Glossary - Blinds, Shutters, & Shades Dallas Plano Allen Frisco

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

A  

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.

B

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

Blackout fabric – Fabric that helps block out 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.

C

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.

D

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 – Treated fabrics that are dust, soil and stain resistant.

E

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

F

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

G

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.

H

Hard Treatments – Window coverings that cover windows, such as shades, shutters or blinds. Conversely, window coverings that primarily decorate windows, such as draperies, swags, or valences, are known as soft treatments. 

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

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.

I

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

J

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

L

Lifting System– System, manual or motorized, that raises or lowers a window covering.

Light Dimming – 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.

O

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.

P

Palladian – Classical window form distinguished by its graceful arch.

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

R

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.

S

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. 

Soil and dust resistant – Fabrics that are dust, soil and stain resistant.

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

T

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.

U

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.

V

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