights of glass, enclosing two separate air spaces.
U-Factor
A measure of heat transmission through a wall or window. The lower the U-Factor, the better the insulating value.
Vapor Barrier
A watertight material used to prevent the passage of moisture into or through floors, walls and ceilings.
Vinyl Siding
Siding that comes in a variety of colors and styles and is virtually maintenance free.
Windowpane Divider
A short bar used to separate glass in a sash into multiple lights. Also called muntin or a grille.
See more industry terms at www.efficientwindows.org/glossary.cfm
