Consumers in the market for new windows for their home can sometimes find themselves entangled in a web of mysterious industry terms one could call "windowspeak." For many consumers, these terms can be mysterious and difficult to understand, not to mention hard to pronounce.
In order to make the window shopping experience more enjoyable, experts at Andersen Windows, Inc. offer consumers this lighthearted multiple-choice quiz of 12 common window terms. The Andersen experts provide one simple tip before you start: The correct answer in each case is "c."
Astragal
(a) A recently discovered solar system, (b) the heartthrob of Astro, The Jetsons® family dog, or (c) the center joint of a double door that is attached to the stationary door panel.
Awning
(a) Slang for what moviegoers find themselves doing during a boring film, (b) the most reverential inning in a baseball game, or (c) a window whose sash is hinged at the top and that swings outward.
Casement
(a) A California-style basement, (b) a criminal file, or (c) a window whose sash opens on side hinges and opens inward or outward.
Clerestory
(a) The autobiography of a French explorer named Jacques Clere, (b) a cold medicine, or (c) a window near the top of an outside wall.
Dormer
(a) A college student who resides on campus, (b) a partner in the law firm Dorm and Dormer, or (c) a space that protrudes from the roof, usually including one or more windows.
Double glazing
(a) A style of raised donut, (b) a hazardous road condition resulting from a Nor'easter, or (c) the use of two panes of glass in a window to increase energy efficiency and provide other performance benefits.
Double hung
(a) A special method of tying a tie, (b) an indefensibly cruel and painful medieval torture, or (c) a window that has two sash, one above the other, in which both sash can be slid up and down.
Flashing
(a) The use of vehicle headlights to get an approaching motorist to turn off his high beams, (b) what the TV screen appears to do when someone else has commandeered the remote, or (c) a metal or plastic strip attached to the outside of the window frame to help prevent leakage between the frame and the wall.
Glider
(a) An engineless airplane designed to glide once airborne, (b) another way of saying slacker, or (c) a window or patio door with two sash or panels that slide horizontally in grooves within the frame.
Low-E
(a) A vitamin E deficiency, (b) the little-known academic equivalent of an F-, or (c) low-emissivity (thus, Low-E), energy-efficient glass that uses a film or metallic coating to restrict the passage of radiant heat.
Muntin
(a) The German word for muffin, (b) a type of tin discovered in the 19th century by metals processors in Muncie, Ind., or (c) a short bar, also known as a grille, used to separate a sash into multiple lights of glass.
Sash
(a) Something parents wear to demonstrate rank over their children, (b) South Sea currency, or (c) the portion of a window that includes the glass.
The Andersen® brand is the most recognized and most used brand in the window and patio door industry. For a local dealer, more information, or a copy of the Andersen 20/10 limited warranty, visit www.andersenwindows.com or call 1-800-426-4261, ext. 3018