Please use our glossary to help become more familiar with the words, terms and phrases commonly found and used in the screens, windows and doors industry. You may either display the set of terms by A-Z or use our search form below to look for a particular term.
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Valley
The trough or gutter formed by the intersection of two inclined planes on a roof. The inclined planes are perpendicular to each other.
Vapor Retarder
A material that reduces the diffusion of water vapor across a building assembly.
Vault
An arched structure forming the supporting structure of a ceiling or roof.
Veneer
A thin surface layer glued to a base of inferior material. To overlay (a surface) with a thin layer of a fine or decorative material.
Vent
The operating portion of a window that swings or projects in or out.
Vent Unit
A window or door that opens to provide ventilation.
Ventilation Latch
Hardware which, when extended, restricts the sash opening on a hung or sliding window to a predetermined dimension.
Vestibule
A small entrance hall or passage between the outer door and the interior of a building.
Victorian Arch
A roof design imitating the ornamental cascading S-shaped curves associated with a high-end residential conservatory. It also pertains to the decorative arches at the top of the side wall glass lights.
Vinyl
Polyvinyl chloride material, which can be both rigid or flexible, used for window frames.
Visible Light
The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that produces light that can be seen. Wavelengths range from 380 to 720 nanometers.
Visible Light Transmittance
Visible Light Transmittance (VT) measures how much light comes through a product. The visible transmittance is an optical property that indicates the amount of visible light transmitted.
