Glossary of Terms | Letter "C"

Below is a list of some of the most common terms in the window and door industry.

Cable Support Kit: This is a set of hardware designed to tie the window to the structure. Usually used in bay window or large and heavy window installations, it supports the projecting portion of the assembly and prevents sagging of the window.
Cafe Door: A single door or pair of half-width doors, hung in the middle of a doorway, that swing both inward and outward to allow entry; similar to saloon doors in the Old West.
Call Size: A manufacturer’s reference number, the call size is used to identify window and door dimensions (also referred to as call out size or book code).
Cam Lock: A single-point locking mechanism that uses a “cam” action to lock and to pull the window sash against the frame forming a tight weather seal; large windows may have more than one cam lock.
Cam Pivot: The pins on the bottom corners of single and double-hung sash that engage the balance and also allow the sash to “pivot” for easy removal and reinstallation.
Cam-Action Hardware: Any window hardware that operates with a cam, which is a rotating piece attached to the end of a cylinder plug.
Caming: Pieces of metal (often brass, lead, nickel or zinc) that hold individual pieces of glass together in a decorative glass insert, sidelight or transom.
Capillary Tube: A capillary tube is a very small, hollow stainless steel tube, usually 18" long and 1/2 mm across, designed to equalize the pressure in an hermetically sealed IG unit as it changes elevations. Also known as a breather tube.
Capstock: This is a material co-extruded with PVC, formulated to offer a specific color, finish and/or function, such as heat resistance.
Casement Window: A casement window is hinged on either side so the sash opens outward, to the right or left, in a swinging motion. It provides maximum ventilation.
Casing: Trim around door and window openings. Interior casing is shaped, decorative moulding that covers the inside edges of the jambs and the rough opening between the window unit and the wall. Exterior casing is an alternative to brickmould.
Catalyzed Sealer: A liquid coating that seals wood to prevent moisture absorption and includes a hardening agent to accelerate the curing process.
Caulking: This refers to a compound for filling joints and sealing cracks to prevent leakage of water and air.
Cellulosic Composite: In general, this is a material combining an organic material, such as wood fiber, extruded with a plastic.
Chalking: Chalking is caused when the resin systems at the surface of a finish begin to degrade, primarily due to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The resin and imbedded pigment particles then lose their ability to properly adhere to the surface. When this occurs, the particles become white in appearance, which creates a chalky look.
Check Strip: See parting stop.
Checkrail: In a double-hung window, this is the bottom rail of the upper sash (upper checkrail) and the upper rail of the lower sash, where the lock is mounted (lower checkrail). It is also known as a meeting rail.
Cherry: This wood species varies from rich red to reddish brown in color. It features a fine, straight and close grain with a smooth texture. Occasionally, thin gum pockets and small clusters of pin knots are visible. These character marks, along with random blonde streaks of sapwood, add a distinctive quality to the wood. Cherry stains easily and smoothly.
Circle Top Window: See radius window.
Cladding: See aluminum cladding.
Clavos: These decorative metal accents were inspired by the function bolt heads that were used in Medieval and Renaissance architecture.
Clear Wood: This refers to wood without any knots or blemishes.
Clerestory: A clerestory is a single window (or group of windows) installed under the roofline and is often above other windows and are used to allow light to enter the room.
Clutch: A part of the balance system into which the cam pivot is inserted or engaged.
Coastal Hardware: Any window and door hardware designed to resist extreme environmental conditions such as salt, high humidity, and windblown sand is known as coastal hardware. It's usually made of stainless steel.
Cold-Rolled Steel: This is steel that is formed by rolling it at room temperature to improve the surface finish.
Colonial Casing: The pattern is this type of casing features a bead profile.
Combination Door: A door that is made with a wood panel in the bottom half and a screen for ventilation in the top half. Also called a ventilating door.
Combination Unit: This is an assembly of multiple windows, usually with multiple styles (e.g., awning and radius windows)
Composite: A term used for window or door components, composite consists of two or more materials, such as glass fibers or wood and plastic. The term also is used for windows and doors that combine two or more materials in the frame or sash construction, such as a product with a wood interior and a vinyl or aluminum exterior.
Composite Brickmould: This extruded brickmould is made from cellular PVC or some other non-wood material.
Composite Door: A door manufactured from a material other than solid wood or plywood.
Compression Seal Weatherstrip: This type of weatherstrip flattens and widens and then seals against the elements when the sash is closed against the frame.
Concealed Bearing Hinge: This is a hinge with one leaf (plate) attached to the jamb and the other attached to the edge of the door.
Concealed Lock: A locking system that has multiple locking points with the system’s mechanism hidden behind the side screen stops; the locking points engage into keepers located on the sash.
Concealed Multipoint Locking System: This hardware system for windows includes a slim handle that visually blends into the windows profile, as well as multiple locking points.
Condensation: Condensation occurs when excess humidity in warmer air is released in the form of water droplets onto a colder surface such as a pane of glass.
Condensation Resistance Factor (CRF): CRF is a rating that indicates a window’s ability to resist condensation. The higher the CRF, the less likely condensation is to occur.
Conduction: This refers to when heat is transferred through direct contact. Insulating glass controls conductive energy with the air space between the panes of glass separated by a space, preventing direct conductive transfer of energy through the glass from a warm interior to the cold outdoors.
Construction Loan: A loan provided by a lending institution specifically to construct or renovate a building.
Continuous Head and Sill: A single element that combines both the top (head) and bottom (sill) pieces of a window.
Convection: This is the transfer of heat or cold through air movement.
Core: The center of plywood or crossbanded construction; it may consist of lumber (solid or glued), particle board or veneer. Also core unit; innermost layer in veneered door construction.
Corner Blocks: These are square, relatively flat wood blocks that are placed at the upper corners on each side of framing around a door. They often include decorative carving.
Corner Keys: An L-shaped component that helps keep keeps a window square, solid and weathertight.
Corner Locks: See corner keys.
Corner Straps: A corner strap is a decorative metal accent placed at the corners of a door's panel design.
Countersink Countersink: To enlarge the rim of the screw hole so the screw head can be inserted flush with the surface.
Cove and Bead: A moulding profile that is concave with a sharp angle notched in the center; also called cove with a bead; used as glass bead or stop.
Crank Handle: Used for casement or awning window, this handle has an arm and a knob assembly.
Cripples: These are the short framing members used to frame under the rough sill or above the header in a rough opening for a window in a framed wall.
Crossbuck: The panels of a door separated by intersecting diagonal rails and so arranged to simulate a sawhorse, especially one with the legs projecting above the cross bar; an arrangement of panels similar to the Roman numeral X; also sawbuck.
Crowning: The bowing of a sill such that the center portion rises above both ends.
Curb: A curb refers to a watertight wall or frame used to raise skylights and roof windows above the surface of the roof as a preventative measure against water leakage from melting snow or rain runoff.
Custodial Lock: This type of hardware designed to increase security and weather tightness. It usually includes a key lock system and is used with a single- or double-hung window.
Custom Millwork: Any millwork not manufactured in a standard size, pattern or layout. It is made to meet a set of specifications.
Cylinder: cThis is a subassembly for a door lock containing a cylinder plug with keyway and a cylinder body with tumbler mechanisms.