Category: WINDOWS AND DOORS

The designer’s task in selecting windows, doors, and skylights is facilitated by testing programs that allow objective comparisons of the structural, thermal, and other performance requirements of products of different types and from different manufacturers. Structural Performance and Resistance to Wind and Rain The first of these standards is the Standard/Specification for Windows, Doors, and…

In order to prevent accidental breakage and injuries, building codes require glass within doors, and large lights within windows that are near enough to the floor or to doors to be mistaken for open doorways, to be made of breakage-resistant material. Tempered glass is most often used for this purpose, but laminated glass and plastic…

Doors fall into two general categories, exterior and interior. Weather resistance is usually the most important functional factor in choosing exterior doors, whereas resistance to the passage of sound or fire and smoke are frequently important criteria in the selection of interior doors. Many different modes of door operation are possible (Figure 18.23). There are numerous types of exterior…

The word window is thought to have originated in an old English expression that means “wind eye.” The earliest windows in buildings were open holes through which smoke could escape and fresh air could enter. Devices were soon added to the holes to give greater control: hanging skins, mats, or fabric to regulate airflow; shutters for shading…