Weathered apartment building facade with many varied windows, enclosed balconies, and a few illuminated interiors, tinted dark teal.

Reference photo R1: a facade grid where many opening types share one elevation.

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WINDOW SCHEDULE: REFERENCE SHEETS R1–R5

Window Reference Gallery

Something to point at when words for a window run out.

These are illustrative references, not finished jobs. Each one is grouped under a schedule mark and captioned with the style, material or detail it shows. Borrow the marks in your enquiry, and the window you describe becomes easier to picture and to make to order.

R1

MARK · STREET

Street elevations

Start from the street. The shape of an opening and the way its sash moves set the character of a facade long before frame colour or glass comes into it.

Tall white-painted multi-pane window set into an aged plaster wall, shown in black and white.

Reference photo R1: a tall, white-painted window divided into many panes in a plaster wall. Divided panes like these set the rhythm of an elevation. See R4 for period sash details.

MARKTYPENOTES

R1.1CasementSide-hinged and swinging out like a door. From the street it reads as one clean pane.

R1.2Double-hung sashTwo sashes slide vertically. The meeting rail draws a horizontal line across the elevation.

R1.3AwningTop-hinged, opening outward from the bottom. It often sits in a row above fixed panes.

R1.4SlidingPanels travel sideways on a track. Long, low proportions that suit wide openings.

R1.5FixedNo opening sash, so all of the frame goes to the view or to a feature shape.

R1.6BayThree or more units projecting from the wall, which brings light in from several directions.

R2

MARK · FRAME

Frame details

Look closely at the frame edge rather than the whole window. The width of the profile, its finish and how it meets the wall are the details that separate one material from another.

Light-colored exterior wall with two rectangular windows fitted with horizontal blinds and dark trim, alongside the shadow of a street lamp.

Reference photo R2.2: two windows with dark trim on a pale wall. Look at how the thin, dark frame edge contrasts with the wall.

R2.1  Painted timber
Moulded edges, a visible grain under the paint and profiles that can be shaped to match older joinery.

R2.2  Dark aluminium
Slim, crisp sightlines with a flat powder-coated finish. They keep attention on the glass.

R2.3  uPVC
Rounded, slightly deeper profiles in a smooth, even colour with no painted finish to keep up.

Name the material, then name the edge: thin and dark, moulded and painted, or smooth and rounded.

WHAT TO NOTE FROM A FRAME REFERENCE

How wide the frame looks from inside and out

Colour and finish, including any contrast with the wall

Whether glazing bars divide the pane

R3

MARK · GLASS

Glazing views

Glass is hard to see in a photograph, so describe it by what it should do for the room. These four references cover the common choices and the effect you would notice from inside.

High-angle city view seen through a tall set of large dark-framed windows in cool, hazy light.

Reference photo R3: a view through tall, dark-framed panes in cool, hazy light. Large glass keeps the frame out of the view, so the glass choice is what you feel from inside.

MARKGLASSWHAT YOU NOTICE FROM INSIDE

R3.1Single glazingOne pane in the sash. Fine sightlines and a traditional look, with the least effect on heat and sound.

R3.2Double glazingTwo panes around a sealed gap. The glass feels less cold on winter evenings.

R3.3Acoustic glazingLaminated or unequal panes chosen to soften traffic and street noise.

R3.4Low-E glassA near-invisible coating that holds warmth inside while keeping the view clear.

R5

MARK · HARDWARE

Hardware

Hardware is the part of a window you touch every day. Naming the kind of fitting you like tells us how the window should open, stay put and lock.

R5.1Casement stay and fastener holds a side-hung sash open at set points and pulls it tight when closed.

R5.2Sash lock sits on the meeting rail of a double-hung window and draws the two sashes together.

R5.3Hook latch is a simple metal hook and eye, common on older timber frames.

R5.4Chain or folding winder opens an awning sash smoothly, even when it is out of easy reach.

R5.5Keyed handle adds a lock to the handle itself, often chosen for ground-floor openings.

Close-up of a severely weathered wooden window frame with peeling paint, damaged timber, and a long metal hook latch.

Reference photo R5.3: a long metal hook latch on a weathered timber frame.

FINISH

Mention the finish as well: black, brushed, polished or painted to match the frame. Hardware reads as part of the frame’s colour scheme.

UPKEEP

Moving parts last longer with a little attention. See Window Care and Maintenance for hinges, latches and locks.

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MARK · USE

Quote the marks, then describe the opening

“R1.2 in R2.1 painted timber, R3.2 glass, R5.2 sash lock” describes a window in one line.

Mix and match the references above, then add rough sizes taken with Measuring and Sizing Basics. To see how those details become a starting point, read How a Custom Window Order Starts, or browse the remaining Window Guides and Window Questions.