Same Building Site, Different Language: The Quirks of the Window Industry

Photo credit: Complete Additions

Have you ever been in a conversation between a builder and someone from the window industry? It can sometimes sound like they're speaking the same language... until they aren't!

The truth is, we're all part of the building industry. We all want the same outcome—a finished home that looks fantastic and functions beautifully. But the window and door industry has developed a few habits over the years that can leave builders and homeowners scratching their heads.

Take measurements, for example.

A builder might be talking about the size of the opening in the wall, while we're talking about the exact size of the window or door that fits into that opening. It sounds like a tiny difference, but in our world, a few millimetres can be the difference between "perfect fit" and "well... that's awkward."

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-person-is-measuring

-a-piece-of-wood-with-a-tape-measure-ccWAvKLRhVQ

And just to keep everyone on their toes, we even say our measurements differently.

In the building industry, it's common to call out the width first, then the height. In the window industry, we do the opposite—we say the height first, then the width. So when someone says "1200 by 1800," one person is picturing a wide window, while the other is picturing a tall one! It's no wonder we spend so much time double-checking measurements before manufacturing.

Window industry: Height first x width second

Then there's our favourite party trick—looking at everything from the outside.

Yep, when we talk about the left-hand or right-hand side of a window or door, we're standing outside the house (at least in our minds!). Most homeowners naturally picture things from inside the room, which can make for some entertaining conversations.

"No, the other left."

"No... stand outside."

"Now it's the left."

It sounds confusing, but it's simply the industry standard. Looking from the outside keeps everyone in manufacturing, installation and ordering speaking the same language.

These little differences are exactly why we ask so many questions before your windows or doors go into production. We're not trying to make life difficult—we're trying to make sure your custom-made products arrive exactly as they should.

So while the building industry and the window industry work side by side every single day, we each have our own terminology and way of doing things. Once you know the quirks, it all makes perfect sense... well, most of the time!

And if you ever hear someone from the window industry say, "I'm looking at it from the outside," don't worry—they haven't wandered off. They're just speaking fluent window.

This article was written with the help of ChatGPT.