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Window parts (C) Daniel Friedman Doors & Windows: Home
How to Buy, Inspect, Install, Repair Doors, Windows & Skylights

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to recognize different types of windows, how to choose & install windows & skylights & how to inspect & repair leaks, condensation & other window problems

Guide to doors & Windows:

How to buy, install, inspect, build or repair doors, skylights & windows. This article series explains how to build, diagnose, inspect, install, and repair skylights, windows, and doors.

We begin with a photo guide summarizing different architectural window types & designs. We include examples of sources of window condensation, damage, rot, leaks, and other damage.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Guide to Inspecting, Installing, Diagnosing, Repairing Skylights, Windows & Doors

Sketches of & Index to Names to Window Parts

Window casing details (C) Daniel Friedman

[Click to enlarge any image]

Our sketches of basic double-hung window parts (above left and below left) appeared in Basic Housing Inspection and later in other window guides.

Window weight and sash sketch (C) Daniel Friedman

Our sketch of repair of window sash cords and weights shows how older double-hung windows operated with sash weights and came from the same source.

Article Series Contents

Our photo (below) from a lumber company display illustrates some of the basic wood framed window and sash components including the window jamb, bottom rail, sill and trim - keyed to the sketch that follows below .

Window parts (C) Daniel Friedman ... Window parts (C) Daniel Friedman

Photo Guide to Major Types of Windows: window names, window photos, window properties

For more details about window types, names and architectural features, see our illustrated table
at Window Types - Photo Guide.

Definition & illustration of Awning Type Windows

Awning-type windows (photo at left) operate by a crank and open outwards from the bottom, hinged at the sash top.

Awning windows that open out from the bottom, as most do, can be left open in light rain with less chance of water entering through the window opening itself, allowing ventilation in rainy weather.

Window parts (C) Daniel Friedman

As we illustrate and expand at WINDOW TYPES, a PHOTO GUIDE, depending on their pivot or axis point and opening direction, awning type windows may be defined more narrowly as austral windows, pivot windows, and projecting windows as well as identified as top opening (hinged at bottom, rain comes in when open) or bottom opening (hinged at top).

Awning type windows (C) Daniel Friedman

At above right a sliding pivot type awning window opens at both top and bottom.

Definition & illustration of Basement Windows & Window Wells

Window parts (C) Daniel FriedmanBasement windows vary among many of the styles listed here, but because they are normally close to or even below ground level, special installation detail and attention to handling of roof spillage are critical to avoid leaks, rot, and indoor water and mold problems.

This illustration shows a basement window that needs a window-well installed.

See WINDOW LEAKS INTO BASEMENT.

 

 


Definition & illustration of Bay Windows

Window parts (C) Daniel FriedmanBay windows project out from the building wall and may incorporate both fixed vertical glazing and operable sashes of any type, usually double-hung or casement style.

As you will observe in these window type photos, a bay window is angled (an angled-bay window) using angled sides and a flat main center section in construction.

As we explain below, a rounded window of this type should be called a bow window, not a bay. (Unless it's my stomach)

If the roof over a bay window is not maintained, or if the window is not properly installed, LEAKS & CONDENSATION [image] are likely.

This BAY WINDOW [image] uses fixed center glass and double hung sashes at either side.

Don't confuse a bay window (including a flat central segment) and a bow or curved window.

Definition & illustration of Bow Windows compared with oriel windows

Bow windows project out from the building wall and may incorporate both fixed vertical glazing and operable sashes of any type, though in the curved frame of a bow window the sash may also be specially constructed and glazed to follow that arc, or the operable units in the bow window may simply be small individual panes that operate as sliders or awnings.

Window parts (C) Daniel Friedman In this photo of a bow window, shown on a home in Boston, MA, is constructed with the bow extending to floor level.

And at the right of the bow window is a smaller oriel window, also a bow but whose window opening does not extend to floor level.

Like a bay window, If the roof over a boy window is not maintained, or if the window is not properly installed, leaks and condensation are likely.

 

 


Definition & illustration of Casement windows

Casement-type windows are hinged and like awning windows, casements also operate by a crank.

Window parts (C) Daniel Friedman

But casement windows but are hinged at one side and open outwards like a door.

Traditional casement windows on most buildings are constructed of steel sashes and frames, but casements are also constructed of wood, vinyl-clad wood, and solid vinyl.

Watch out: steel framed casement windows such as the unit shown above are usually low in energy efficiency, sporting single glazed panes, no thermal break in the steel frame to slow heat loss to the building exterior, leaky, and often rusted or painted stuck as well.

Definition & illustration of Dormer Windows

Dormer (C) Daniel Friedman

DORMERS [photo] are not a window-type but rather are an expansion of space under the roof area of a building.

Nearly any dormer type, even this SLATE ROOF DORMER EXAMPLE [image] of window can be installed in a dormer.

Dormers as a means of gaining space and light to make an attic area into living space have been around for a long time [image]

Definition & illustrations of Double-Hung Windows

Double hung window shown from the building interior (C) Daniel Friedman

DOUBLE-HUNG WINDOWS [image] use two moveable sashes, an upper and lower unit that slide past one another.

Above is a single pane type double hung window in a Poughkeepsie NY home built ca 1925. That window used traditional sash weights.

Below is a modern vinyl or plastic double hung window sash whose sashes are supported by springs rather than sash weights.

Double hung window shown from the building interior (C) Daniel Friedman

Watch out: when inspecting a home for window problems don't assume that all new or recently-installed sashes are operable without doing some actual testing. On both sash weight and spring type window sashes may come crashing down if the sash weight rope or spring is broken.

Because those window support components are hidden from normal view, testing the window for proper operation is important.

Definition & Illustrations of Eyebrow Windows

Eyebrow window (C) Daniel Friedman

Eyebrow windows may be fixed or operable and are built protruding through the slope of a roof surface.

Our photo above shows a lovely antique eyebrow window on a roof in New York state. Eyebrow windows may also appear as small peaked installations but the classic is rounded such as we show above.

An "eyebrow" window is a miniature dormer in essence but requires less supporting framer than a larger dormer.

An eyebrow window is not a dormer or dormer window (see Dormers, above).

Eyebrow window (C) Daniel Friedman


Definition & illustration of Fixed Glass or Fixed Glazing Windows

Fixed glass window (C) Daniel FriedmanFixed glass windows may be vertical or sloped and in many lexicons include fixed skylights.

Our photo (left) illustrates fixed vertical glazing on a diner in Poughkeepsie, New York.

See VERTICAL GLAZING DETAILS for an example.

Also see SITE BUILT DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWS.

 

 


Definition & illustration of Ox Eye Windows

Shown just below, the eye-shaped window in the center of our photo is an ox-eye window in the wall of the Hacienda Tenexac in Tlaxcala, Mexico, constructed ca 1532, shortly after the arrival of Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro.

Eyebrow window (C) Daniel Friedman

Looking more closely at the wall top (click to enlarge this or any image) and you'll also notice musket firing slots built into the parapet.

Definition & illustration of Single hung windows & window sashes

Single-hung windows are similar to double-hung units but only one sash, usually the lower one, is movable.

Double hung window (C) Daniel Friedman

Definition & illustration of Skylights, roof skylights, fixed or operable

Skylight in copper roof, Vassar College (C) Daniel Friedman ... New skylight in copper roof Vassar College (C) Daniel Friedman

Patched skylight flashing (C) Daniel Friedman

 

Skylights shown here are an example of sloped glazing, normally built into a roof surface.

Our skylight photos above show an older style wire-reinforced and vented skylight in a copper roof (above left), and at above right, a series of custom-built copper-clad skylights in a re-roofed section of a similar building, both on the Vassar College Campus in Poughkeepsie, NY.


Skylights may be operable for ventilation or fixed.

See SLOPED GLAZING DETAILS and

see SKYLIGHT LEAK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR.

Definition & illustration of Slider Windows

Slider type windows use sashes that slide horizontally like "bypass doors", one sash passing the other on the inside or outside.

These SLIDER WINDOWS [image] on a log cabin we renovated in Minnesota were site-built, leaky, and replaced entirely.

Below: a badly-fogged slider window in an apartment building - this window has lost its seal and that needs replacement.

Patched skylight flashing (C) Daniel Friedman

Definition & illustrations of Storm Windows

Patched skylight flashing (C) Daniel FriedmanStorm windows are additional windows, fixed or operable, that are hung or installed over the main window sash to reduce heat loss through the window.

A "triple-track" storm window incorporates a movable screen and upper and lower widow sashes.

Each layer of glazing added to a window cuts heat loss through the window glass by about one third, but if the window is drafty any energy savings will be lost until the drafts are found and sealed.

Also see AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION

and AIR SEALING STRATEGIES

as well as ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE

And see STORM WINDOW WEEP HOLES - why we need weep holes to avoid sill rot at storm windows

For a table illustrating nearly all window types, names and architectural features, see Window Types - Photo Guide

 

Inspect, diagnose,& repair doors, skylights, sloped glazing, vertical glazing, energy-losing windows, & leaky basement windows

Steel casement windows with lead putty glazing (C) Daniel Friedman

Below we show two problem windows at building basements. If your basement windows seem to be points of leakage into the building see the article Window Leaks into Basement - cited just above.

Basement window defects C) Daniel Friedman ... Window below ground (C) Daniel Friedman

...

Leaky steel framed skylight Vassar College (C) Daniel Friedman

If your skylights leak or seem plagued with condensation there is a risk of hidden rot or even mold contaminated ceiling or roof insulation.

 

See SLOPED GLAZING DETAILS - proper installation details for sloped windows and skylights and

see SKYLIGHT LEAK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - how to avoid leaks, rot, damage at skylights

 

If you are building or installing vertical windows such as the fixed glass triangular windows shown in this photograph,

see VERTICAL GLAZING DETAILS - proper installation details for vertical fixed glass windows to avoid leaks, rot, condensation, heat loss.

...

Fixed vertical window glass (C) Daniel Friedman

Doors: door type examples of entrances & basement walkouts

Details about doors are found at

Our photo (below left) shows a modern solid-wood multi-lite exterior door [photo] used at an enclosed porch.

Because of weather exposure and rain splash-up from the entry platform, and because there is no protective storm door installed at this entry, the wood door must be kept coated with paint or polyurethane to avoid water damage, swelling, or rot.

Multi Light porch door (C) Daniel Friedman ... Multi Light porch door (C) Daniel Friedman

Our second exterior door photo (above right) shows an expedient, but insecure means of securing antique interior doors made from a converted ( ca 1910) swing-type garage door.

Window & Door Leaks & Damage

Exterior door flashing leak damage (C) Daniel FriedmanFor some home buyers, especially of older homes, un-disclosed problems with windows and doors (leaks, rot, energy loss, operability) can be a real "sleeper" that later turns out to be a source of major headaches and big costs.

At a home inspection in New York we found an entire development in which nearly every wooden window in the 1960's - 1970's homes was badly rotted.

The same siding installation company had made the same mistake - hundreds of times. A flashing error at window tops and sides sent wind-blown rain into the window frame, leading to rot and in some cases termite damage as well.

Windows and doors that are leaky or poorly constructed can be a big energy loser on buildings as well. Here we provide a series of articles on the inspection, diagnosis, installation, and repair of problems at windows and doors on residential buildings.

Exterior building doors, with focus on selecting and installing energy-efficient doors are discussed in detail

at WINDOW / DOOR ENERGY EFFICIENT, DOE.

At left our photo shows rot and damage that will eventually occur if a sliding glass door threshold is installed without a pan flashing and is left for a decade or more with little attention to maintenance of sealants nor paint coating.

The common pine brick mold wood trim around this door as well as a common pine door threshold were particularly prone to water absorption and rot.

Definition & illustration of Basement Walkout Doors

Photograph of - simple errors like this missing downspout elbow and extension can lead to a flooded basement

Basement walkout doors were originally usually site-built using sloped wood (photo, below left); if your basement door is in as terrible shape as the unit shown here.

The worry about leaks into the building basement should take second place to the immediate life-safety hazard of a rotted door like this one.

Modern basement walkout doors are purchased as a pre-fab steel unit from manufacturers such as Bilco™ and may be set on a site-built or pre-fabricated masonry stairwell.

 

Details are at BASEMENT WALKOUTS & COVERS and

at BASEMENT STAIRS

 

 

 

Definition & illustration of Door & Window Sill Rabbet Cuts & Flashing Details

Our window sill photo (below left, courtesy Carson Dunlop Associates ), shows the traditional rabbet cut or slot on the underside of the window sill.

Window sill showing drip cut (C) Carson Dunlop Associates

This window sill detail is intended to aid drainage off of the window sill by reducing the tendency of water to follow, by capillary action, the underside of the sill back to drain down the building wall.

FLASHING MEMBRANES PEEL & STICK

and FLASHING WALL DETAILS include details to avoid leaks at building windows

Details are at WINDOW FLASHING & SEALING Guide

Window Repair, Renovation, Restoration & Improvement Guides

Sidewalk vault light restoration guide  Stachelberg Randl US NPS - cited & discussed at InspectApedia.com

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Question: Decode NAMI & Other window sticker data to get window manufacturer, age, lot number etc

NAMI window sticker gives manufacturer id and other information - at InspectApedia.com

Will this NAMI Window data tag tell me the age of my windows? - Anonymous by private email 2020/11/20

Moderator reply: List of Window Certifying Agencies; decode tags or certification labels on windows, doors, skylights

No, anon, not directly, as the NAMI the sticker does not include a manufacturing date. However the window sticker can identify the manufacturer and on occasion the manufacturing lot number; contacting the window manufacturer can answer your question.

A more-direct answer to your question of window age might be obtained by simply answering two questions?

1. when was your home constructed?

2. are your home's windows the original units or have they been replaced?

In older homes antique windows can often be aged by noting the window hardware, as we discuss

at WINDOW HARDWARE AGE

For more about decoding the information found in window stickers or data embossed into the glass contact

On 2020-07-26 by A2K

What is the maximum allowed height of an exterior door threshold compared to the interior floor, in a residence? I cannot find it in anything official, such as International Residential Building Code.

On 2020-06-25 by Sue

Thank you for your time and response. It is reassuring. I will keep watch in the areas of concern.

On 2020-06-25 - by (mod) -

7 % of moisture in wood is well below the danger level at which we would expect rot. However we can't know the relationship between the point at which you are measuring moisture and the possibly more wet areas that could be inside the wall or structure. So you want to be alert for any signs of weeks, water stains, or mold

On 2020-06-22 by Sue

Clarification on my question. Some windows read 3% and some 7% (7% being the highest). At what % should I be concerned? Thanks for your advice.

I have been using a moisture meter to measure the moisture in all my interior window sills after thunderstorms/rain events. Some of the corner window sills read around 7% (there is no interior condensation and the window itself does not appear to be leaking/failing)

Should it be a concern or is it normal to have some moisture that will eventually dry out?

On 2018-08-04 by (mod) - investigate wet window trim

Exploring rot at window of a 1968 house (C) InspectApeida.com ClementClement:

Before proceeding we need to find the water source: an exterior window or wall leak or a plumbing leak or even a roof leak near the roof eaves or soffit.

Follow the water upwards. Inspect the building exterior carefully.

You may need to make openings in the wall - from whichever side is easier to later repair, inside or outside - to be sure you've found the leak and can thus fix it.

Watch out: wet wall or ceiling or floor cavities, if not dried out in 24 hours, risk mold contamination that can be costly to clean-up.

On 2018-08-04 by Clement

Hello,

I posted on the trim section, but I am not sure it was in the right place, it's about an interior window trim.

I just got a house from 1968 and I am not very experienced, but I ran into a strange situation.
The lower left corner of a window showed signs of dry rot on the trim, therefore I started removing the part that was crumbling all the way up until I found solid wood.

I scraped the paint and the compound/spackle of the drywall metal corner, since it was quite rusty and put some metal primer to get ready for the respackling.

To my surprise, when I went to finish the job after a few days, I realized that the wood trim was still wet, so much that I could squeeze water out of it, so I tried removing more, going up but it seems that it is wet all the way.

The drywall, apart from the lowest part where there was the most rot, seems to be solid.

I am now perplexed, since there are no signs of water leaks from the outside (caulking is in good shape) nor from the inside and I cannot figure out where the moisture comes from.

Could it be because of condensation? Outside it's very hot and I am using the air conditioning quite a lot.

And how should I proceed to solve the problem, for example, things to check first before I start removing everything etc.)

Thank you,
Clement

On 2017-05-11 - by (mod) -

Contact:

Your local community aid societies such as Habitat for Humanity, Office of the Aging, Social Services.

Beware of lead paint health hazards.

On 2017-05-11 by Ron Roth

Would like to donate windows removed from my home. Windows were installed in the mid 1950s when the it was built. They ara casment
And double hung.

Also a double slider door 10 foot wide . Would like now of an organization or group that would like to have them. I
Appreciate any help or suggestions you could help me with. Thank you. Ron Roth 818-341-3201 Email. rdr818@yahoo.com

On 2015-10-16 by saliu usman akinyemi

okay by building engineering technology

Question:

(Sept 19, 2012) Helpless said:
Our front exterior door is exposed to the weather. The morning sun beats on it relentlessly.

The window sills have been bleeding sealant for some time and I don't know how to stop it, short of buying a door with no windows. Is there a caulk or something that I can use to seal it up so that it doesn't bleed anymore?

I would like to repaint the door but this problem is holding me up. Please help! thanks

Reply:

Helpless,
Indeed sun exposure heats up an exterior door, more if it is painted a dark color and much more stilling there is a storm door, forming a sort of solar collector. Temperatures can get hot enough to deform plastic trim and warp some exterior doors.

A high temperature sealant caulk and painting the door a lighter color should help.


...

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