The windows are an essential part of the home. The roof and door, both serve the most important purpose of providing safety and security of the home. Similarly, the window also provides light, fresh air and ventilation in the house.
The windows consist of mainly two parts: Window Frame and Window Shutter. The window frame consists of an assembly of horizontal and vertical members, which are placed at the top, bottom and sides of an opening to form an enclosure and act as support for a window. It is fixed to the opening in the wall, using suitable holdfast.
Impart, the window frame used to be of wood, but with the invention of new materials, many options are available like aluminium, vinyl, fiberglass, nature stone i.e. granite, marble, etc.
There are various parts of a window frame, which are used in connection with window are the head, sill, jamb, mullion, transom, etc.
The Main Parts of a Window Frame are as Under:
Head:
- It is the top or uppermost horizontal part of a window frame.
Horns:
- They are the horizontal projection of the head and sill of a frame to facilitate the fixing of the frame on wall opening. The length of horns is kept about 10 to 15 cm, which is embedded into the sidewall.
Sill:
- It is the lowermost or horizontal part of a window frame.
Jamb:
- This is the vertical wall face of an opening, which supports the frame. Window jamb is known as side jamb when they are along the sides of the window, and as head jamb when they are along the top of the window. The material used to make a window jamb may vary and may be wood, plastic, vinyl, or metal. The size of jamb depends upon the size of the window.
Holdfasts:
- These are mild steel flats (Section 30 mm X 6 mm), generally bent into Z-Shape to fix or hold the window frame to the opening. The horizontal length of holdfast is kept about 20 cm, and is embedded in the masonry. It is recommended that minimum two holdfasts on each side of the window frame can be provided. The holdfast must be painted with anti-corrosive paint before fixing. Similarly, the underside of the window frame should be painted with either wood primer or bituminous paint before fixing with the wall.
Reveals:
- It is an external jamb of a window opening at right angles to the wall face. Reveals are the timber liners on the inside of the window. The part of the jamb opening which is exposed between the window frame and the face or back wall is known as Reveal.
Mullion:
- This is a vertical member, which is employed to subdivide a window vertically. Its main purpose is to provide structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening or it runs through the shutter. Mullion is used as vertical supports, but some horizontal framing member may also be considered as a mullion.
Transom:
- This is a horizontal member of a window frame, which is employed to sub-divide a window opening horizontally. The shape of the transom window can be rectangular, arch or semi-circular. It can be made up of a perforated metal sheet or wooden sheet.
Window frame provides needed support to a window. Therefore window frames are an important part of a window which provides safety and security to the house.