Window Size, Dimensions in Schedule and Current Industry Standards

[HumbleChief]

One of the builders I design for has run into a recent change in window industry spec's and wondered if anyone else has experienced this.

 

The change is a move toward sizing in inches instead of feet. Example a 4040 window is now being referred to as a 48" x 48" window; a 2040 as a 24" x 48" etc.

 

He ordered a 2640 and got a 26" x 40" window. Anyone else seen this? Is it new?

 

I've always spec'd my windows in feet 4040, 2040 etc. and my schedules were always in those same feet as well. I'm now using inches in my schedules as well as ft. but wondered if this a new trend or different for every manufacturer?

[CJSpud]

I haven't seen this nor have I seen any discussion of such a change in any of the construction magazines or construction related emails I receive regularly.

[JJohnson]

Not really.  If you write the size in feet/inches you are supposed to make the inch number small and underline it.

If you speak the size you say twenty by forty if you want 20" x 40",

or two oh by four oh if you want two feet by four feet.

 

So it's either way.

 

I have always considered the window specifications for a project one of the

trickiest to get correct, with so many variations.

 

Milgard's big deal now is you can get a window at any size you want.

 

My to cents (2)

[HumbleChief]

Yeah my builder hadn't heard of it either and explained the situation when I asked him about the (2) 26" x 40" windows in the back of his truck.

[Alaskan_Son]

I have always called in my orders verbally and usually use both terms to clarify.  Having said that, Jere is correct.  It's all about how you say it or write it.  For a 2040 window...

 

You could SAY "twenty by forty" or "twenty forty" and screw it up or you could say "two oh four oh" and get it right.  Or you could "two zero four zero", "two zero by four zero", or "two oh by four oh" and just confuse people. 

 

You could also write it a ton of different ways...some of which could lead to confusion.  In my experience the most correct way is to use superscript for the second number of each dimension (I would write it that way now but I don't know how on the forum).  I beleiev 2040 is also an acceptable alternative though.  Beyond that you have:

-20 40 (bad)

-20x40 (bad)

-20" x 40" (just plain wrong and very bad)

-24"x48" (correct)

-I'm sure there are plenty others.

 

It just needs to be communicated correctly one way or another and like I said I have always done that verbally just to be sure, and if I don't use BOTH terminologies I will usually just use inches (especially when ordering oddball sizes). 

[HumbleChief]

I always provide both, and have a macro that shows both on the plan.  wm 1.jpg

 

No excuses for wrong size windows if all the info is available.

Like it.

[Alaskan_Son]

I always provide both, and have a macro that shows both on the plan.  wm 1.jpg

 

No excuses for wrong size windows if all the info is available.

 

Eric, just one man's opinion here, but I personally think the way you write dimensions in inches is one of the confusing methods (32w x 48h instead of 32"w x 48"h or some other way that includes the inch symbol or inch abbreviation).  Because you have both numbers you'll likely never have a problem, but if you get someone lazy writing up your order they may only choose to look at one of them, and if they look only at the second number you could potentially have issues.  Just my $0.02. 

[HumbleChief]

I have always called in my orders verbally and usually use both terms to clarify.  Having said that, Jere is correct.  It's all about how you say it or write it.  For a 2040 window...

 

You could SAY "twenty by forty" or "twenty forty" and screw it up or you could say "two oh four oh" and get it right.  Or you could "two zero four zero", "two zero by four zero", or "two oh by four oh" and just confuse people. 

 

You could also write it a ton of different ways...some of which could lead to confusion.  In my experience the most correct way is to use superscript for the second number of each dimension (I would write it that way now but I don't know how on the forum).  I beleiev 2040 is also an acceptable alternative though.  Beyond that you have:

-20 40 (bad)

-20x40 (bad)

-20" x 40" (just plain wrong and very bad)

-24"x48" (correct)

-I'm sure there are plenty others.

 

It just needs to be communicated correctly one way or another and like I said I have always done that verbally just to be sure, and if I don't use BOTH terminologies I will usually just use inches (especially when ordering oddball sizes). 

Thanks for the replies.

 

The builder in question has ordered thousands of windows with very few mistakes and was taken by surprise by the confusion. I wasn't there so I don't know what transpired but he probably ordered it correctly in his mind but found out that the window manufacturer/rep had a different version.

 

Either way it doesn't sound like much has changed when ordering windows. I'll ask him again and find out what happened.

[English]

I have always called in my orders verbally and usually use both terms to clarify.  Having said that, Jere is correct.  It's all about how you say it or write it.  For a 2040 window...

 

You could SAY "twenty by forty" or "twenty forty" and screw it up or you could say "two oh four oh" and get it right.  Or you could "two zero four zero", "two zero by four zero", or "two oh by four oh" and just confuse people. 

 

You could also write it a ton of different ways...some of which could lead to confusion.  In my experience the most correct way is to use superscript for the second number of each dimension (I would write it that way now but I don't know how on the forum).  I beleiev 2040 is also an acceptable alternative though.  Beyond that you have:

-20 40 (bad)

-20x40 (bad)

-20" x 40" (just plain wrong and very bad)

-24"x48" (correct)

-I'm sure there are plenty others.

 

It just needs to be communicated correctly one way or another and like I said I have always done that verbally just to be sure, and if I don't use BOTH terminologies I will usually just use inches (especially when ordering oddball sizes). 

Michael

So it would be  2⁸4⁰ 

Alan

 

Iit's the x² on the toolbar).  

[justmejerry]

Be nice if we had the x² button in our text. Probably have to use windows alt key codes.

[Alaskan_Son]

Michael

So it would be  2⁸4⁰ 

Alan

 

Iit's the x² on the toolbar).  

 

Hey, Thanks!  Never noticed that there : )

[DRAWZILLA]

Hey, Thanks!  Never noticed that there : )

Can someone show me a screen shot where that is , I can't find it for some reason, that my wife reminds me of all the time.

[English]

Can someone show me a screen shot where that is , I can't find it for some reason, that my wife reminds me of all the time.

 

Its on the row where the Bold and Italic options are.

Alan

[DRAWZILLA]

Thanks, I was hopeful it was in Chief and looking there.

[justmejerry]

Perry, the only way to get that in Chief is copy and paste from Word, but it won't work in label. You would have to just paste text where you want it.

[English]

I'm sure one of or more resourceful members could come up with a macro to do that in a label.

Alan