The house has many parts. Its strong sturdy walls are there to protect us against the winds and other natural element that could be too harsh for us. The roof of our personal domiciles is the one that keeps the harmful rays of the sun and the rain away from us so that we can stay dry and in the shade when we have had too much rain or too much sun. The floor is there so that you are not exposed to the dirt every single hour of the day. Even the door serves its purpose as it allows us to enter the home that is so important to us. However, what purpose does the window serve?

The window may seem insignificant when you compare it to the other elements of the house but it is perhaps the thing that makes every inch of the house work as well as it does.

One of the most important functions of a window in a house is that it lets the air in. A house without a window would not just only be stuffy it would actually be down right suffocating. The windows protect us against strong gusts of wind when closed but if opened to the proper proportions, these same gusts can become the source of life giving oxygen to your home.

In addition to ventilation that lets air in, it also lets an important resource to the home and that is light. Without a well placed and well made window on the walls of your home, it would be just too dark to live in the house. One may need to turn on an electric light bulb or a fluorescent lamp continuously but that option would be too expensive and wasteful for the homeowner. Some people may think about opening the door instead but that might open your home to a risk of security.

The window can also serve as an exit point during an emergency. In cases of emergencies like fires or earthquakes and the doors are blocked by fire or debris, the window is a quick and easy way to get out. Should you be on a higher floor some windows are equipped with ladders that will aid in a quick escape.

The window can also serve as a means to keep the inside of your home private. When a window is closed it keeps people from seeing into the house. Sometimes, all you need is some curtains and it would be good enough to keep onlookers to peer inside the house.

In some instances, the window also gives you a way to get out of your private space. A window allows a person to simply crack a smile or wave to the neighbor. Without the window, you would need to breakdown a wall just to greet your neighbor a good morning.

These are just some of the reasons that show how important a window can be. Go ahead open your window and in the process be happy that you have it.

Windows are the wall outlets that let light and wind enter a home. Hence, they are an essential ingredient of a home design. Their ideal location and length is an important facet of a home and a room. But the question placed here is, “Should they be covered, treated and decorated?” Of course, windows need to be covered and that too, beautifully. Just for a moment try to recall the last house you visited that had bare windows. Can’t think of one? Why not try to imagine being entertained at a friend’s place, but erase the curtains, rods or blinds from the room. Did this wild imagination make you feel welcome or uncomfortable?

A bare window makes a room feel incomplete. It does not allow a home dweller to feel secure. It gives everybody on the outside the opportunity to peep in. It definitely does not make a guest feel comfortable. A bare window is mostly a sign of an unkempt house or a home in which people have just moved in; or the stereotypical home of devil-may care bachelors sure of the fact that girlfriends and mothers will not visit them. It is obvious that a well-covered window keeps one’s privacy intact, allows the building to control light and wind and is one of the most important factors that make a house feel like a home.

The other important factor that no homemaker can shy away from is treating windows with style. Dressing up a window requires use of curtains, blinds, curtain rods and other accessories. Designs and fabrics are what differentiate a trendy room from a formal one. Colors and finishes add to the look one is trying to create for a room. It makes more sense for a room owner to use coverings and accessories that make them comfortable and are in sync with their personalities. If one is unable to express their need for a window’s décor on their own, they can always take the help of a consultant or interior designer so that they have beautiful and fashionable window accessories.

It is easy to see why treatment and styling to cover a window are of utmost importance in a home. It is obvious that window coverings are necessary to convert a building into a home. The finished styling ensures that family members appreciate and enjoy their habitat. A well-covered and aesthetically dressed window is essential to make guests feel comfortable. A window decorated with decorative blinds or fancy curtains or designer curtain rods will enhance the look and feel as desired by a room owner – welcoming, manly, feminine, official, fun or colorful.

Doors and windows are an important feature of any home. It is hence important to buy good quality ones. There are many manufacturers that specialize in this field. However, many of them may fail to provide good quality products. It is hence important to consider a few important factors before choosing a manufacturer. Some of them include:

New businesses

It is advisable to look out for new businesses while buying external wooden doors and windows. In the past few years, a number of new businesses have started operating in the field. This can be attributed to the easy finance options available. However, while selecting a manufacturer, it is advisable to select a one who has a minimum experience of 5 years. It is also important to check the guarantees and warranties offered by the company. Small businesses generally have a lower life expectancy as compared to bigger ones. In such a scenario, they may fail to offer guarantees and warranties on their products. It is hence advisable to choose businesses that are well established in the field. The manufacturers that offer warranties ranging between 10 to 20 years may be preferred.

Small and newly established businesses generally find it difficult to compete with bigger and well established names. The big manufacturers generally offer discounts on their products. Buying from such manufacturers can hence help people save a considerable amount of money while selecting wooden front doors and windows.

Most reputed manufacturers provide repair and maintenance services. This proves to be useful for customers who can easily get their doors and windows repaired in case the need may arise. The guarantees and warranties offered prove useful in ensuring the proper maintenance of doors and windows.

Researching about the brand

A number of manufacturers may give false information about the products. It is hence important to conduct a thorough research about the products while buying made to measure front doors and windows. Buyers can search for information available on the internet. This can help them in making an informed decision about chosen product.

It is also important to ensure that the manufacturer possesses the relevant licenses. References may be sought from family and friends regarding the best manufacturers.

Features

Many buyers often have limited knowledge regarding the various kinds of materials used for manufacturing doors and windows. It is hence important to pay special attention to this aspect and gather knowledge about the different types of materials available. Amongst the various types of materials used, the main ones include aluminum, fiber glass, wood and vinyl. While buying timber windows, it is also advisable to consider the type of glass used. While triple and double pane glass is considered the best, single pane glass may fail to be advantageous.

While buying wooden flush casement windows and front doors, it is also important to consider their thermal qualities. The ones that have heat mirror and Argon gas may be preferred over the ones that have low E coating. The performance and quality rating may also be evaluated. These properties of doors and windows offer good insulation and hence help in lowering the electricity bills.

Installation

A majority of door and window manufacturers also undertake to install the products sold by them. Such manufacturers may be preferred over the ones that merely sell the products. The installation of doors and windows often proves to be a complicated task. Many manufacturers hire skilled professionals who can efficiently undertake the installation task. These types of manufacturers may be selected. They can ensure a convenient and hassle free installation.

Price

The prices quoted for products may vary across different manufacturers. It is hence advisable to get quotes from various manufacturers and select ones that offer a low price. However, it is also important to ensure that the price is not the only consideration while buying doors and windows. Doors and windows are an important investment. It is hence important to ensure that good quality and durable products are purchased. Investing in durable products can ensure higher value for money.

Conclusion

Doors and windows are generally a long-term investment. It is hence essential to invest in good quality ones. Reputed manufactures offer good quality and durable products and may be selected.

For country charm and elegance there is nothing quite like Priscilla curtains. The various designs in this classic brand will transform any window into a showpiece, especially when topped with a graceful valance. You can add a tinge of old fashioned Victorian chic to even the most modern home. But if you do not hang the curtains correctly, the entire effect will be lost. Here’s how to go about the job correctly.

To ensure that your curtains are wide enough, measure the window frame. Each curtain panel must be at least twice the width of the window. This will allow the curtains to drape properly. It is for this reason that Priscilla curtains are made extra wide. Rather they be too wide instead of not wide enough.

Install all the necessary rods and other hardware. The curtains will need to drape on double curtain rods. Attach 2 rod brackets alongside each other, or buy rods that have double attachments. The objective is to have one rod attached on top of the other. This means that one rod will have a long shank and the other will be shorter.

Next put one curtain panel onto both rods. Most Priscilla drapes are ruffled, either around every side or just on one side. If you are hanging one-sided ruffle curtains on several windows, the rear panel must face in one direction, and the front panel in the other.

Slide the rear panel across the whole window area, ensuring that the gathering is consistent. Repeat this procedure with the front panel and the other rod. Priscilla drapes are usually supplied with matching tie-backs. If not, you can buy some or use lace or ribbon. But, to achieve the proper effect, the curtains must have tie-backs.

Gather the ruffled side and steer it to the other side of the window. Simply tie it back like any other curtain. Put the tie-back right round the curtain and attach it to a wall about halfway up the window. The tie-back must be able to nearly reach the center of the window area. This shouldn’t be a problem if the tie-backs are supplied by Priscilla because they are usually longer than conventional ones.

Attach the rear panel to the other side of the window in exactly the same way. Loosely tug each panel away from the tie-back making sure that the ruffled sections hang across one another in the center of the window. The amount of swag where the panels cross each other is up to you. Now stand back and admire your Priscilla curtains!

Window functions are a group of functions that will perform calculations across a set of rows that are related to your current row. They are considered advanced sql and are often asked during data science interviews. It’s also used at work a lot to solve many different types of problems. Let’s summarize the 4 different types of window functions and cover the why and when you’d use them.

4 Types of Window Functions

1. Regular aggregate functions

o These are aggregates like AVG, MIN/MAX, COUNT, SUM

o You’ll want to use these to aggregate your data and group it by another column like month or year

2. Ranking functions

o ROW_NUMBER, RANK, RANK_DENSE

o These are functions that help you rank your data. You can either rank your entire dataset or rank them by groups like by month or country

o Extremely useful to generate ranking indexes within groups

3. Generating statistics

o These are great if you need to generate simple statistics like NTILE (percentiles, quartiles, medians)

o You can use this for your entire dataset or by group

4. Handling time series data

o A very common window function especially if you need to calculate trends like a month-over-month rolling average or a growth metric

o LAG and LEAD are the two functions that allow you to do this.

1. Regular aggregate function

Regular aggregate functions are functions like average, count, sum, min/max that are applied to columns. The goal is to apply the aggregate function if you want to apply aggregations to different groups in the dataset, like month.

This is similar to the type of calculation that can be done with an aggregate function that you’d find in the SELECT clause, but unlike regular aggregate functions, window functions do not group several rows into a single output row, they are grouped together or retain their own identities, depending on how you find them.

Avg() Example:

Let’s take a look at one example of an avg() window function implemented to answer a data analytics question. You can view the question and write code in the link below:

platform.stratascratch.com/coding-question?id=10302&python=

This is a perfect example of using a window function and then applying an avg() to a month group. Here we’re trying to calculate the average distance per dollar by the month. This is hard to do in SQL without this window function. Here we’ve applied the avg() window function to the 3rd column where we’ve found the average value for the month-year for every month-year in the dataset. We can use this metric to calculate the difference between the month average and the date average for each request date in the table.

The code to implement the window function would look like this:

SELECT a.request_date,

a.dist_to_cost,

AVG(a.dist_to_cost) OVER(PARTITION BY a.request_mnth) AS avg_dist_to_cost

FROM

(SELECT *,

to_char(request_date::date, ‘YYYY-MM’) AS request_mnth,

(distance_to_travel/monetary_cost) AS dist_to_cost

FROM uber_request_logs) a

ORDER BY request_date

2. Ranking Functions

Ranking functions are an important utility for a data scientist. You’re always ranking and indexing your data to better understand which rows are the best in your dataset. SQL window functions give you 3 ranking utilities — RANK(), DENSE_RANK(), ROW_NUMBER() — depending on your exact use case. These functions will help you list your data in order and in groups based on what you desire.

Rank() Example:

Let’s take a look at one ranking window function example to see how we can rank data within groups using SQL window functions. Follow along interactively with this link: platform.stratascratch.com/coding-question?id=9898&python=

Here we want to find the top salaries by department. We can’t just find the top 3 salaries without a window function because it will just give us the top 3 salaries across all departments, so we need to rank the salaries by departments individually. This is done by rank() and partitioned by department. From there it’s really easy to filter for top 3 across all departments

Here’s the code to output this table. You can copy and paste in the SQL editor in the link above and see the same output.

SELECT department,

salary,

RANK() OVER (PARTITION BY a.department

ORDER BY a.salary DESC) AS rank_id

FROM

(SELECT department, salary

FROM twitter_employee

GROUP BY department, salary

ORDER BY department, salary) a

ORDER BY department,

salary DESC

3. NTILE

NTILE is a very useful function for those in data analytics, business analytics, and data science. Often times when deadline with statistical data, you probably need to create robust statistics such as quartile, quintile, median, decile in your daily job, and NTILE makes it easy to generate these outputs.

NTILE takes an argument of the number of bins (or basically how many buckets you want to split your data into), and then creates this number of bins by dividing your data into that many number of bins. You set how the data is ordered and partitioned, if you want additional groupings.

NTILE(100) Example

In this example, we’ll learn how to use NTILE to categorize our data into percentiles. You can follow along interactively in the link here: platform.stratascratch.com/coding-question?id=10303&python=

What you’re trying to do here is identify the top 5 percent of claims based on a score an algorithm outputs. But you can’t just find the top 5% and do an order by because you want to find the top 5% by state. So one way to do this is to use a NTILE() ranking function and then PARTITION by the state. You can then apply a filter in the WHERE clause to get the top 5%.

Here’s the code to output the entire table above. You can copy and paste it in the link above.

SELECT policy_num,

state,

claim_cost,

fraud_score,

percentile

FROM

(SELECT *,

NTILE(100) OVER(PARTITION BY state

ORDER BY fraud_score DESC) AS percentile

FROM fraud_score) a

WHERE percentile <=5

4. Handling time series data

LAG and LEAD are two window functions that are useful for dealing with time series data. The only difference between LAG and LEAD is whether you want to grab from previous rows or following rows, almost like sampling from previous data or future data.

You can use LAG and LEAD to calculate month-over-month growth or rolling averages. As a data scientist and business analyst, you’re always dealing with time series data and creating those time metrics.

LAG() Example:

In this example, we want to find the percentage growth year-over-year, which is a very common question that data scientists and business analyst answer on a daily basis. The problem statement, data, and SQL editor is in the following link if you want to try to code the solution on your own: platform.stratascratch.com/coding-question?id=9637&python=

What’s hard about this problem is the data is set up — you need to use the previous row’s value in your metric. But SQL isn’t built to do that. SQL is built to calculate anything you want as long as the values are on the same row. So we can use the lag() or lead() window function which will take the previous or subsequent rows and put it in your current row which is what this question is doing.

Here’s the code to output the entire table above. You can copy and paste the code in the SQL editor in the link above:

SELECT year,

current_year_host,

prev_year_host,

round(((current_year_host – prev_year_host)/(cast(prev_year_host AS numeric)))*100) estimated_growth

FROM

(SELECT year,

current_year_host,

LAG(current_year_host, 1) OVER (ORDER BY year) AS prev_year_host

FROM

(SELECT extract(year

FROM host_since::date) AS year,

count(id) current_year_host

FROM airbnb_search_details

WHERE host_since IS NOT NULL

GROUP BY extract(year

FROM host_since::date)

ORDER BY year) t1) t2

Affordable decorating ideas for all those bare windows, the first place most clients go to shop for their homes are with designers or at drapery workrooms. The average custom cost per window starts at one thousand dollars, and higher depending on the drapery style, price of fabric, and any additional embellishments, fringe, cording, tiebacks, lengths, widths, and odd window shapes. Most customers posses an endless list of desires, lacking the information, or resources needed to fulfill their ultimate dream draperies.

A quick evaluation of your home is the best place to start, you don’t want to over or under estimate the overall value of the home. I dare say I don’t know anyone who would wear a designer gown, accessorized with a pair of running shoes, and hopefully neither do you. Our quest is for quality at reasonable price points, and not for obvious cheap knock offs, or discount bargains.

The design industry has many alternatives, knowing where to look is the question, so here are some of the answers of where, and how to find them. Most popular designer and drapery showrooms stock ready made window treatments in standard sizes, top treatments, window scarves, swags, and cascades, stationary sides, and drapery panels, so lets go shopping, and compare.

A few designer showrooms carry fabric vendor lines who offer a semi custom silk panel program, yes its hard to believe luxury at a great price. A choice of at least five pleat styles, over one hundred color ways, lengths up to 120 inches, and this includes fabric, lining, labor all for under two hundred dollars. In situations such as a large great room with very high windows, try hanging two panels together top to bottom of each panel a clever way of extending the fabric length.

Our search, includes store clearance corners discontinued items, and display samples, one of a kinds, are perfect for rooms that have single windows, a small bedroom, laundry room, or back door with a not so private window. Top quality merchandise, priced right, and delivers that wow factor of a custom design.

Ideas for the budget minded, or short on cash clients, find a neighbor or friend who shares your similar style, and the need for change as well, be sure to measure, and then swap window treatments. Shop the resale venues, yard, and estate sales have vast treasures just waiting to be discovered. Get creative by recovering old cornice boards, or seasonal accents on the kitchen window wrapping them in tree branches, birch, curly willow, aspen, add silk or dried floral as a finished detail.

Everyone has an idea, and a budget before going shopping for window treatments, and desire for their homes to look beautiful, impressive, and display their unique personal styles. Spending a enormous amount of money on draperies rather on furnishings for the room just isn’t logical, or practical. Alternative solutions are available for you, as consumers we need to separate our wants, and desires, from affordable and what’s needed. After acquiring that sweet victory reward of beautiful windows its time to relax, with enough wow factor that will satisfy any viewer.

First of all, let’s examine the contents of your standard Push-Button Release Kit, shall we? Here are the standard contents, along with short descriptions of which is which:

1. Lock Box (2″ x 6″ metal box)

2. Push Rod (11″ long round rod, usually gold)

3. Strike Pin (2″ long x 5/8″ diameter round pin, usually silver, may be inside Cardboard Slip)

4. Cardboard Slip (4″ long round cardboard)

5. Flange (1 1/2″ diameter aluminum cover)

6. Button (3/4″ diameter aluminum button)

7. Mounting screws (usually 4 small screws in a small plastic bag)

8. Plastic Guard (2 1/2″ diameter plastic cover)

The tools and unsupplied parts you’ll need are:

1. Knife

2. Pencil

3. Long 1/2″ Drill Bit (this needs to be long enough to go through your building wall)

4. Drill

5. 1/4″-3/8″ screws for the Lock Box holes, washers if needed.

6. Drill bit for those screws

7. Hammer

8. Ruler

9. Heavy duty Bolt Cutters or a Grinder, which can cut through a 1/4″ metal rod.

So let’s get to it!

1. Attach the Strike Pin to your window guard

The Strike Pin (3) should be permanently mounted on or near the outer metal framing of the window guard -referred to from now on as WG- on the side of the WG’s “door” opposite of the hinge, near the middle (the same place where a doorknob is located on a door). It should extend outward from the WG toward the wall, so that it will later slip into the Lock Box tip-first when closed.

IMPORTANT: The Strike Pin should point straight as possible, ie not pointing slightly up, down, to the left, or to the right. The straighter it is, the smoother its operation later.

The back of the Strike Pin has threads for a 1/4″ bolt, so a common way of affixing the strike pin to your WG is by first attaching a 1/4″ bolt it, then screwing the Strike Pin into that. Still, you don’t want people being able to simply unscrew the bolt from the outside, so it is important that you permanently fix it to the WG. This is most often done by spot welding the attached Strike Pin in place, but if a welder isn’t handy, any way the bolt can be made unturnable will work, such as using one-way bolts.

2. Mount the Window Guard

If it isn’t already, it’s time to mount the WG on your window. Attach the Lock Box (1) to the end of your pin so that it locks in place. If it won’t, make sure it is unlocked first by pushing the end of the Push Rod (2) into the smaller hole of the Lock Box first. This Lock Box will be mounted to the outer wall of your building, so you need to install the WG in a position where the Lock Box can be mounted using the top and bottom screw holes, and cannot be pryed off (such as when it sits off the edge of a window frame).

The other thing to keep in mind here is that there will be an approximately 1/2″ hole drilled through your wall positioned in the middle of the Lock Box, and on the inside of the building, a 1 5/8″ diameter Flange will mount to the wall around that hole. So when you put up the WG, you want the Lock Box to be near the window opening, but far enough to allow for this 1/2″ hole to be drilled through the wall, and hopefully be clear of any inner wall obstructions (like inside framing) for a 1 5/8″ diameter around the hole center.

3. Mark your hole

With the Strike Pin attached to your WG, and the WG attached to your building, the rest is relatively simple!

Now we need to mark where the hole will be drilled through the wall so that it matches the small hole on the back of the Lock Box. First, push the Push Rod (2) into the Lock Box hole so it releases from the Strike Pin, and remove it. Place the Cardboard Slip (4) all the way onto the Strike Pin, and cut off the end with a knife so the cardboard only barely extends beyond the Strike Pin. Close the WG door slowly until the circle of cardboard meets the wall, then use a pencil to draw a circle where it lands.

4. Drill

Technically a 3/8″ drill bit will be big enough for the Push Rod to fit into, but I recommend a 1/2″ bit, which leaves more room for error, and is covered up just fine. Using the circle you just marked, drill a hole straight through your building wall until you breach the other side.

At this point, reattach the Lock Box to the WG and hold it closed. Someone from the inside should be able to put their eye through the newly drilled hole and see the ENTIRE small hole of the Lock Box. If it is partially covered, drill out the hole until there’s a clear path to it.

5. Mount the Lock Box

If it isn’t already, reattach the Lock Box to the WG and hold it closed. Mark the upper and lower holes of the Lock Box with your trusty pencil, then open the WG and drill them with the drill bit (NOT the huge one!) that matches the screws you’re going to use to mount the Lock Box, which don’t come with the kit. These screws should be between 1/4″ and 3/8″, and should be about 2″ to 3″ long.

With your 2 holes drilled above and below your BIG one, remove the Lock Box from the WG (you know how by now, right?), place it on the wall, and mount it with your screws. Screw them in until they’re snug, but do not completely tighten just yet.

6. Align the Lock Box

Slowly close the WG towards your mounted Lock Box, being careful NOT to lock it in place. What’s that? You say the Strike Pin isn’t lining up? Take a chill pill, I’m getting there.

With your hammer, smack the Lock Box just enough to move it in the direction it needs to go. If it won’t budge, you screwed it in a bit too tight and will need to loosen it. When it is lined up properly, you may lock it in place to ensure it works. It can be unlocked, of course, by sticking the Push Rod (2) through the hole in the wall until it releases. Note that you may need to “fish” around for the smaller hole in the Lock Box to push it in all the way.

When everything is lined up, tighten the Lock Box screws all the way. If everything is well aligned, the Push Rod should easily open the WG and the WG should easily lock in place. Even after the screws are tightened, you may be able to use the hammer for final adjustments.

7. Cut the Push Rod

Alright, now to the inside of the building! Close the WG until locked, then stick the Push Rod (2) THREADS FIRST all the way into the hole, and then all the way into the Lock Box’s hole (which you’ll probably have to “fish” for) until it cannot go any further, WITHOUT unlocking it.

IMPORTANT: You MUST be sure the Push Rod is all the way inside the Lock Box, even though it is sometimes hard to tell. To be sure, try unlocking and re-locking the WG a few times, so you know the Push Rod is at the end.

Once the Push Rod is in as far as it can go, mark the Push Rod with a pencil or marker at 5/8″ beyond the inside wall face. That is, we want to cut the Push Rod so that only 5/8″ of it extends out of your wall.

Once you have your mark, use a pair of bolt cutters or a grinder to cut the Push Rod at your mark. If you inserted it correctly, the excess you’re cutting off should NOT be the threaded end.

8. Install the Button

Flip the Push Rod so the threads are facing you again, and screw the Button (6) onto the end of it. Then insert the Push Rod back into the wall and inside the Lock Box hole as before. If it doesn’t extend far enough, you probably cut the Push Rod too short and will need to try again with another one. Place the Flange (5) around the Button and push the Flange (not the Button) all the way against the wall, as if it were screwed in. If the WG unlocks, the Push Rod is slightly too long, and you’ll need to cut it a little more. If not, a simple push of the Button should do the trick!

Just screw in the Flange to the wall using the Screws (7) provided, and you’re finished!

Optionally, the Plastic Guard (8) may be installed over the Button and Flange using the other 2 screws provided.

And that’s about it!

You’ve decided on vinyl as your material of choice for your new replacement windows. Unfortunately, not all vinyl windows are created equal. There are many components and processes that can be used to manufacture a vinyl replacement window. This guide pinpoints three specific features to look for when comparison shopping vinyl replacement windows.

The Frame
A window’s mainframe can be considered the most important part of the window design because it provides the structural integrity of the window. All homes experience constant shifting and movement during their lifetime. To combat these movements, look for windows with fully-welded frames. Windows that are mechanically fastened, or chemically glued, or not fully welded are structurally weaker and can bend or crack during temperature changes and movement.

Next, inquire about the quality of the vinyl used in the window profiles. Ask your contractor if there is a significant percentage of “regrind” or recycled vinyl in the frame. Windows utilizing a significant amount of regrind are weaker because chemicals are added to increase the recycled vinyl’s strength.

Lastly, does the vinyl replacement window have a proper drainage system? A weep system channels water away from the window and your home reducing water infiltration.

Insulating Glass Systems
Glass makes up almost 80% of a window and dictates a window’s thermal performance. Look for windows with double or triple glaze glass packages with Low-E coatings with Argon or Krypton gas fills. Low-E glass contains microscopic coatings that act like a filter. In summer, the Low-E glass allows ample visible light to pass through while blocking infrared solar energy, keeping your rooms cooler. In winter, the glass helps to keep rooms warmer by reflecting heat back into the home while letting warm, solar rays enter. The results are simple… lower energy costs! Plus, Low-E glass blocks damaging UV rays, helping to reduce fading of carpet and furnishings in your home. Insulating gases, such as Argon or Krypton, can be added to the air spaces in glass units. Both gases are denser than air and prevent the formation of convection currents, reducing heat transfer between the inside and outside of your home. This improves your home’s comfort while lowering your heating and cooling bills.

Balance System

If purchasing the market’s most popular style, double hung vinyl replacement windows, the type of balance system used is the major factor in the ease of operation of the window’s sashes. A balance system applies tension to the sash keeping it in the desired position and enables the sash to easily operate up and down. The three major types of balance systems that are available include the constant force balance, the spiral balance, and the block and tackle balance.

The constant force balance works by utilizing a rolled coil steel spring to counter balance the weight of a window sash. The amount of coils used in the constant force balance system is determined by the weight of the sash, requiring single, double or even triple coils. As the amount of coils increases, they limit the travel and egress of the window.

And just as a tape measure with dirt on the coil sticks and is difficult to get back into the case, the coil on a constant force balance will stick when dirt and debris gets on the coil. This causes difficulty in operating the window.

The spiral balance relies on tension applied to a spiral rod inside a balance tube. Tension is applied by turning the spiral rod that extends out from the bottom of the tube counter clockwise. As more revolutions are applied, more tension is applied to the spring enabling it to counter-balance the weight of the sash. As the weight of the sash increases, more turns on the balance are required resulting in increased pressure on the internal spring. This pressure can make the window sash difficult to raise and lower, weaken the balance and eventually cause balance failure resulting in top sashes dropping down and bottom sashes not staying up.

Block and Tackle Balance Systems are more advanced in their design and technology than in years past. Today, Block and Tackle Balances are considered a Weight Management System. The system works by using a series of pulleys to convert minimal stretching of a coil spring into the required amount of sash travel.

Block and Tackle Balance Systems use composite cords to connect the coil spring to the balance shoe. This composite blend is used in mountain climbing ropes and other high-tension applications. Plus, Block and Tackle Balance Systems never need lubrication or adjustments to assure they are working properly.

This Weight Management System is engineered to counter balance the exact weight of each sash. On average the block and tackle balance has a 40% lower operating force than the spiral balance.

So when comparison shopping for vinyl replacement windows, look for a window system that features fully-welded frames and sashes, high-performance insulating glass packages and a block and tackle weight management system. When these three features are combined, you can rest assured you are purchasing a window system that will provide you years of strength, comfort, energy savings and ease of operation.

Seitz S4 Framed Windows: A complete window for motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. Supplied as an assembly, ready to install, with grey acrylic double glazed pane, black outer frame, integrated roller blind and flynet. The practical, central, one-hand control system combines both flynet and blind for easy movement into various positions.

Simply and quickly installed, to wall thickness from 1 mm (sheet metal thickness) up to 53 mm, using suitable timber strips.

Seitz S4 framed camper van motorhome caravan windows are installed by screwing the inner frame to the outer frame. The window is ready for installation to a wall thickness of 26 mm. For wall thickness from 1 mm to 25 mm a supplementary frame will have to be fitted to the window aperture. For wall thickness from 27 mm to 42 mm, the inner frame will have to be trimmed. For wall thickness from 43 mm to 53 mm, the outer frame will have to be fitted with timber strips. All these modifications and additions are fully and simply explained in the installation instruction supplied with the window. Seitz S4 campervan motorhome windows for replacement or van conversions. Care must be taken when measuring exact size.

The following guide will help ensure correct sizes.

1. Check for sizes etched on window pane
2. Check exact cutout size of aperture/hole
3. Check exact size of overall size of outside frame Width x Height in mm

Seitz S4 hinged window comes supplied with telescopic arms and safety catches.

The S4 framed windows are supplied to the following colour scheme:

Outer frame black RAL 9005.

Inner frame cream white RAL 9001.

Blind has grey interior with an aluminum coating to the outside.

Flynet is un patterned white.

Acrylic pane is grey.

Hinge windows open up to a maximum of 80°

Seitz S4 sliding window comes supplied with safety catch to stop the window being opened from outside. Left and right hand versions available (as direction of travel). In both cases the sliding section must be fitted to the front of the vehicle.

The S 4 framed windows are supplied to the following colour scheme:

Outer frame black RAL 9005.

Inner frame cream white RAL 9001.

Blind has grey interior with an aluminum coating to the outside.

Flynet is unpatterned white.

Acrylic pane is grey.

We continue with Part 3 in our survey of the most important user interface components that a technical writer should be familiar with.

NOTE: This series is limited to the Windows interface only.

A WINDOW consists of the following parts:

TITLE BAR is the long rectangle (and usually BLUE) frame on the TOP of a window. On the left corner, the Title Bar displays the TITLE of the Window, which is the text typed in between the opening and closing “title” tags in the HTML source code.

On the right corner of the Title Bar you;d have three buttons: MINIMIZE (minus sign), MAXIMIZE (square icon), and the CLOSE button (the “X” icon).

Right under the Title Bar, you have the MENU BAR which includes the all-too familiar File, Edit, View, Format, Tools, Window, Help, etc. MENU ITEMS.

When you click each menu item, a LIST of MENU OPTIONS display.

IMPORTANT: Menu Items and their linear arrangement may change depending on the user configuration. Don’t expect to see the same menu items in the same spot on every Windows Menu Bar.

To summarize, you need to pay attention to the following three menu-related concepts and use them consistently in your technical documents: menu BAR; menu ITEM; and menu OPTION.

Remember this about the menus as well: when you right-click on a screen element you may launch a POP-UP MENU. And sometimes Menu Options will have labels followed by a right-pointing triangle which means there is another CASCADING MENU hiding under that menu option. When you hover your mouse pointer over the triangle, the respective cascading menu will be revealed. The pop-up menus may have their own respective cascading menus as well.

After the Menu Bar, comes the TOOL BAR which displays the graphic ICONS of various Windows functions. For example, you can print the document displayed in the open window by clicking the PRINTER icon on the Tool Bar, as well as selecting the Print command option from the FILE Menu Item.

IMPORTANT: Tool Bar icons and their linear arrangement may change depending on the user configuration. Don’t expect to see the same tool icons in the same spot on every Windows Tool Bar.