Glazing Glossary
30 terms covering glazing, fenestration, building codes, and glass technology.
A
- Annealed Glass— Standard float glass that has been slowly cooled during manufacturing without additional heat treatment, making it the base product from which tempered and heat-strengthened glass are made.
- Argon Gas— An inert gas used to fill the cavity in insulated glass units, providing better thermal insulation than air.
C
- Casement Window— A window with a sash that is hinged on one side and swings outward like a door, operated by a crank mechanism.
- Condensation— The formation of water droplets on window surfaces when the glass temperature drops below the dew point of the surrounding air.
- CSA A440 / NAFS— The Canadian standard for windows, doors, and skylights that specifies performance requirements for air tightness, water tightness, wind resistance, and structural performance.
- Curtain Wall— A non-structural exterior wall system, typically consisting of aluminum framing and glass panels, that is attached to the building structure.
D
E
- Egress Window— A window that meets minimum size and opening requirements to provide an emergency escape route, required by building codes in all bedrooms.
- ENERGY STAR Canada— Natural Resources Canada's certification program for energy-efficient products including windows, doors, and skylights, with performance requirements varying by climate zone.
F
- Fiberglass Window— A window with frames made from pultruded fiberglass (glass-reinforced polyester), offering superior strength, thermal performance, and longevity compared to vinyl.
- Fire-Rated Glass— Glass products that have been tested and certified to provide a specific duration of fire resistance, measured in minutes (20, 45, 60, 90, or 120).
G
H
I
K
L
- Laminated Glass— Glass consisting of two or more panes bonded together with an interlayer (typically PVB or SGP) that holds fragments in place when broken.
- Low-E Coating— A microscopically thin metallic coating applied to glass that reflects infrared heat while allowing visible light to pass through.
M
O
S
- Safety Glass— Glass that has been processed to reduce the risk of injury when broken, including tempered glass and laminated glass as defined by Canadian building codes.
- Sealed Unit Failure— The breakdown of the hermetic seal in an insulated glass unit, allowing moisture to enter the cavity and causing persistent fogging or condensation between the panes.
- Solar Heat Gain Coefficient— A number between 0 and 1 that represents the fraction of solar radiation admitted through a window, both directly transmitted and absorbed then released inward.
- Spacer Bar— The component that separates and maintains the distance between glass panes in an insulated glass unit while creating the primary seal.
- Spandrel Glass— Opaque glass used in curtain wall systems to conceal structural elements, floor slabs, mechanical systems, and other building components between vision areas.
- Storefront System— A non-residential glazing system typically used on the ground floor of commercial buildings, consisting of aluminum framing and glass panels installed between floor and ceiling.
T
- Tempered Glass— Glass that has been heat-treated to increase its strength approximately 4-5 times compared to annealed glass, and breaks into small granular pieces rather than sharp shards.
- Thermal Break— An insulating material (typically polyamide or polyurethane) inserted between the interior and exterior sections of an aluminum frame to reduce heat transfer.