Doors, Windows, and Glass

Major Topics

Doors
Windows
Hardware
Glass
Curtain Wall

Doors

Broad classification as exterior or interior

Wood, metal, plastic, glass, or a combination of
these materials are used to manufacture doors
Considerations for selection of door include:
Fire resistance
Cost
Protection/Privacy
Esthetics/Architectural Style

Terms Associated with Doors

Door Frames:

Panel Doors:

Jamb sides pieces

Head overhead piece
Sill on exterior doors (covered by threshold)
Door Stop- strip against which door closes
Stiles vertical members
Rails horizontal members
Muntins may be vertical or horizontal; divide door
into panels

Right-Hand or Left-Hand used to describe swinging

doors- depends on which side is hinged

Types of Fire Doors

Composite wood, steel, or plastic sheets bonded to and

supported by a solid core material
Hollow Metal flush or panel design consisting with no
less than 20 gauge steel face
Metal Clad flush or panel design consisting of metalcovered wood cores and insulated panels covered with
steel of 24 gauge or lighter
Sheet Metal 22 gauge or lighter steel of corrugated, flush
sheet, or panel design
Tin-Clad wood core with a terne plate or galvanized steel
facing ( 30 or 24 gauge)
Wood wood, hardboard, or plastic face sheets bonded to
a wood block core material with untreated wood edges

Metal Doors

Most hollow core metal doors are made of

carbon steel
Most are filled with standard fireproof, rot
proof, and sound-deadening material
Insulated doors are filled with glass fiber or
plastic foam insulation [R-values range from
8-15]
Grades range from 1: standard; 2: heavy duty;
3: extra heavy duty [grades used depends on
type of building and locations in building]

Wood Doors

Kiln-dried wood, moisture content 6-12 %

Type 1 ---fully waterproof bond (ext. or int.)
Type 2 --- water resistant bond, interior only
May be solid or hollow core (S.C. or H.C.)

Fire ratings range from 20 minutes to 1-1/2 hour for S.C.

wood doors

Typical thickness: 1-3/8 (int.) 1-3/8 or 1-3/4 (ext.)

Standard single unit sizes range from 1 to 3 width; 68 to 8 height [doesnt include sliding or patio door
styles which are much wider]

Types of Wood Doors

Flush hollow or solid core with wood

veneers, hardboard or plastic laminates
Panel assembled from stiles and rails
Sash similar to panel door except that one or
more panel is replaced with glass
Louver composed of stile and rail frame with
integral louvers
Accordion folding narrow wood strips 31/2
to 5 wide with fabric, plastic or metal hinges

Door Operation

Swinging hinged on one side or may have

pivot hardware to allow for swinging in both
directions
Sliding overhead tracks with rollers (Pocket
doors - slide into wall cavity)
Folding hung on overhead tracks with rollers;
may be bi- or multi- fold in nature

Weather Stripping

Applied to door frames to prevent

air leakage
Common types include:
Foam rubber
Felt
Rolled vinyl
Spring metal (V-strip)
Interlocking metal

Door Hardware -- Locks

May be either standard, handicapped access,

automatic, or security type.
Lock types:
Key-in-knob
Key-in-lever
Mortise
Interconnected
Auxiliary (dead bolts)
Security (electromagnetic)
Padlock

Door Hardware --Hinges

There are many types of hinges available but common

ones include: butt, piano (invisible), offset, spring, pivot,
and decorative.
Materials from which hinges are made include: coated
steel, polished plated steel, chromium-plated metals,
brass, bronze, and aluminum.
Placement and number required varies according to
door material and size:

All exterior or S.C. interior door >7 in height should be

hung with at least 3 hinges.
Interior H.C. doors < 7 in height need only 2 hinges

Special Doors

Revolving prevent passage of

cold and warm air and noise while
always being open/closed
Typical materials include stainless
steel, aluminum, and copper alloys.
Most doors are 6 - 8 feet in
diameter, but may be larger for
special applications (Nursing
homes)

Windows

Related terms include: rail, stile, sill, sash,

panes or lights (glass), muntin (divides the
lights), mullion
Common materials include: aluminum, steel
(including stainless), wood, or clad materials
[Styrofoam core with wood cladding]
Wide range of sizes from 2 to 10 not
including custom orders

Window Types
[page 248; figure 8-16]

Fixed
Single or Double Hung
Awning
Sliding
Casement
Pivoted
Jalousie

Window Hardware - Locks

Some basic types of locking devices for windows

include:
Friction type includes a pin which screws into a
receptacle
Pin type a keyed device; bolt slips into a hole
drilled into the upper frame
Wedge type spreads upper and lower sash apart
Stop type uses a knob or other protrusion to
prevent window from opening very far
Key operated cam latch may be a fire hazard;
works similar to a pin type

Glass

The term glazing refers to the installation of

vision panels or glass or plastic in a door,
formed frame, window, packaged entrance,
storefront, or glazed curtain wall.
Glass has been made artificially for more
than 4500 years
Romans 1st known window glass
Germany 11th century glass hand-blown in
spheres
France 14th century Crown glass
produced by blowing and twirling

Glass

Glass is produced from 3 major ingredients:

Sand (silica) ~70%
Soda (sodium oxide) ~12%
Lime (calcium oxide) ~13%

About 50 other chemicals may be added to

change the following properties:
Color
Viscosity
Durability
Desired physical property

Basic Types of Clear Glass

Window or Sheet:
Manufactured by a horizontal flat or vertical draw
process
Float:
Manufactured by floating molten glass on a surface of
molten tin, then annealing slowly to produce a
transparent flat glass. This eliminates grinding and
polishing (most glass in US produced using this method
~ 90%)
Plate:
Transparent flat glass is ground and polished after
rolling.

Variations of Basic Glass Types

Patterned rolled or figured glass run through rollers

which are etched to produce a design on one side
Wire embedded welded square or diamond wire
Cathedral art glass, stained glass; usually 1/8 thick, in
many colors, textures, and patterns
Obscure one or both surfaces of glass are sandblasted
or acid etched (weakens glass)
Heat-absorbing or Tinted
Insulating high thermal resistance; fuse 2 pieces of
glass together with space filled with a dry gas (often
Argon)

Variations cont

Reflective care must be taken to avoid scratching

Heat-Strengthened greatly increased mechanical
strength and resistance to thermal stresses; 2 times as
strong as annealed glass
Tempered 4-5 times as strong as annealed; when
brokenforms small cubed fragments which are much
safer than annealed glass
Laminated (Safety) tough, clear plastic polyvinyl
butyral sheet (interlayer) is sandwiched between plies
of other glass. When it breaks the particles adhere to
the plastic film
Security a plastic film of a min. of 0.06 in. thick in 3 to
5 plies of glass (overall thickness to 3)

Curtain Wall

A building wall that does not carry any roof or

floor load
Typically located above the first level of a
structure (unlike storefront)
Consists mainly of metal, glass, and other
surfacing material supported in a metal
framework