Window Testing

The construction of a new building requires that all of the materials being used undergo series of tests to ensure that the building will not only be safe for those who are in it but that it will withstand all of the elements that nature has to offer. Each component must also be tested as a complete assembly to make sure that it passes a rigorous set of codes that have been developed over the last century. Testing the window and door assemblies is perhaps two of the most important test performed. Window testing is performed for many reasons both in the finished building and out of the building before they are installed. Each window must be tested to make sure that it meets the standards set out by the American Society for Testing and Materials. This standard establishes how each test must be performed and what the minimum requirements are for a fenestration product to pass and be allowed to be used in the construction of a building.

One method of window testing involves the use of a hot box to measure the thermal properties of fenestration systems. Generally the hot box consists of two chambers, one is heated the other is not. The window is placed in-between the two chambers to simulate both indoor and outdoor conditions. Both of these chambers are heavily insulated to reduce the amount of heat loss and give them most accurate results possible. The objective of this type of window testing is to see how much heat loss occurs through the glass sample in the window assembly. To find this out sensors are placed on both sides of the window to measure the heat. As the heat level is changed the difference on both sides of glass is measured. Glass that has too high a rate of heat transfer is considered unfit for use in the building industry. Another form of window testing involves testing the widow and frame assembly for water penetration. This involves placing the entire assembly in a holding jig; usually a mock up of a wall or it can be performed on a window that is already in place in a building. The test involves applying water under pressure to the outside of the window at the same time as rapidly pulsing air under a higher pressure than that on the inside of the window.

This method of window testing can also be used on skylights, doors and curtain walls to test for water penetration. Even if the water penetrates the window assembly but does not actually damage or destroy it there can be collateral damage. This damage can have adverse effects on the sealants around the window, materials used to insulate the glass or even the lamination used in some safety glasses. With a staff fully trained in all aspects of fenestration testing QED Lab is equipped to ensure that your windows and door meet or exceed all ASTM and AAMA requirements. Whether they come to your building site or perform the tests in their state of the art laboratories your complete satisfaction is guaranteed.