Glossary

A-Frame
Large window with an angled top that follows the line of a slanted roof or ceiling.

Application
Window installed for a specific use. For example, a skylight or sliding glass door

Atrium/French doors
Pair of doors with glass panes. With Atrium-style doors, one door opens; with French-style doors, both sides open.

Bay
Three or more windows set at angles to each other within a recessed area.

Blackout fabric
Fabric that helps block 99% of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and provides complete privacy.

Bottom rail
Bottom of a window covering. Often moved by lift cords to raise or lower the window covering.

Bottom-up
Term "top-down/bottom-up" refers to a window treatment with two sets of lift cords that allow the window covering to be raised from the top down or from the bottom up.

Bow
Curved window that forms an arc extending outward from the wall.

Casement
Crank-operated window that opens either inward or outward.

Clerestory
Shallow window set near the ceiling.

Cord tensioner
Specially designed cord weight with spring tension and bracket that improves the safety of cord-looped products.

Cornice
Top treatment constructed on a wood or molded frame that can be stained, padded, or covered with fabric.

Diffusion
Method of controlling light at the window, diffusion bends the light coming into the space, causing it to scatter in multiple directions without shadows.

Dormer
Small window projecting from the house in an alcove-like extension.

Double
Two windows set side by side, usually double-hung.

Double-hung
Two-sash window in which one or both sashes slide up and down.

Dust and soil resistant
Some product makers have created fabrics that are dust, soil and stain resistant. In addition, its aluminum shades are treated with a proprietary dust repellent paint.

Eyebrow
Half-oval or ellipse, often installed as a dormer.

French/Atrium doors
Pair of doors with glass panes. With French-style doors, both sides open; with Atrium-style doors, one door opens.

Gothic arch
Arch whose curves meet in a point at the top.

Greenhouse
Curved vertical windows that form both the walls and the ceiling of a sunroom.

Hard treatments
Window coverings that cover windows, such as shades, shutters or blinds. Conversely, window coverings that primarily decorate windows, such as drapery, swags, or valances, are known as soft treatments.

Headrail
Top of a window covering. Typically attached to the installation brackets and houses operational components (such as the manual or motorised lifting system).

Honeycomb shades
Honeycomb shades are accordion-style shades constructed from soft fabrics. The cells, which form a honeycomb design, trap hot and cold air for maximum energy efficiency and sound reduction. Available in single, double and triple cell designs with a variety of pleat sizes.

Inside mount
Window covering designed to fit inside a window casing. Conversely, an outside mount is designed to fit outside a window casing.

Jalousie
Narrow, horizontal slats of glass maneuvered by a crank.

Lifting system
System, manual or motorised, that raises or lowers a window covering.

Light dimming
Many products can be adjusted to provide any level of natural light. When natural light is softened, we refer to this as "light dimming."

Louver
Vane made of wood, vinyl or fabric. Tilting the louver controls the amount and direction of natural light entering a room.

Opacity
Quality of a material that makes it impervious to rays of light. Opposite of sheer.

Outside mount
Outside mount is designed to fit outside a window casing. Conversely, an inside mount is designed to fit inside a window casing.

Palladian
Classical window form distinguished by its graceful arch.

Pleated shades
Shade where the fabric is folded and creased in an accordion-like manner.

Roman shade
Flat fabric shade that folds into neat horizontal pleats when it is raised.

Room-darkening fabric
Fabric that has been treated or is constructed to block out a large portion of the sunlight.

Sash
Framework that holds the panes of a glass in a glazed window or door, including the narrow bars between the panes.

Semi-opaque
Material that makes it partly impervious to rays of light.

Sheer
Quality of a material that makes it capable of transmitting light and allowing a clear view of what lies beyond. Opposite of opacity.

Shutters
Stationary window covering, designed for interior use, usually constructed with adjustable slats.

Soft treatments
Window coverings that primarily decorate windows, such as drapery, swags, or valances. Conversely, window coverings that cover windows, such as shades, shutters or blinds, are known as hard treatments.

Swag
Top treatment with fabric that falls from the top of a board or pole, looping downward, then back up one or more times.

Tieback
Piece of fabric cut in any of several styles, used to hold a drapery panel back.

Top-down
Term "top-down/bottom-up" refers to a window treatment with two sets of lift cords that allow the window covering to be raised from the top down or from the bottom up.

Traverse rod
Rod used to open or close vertical blinds.

Uniform exterior appearance
Viewed from outside the home, the window coverings with "uniform exterior appearance" look as if they are a single panel of material.

UV
Acronym for the sun's ultraviolet light.

Valance
Decorative fabric treatment used at the top of window coverings.