Window frames are generally made of wood or metal. Plastics have been employed for special services.
Use of metal in window construction has been highly developed, with aluminum and steel most commonly used. Bronze, stainless steel, and galvanized steel are also extensively used for specific types of buildings and particular service. Use of metal windows is very often dictated by fire-resistance requirements of building codes.
Wood Windows
These can be used for most types of construction and are particularly adaptable to residential work. The most important factor affecting wood windows is weather exposure. However, with proper maintenance, long life and satisfactory service can be expected. Sash and frames have lower thermal conductivity than metal.
The kinds of wood commonly used to resist shrinking and warping for the exposed parts of windows are white pine, sugar pine, ponderosa pine, fir, redwood, cedar, and cypress. The stiles against which a double-hung window slides should be of hard pine or some relatively hard wood. The parts of a window exposed to the inside are usually treated as trim and are made of the same material as the trim. (See also Fig. 11.32.)
Steel Windows
These are, in general, made from hot-rolled structural-grade new billet steel. However,
for double-hung windows, the principal members are cold-formed from new
billet strip steel. The principal manufacturers conform to the specifications of The
Steel Window Institute, which has standardized types, sizes, thickness of material,
depth of sections, construction, and accessories.
The life of steel windows is greatly dependent on proper shop finish, field painting,
and maintenance. The more important aspects of proper protection against
corrosion are as follows:
Shop Paint Finish. All steel surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned and free from rust and mill scale. A protective treatment of hot phosphate, cold phosphatechromate, or similar method such as bonderizing or parkerizing is necessary toprotect the metal and provide a suitable base for paint. All windows should then be given one shop coat of rust-inhibitive primer, baked on.
Field Painting. Steel windows should receive one field coat of paint either before or immediately after installation. A second coat should then be applied after glazing is completed and putty set.
Hot-Dipped Galvanized. Assembled frames and assembled ventilators should be galvanized separately. Ventilators should be installed into frames after galvanizing and bonderizing. Specifications must guard against distortion by the heat of hot dipping, abrasion in handling, and damage to the zinc galvanizing by muriatic acid used to wash brickwork. Painting is optional.
Aluminum Windows
Specifications set up by the Aluminum Window Manufacturers Association are classified as residential, commercial, and monumental. These specifications provide for a minimum thickness of metal and regulate stiffness of the component parts, as well as limiting the amount of air infiltration.
The manufacturers offer about the same window types that are available in steel.
However, in addition to these standard types, substantial progress has been made in the development of aluminum windows as an integral part of the walls of a building. With the exception of ventilator sections, which are shop-fabricated, some windows are completely assembled at the job. The wide range of extruded aluminum sections now manufactured has made it feasible to treat large expanses of glass as window walls. Picture windows with many combinations of ventilating sash are also furnished in aluminum. Many features are available, such as aluminum trim and casing, weather stripping of stainless steel or Monel metal, combination storm sash and screens, sliding wicket-type screens, and metal bead glazing.
Aluminum windows should be protected for shipment and installation with a coating of clear methacrylate lacquer or similar material able to withstand the action of lime mortar.
Stainless-Steel and Bronze Windows
These are high-quality materials used for durability, appearance, corrosion resistance,??and minimum maintenance. Stainless steel is rustproof and extremely tough, with great strength in proportion to weight. Weather stripping of stainless steel is quite often used for wood and aluminum sash.
Bronze windows are durable and decorative and used for many fine commercial and monumental buildings.
Weather Stripping and Storm Sash
Weather stripping is a barrier against air leakage through cracks around sash. Made of metal or a compressible resilient material, it is very effective in reducing heat loss.
Storm sash might be considered an overall transparent blanket that shields the window unit and reduces heat loss. Weather stripping and storm sash also reduce condensation and soot and dirt infiltration, in addition to decreasing the amount of cold air near the floor.
Storm sash and screens are often incorporated in a single unit.
