| Aluminum Alloy and Temper | Use a documented architectural aluminum alloy and temper suitable for extruded window and door profiles, with consistent mechanical properties and traceable batches. | EN 573-3; EN 755-2; ASTM B221; ISO 6362-2 | Alloy and temper designation, mill certificates, extrusion records, and incoming-material inspection reports. | The alloy designation alone does not prove finished-product performance; profile design, wall thickness, thermal breaks, and fabrication quality must also be verified. |
| Dimensional Accuracy and Assembly | Frames and sashes should meet approved drawings, maintain uniform sightlines, and operate without binding, excessive gaps, or corner distortion. | EN 14351-1; ISO 2768-1 where applicable; project-specific fabrication tolerances | Approved shop drawings, inspection plans, dimensional reports, corner-joint samples, and finished-unit inspection records. | Check diagonal measurements, frame squareness, gasket continuity, drainage paths, hardware alignment, and smooth opening operation. |
| Surface Finishing and Corrosion Resistance | Finish should be uniform, fully cured, free from visible defects, and appropriate for the project’s exposure category, especially coastal or high-humidity locations. | AAMA 2603, AAMA 2604, or AAMA 2605; EN 12206-1; ISO 2813; ISO 9227 for salt-spray testing where specified | Coating type and thickness, pretreatment process, color and gloss tolerances, warranty terms, and independent coating test reports. | Salt-spray hours should not be compared without confirming the exact test protocol, coating system, substrate preparation, and acceptance criteria. |
| Air Permeability | Select a tested classification appropriate to the building’s climate, height, exposure, and local code. Lower air leakage generally supports better comfort and energy performance. | EN 1026 and EN 12207; ASTM E283; ISO 9972 for whole-building airtightness, where applicable | Laboratory report identifying specimen size, test pressure, leakage result, product configuration, and classification. | Do not treat a component air-leakage result as a whole-building result. Installation quality can materially change field performance. |
| Watertightness | The complete window or door should resist water penetration at the project’s specified pressure without uncontrolled leakage into the building. | EN 1027 and EN 12208; ASTM E331; ASTM E547 | Water-penetration test report, pressure level, specimen dimensions, drainage design, and tested hardware and glazing configuration. | A result is meaningful only when the tested configuration matches the proposed frame, glass, seals, vents, joints, and installation details. |
| Wind Load Resistance | Design pressure and deflection limits should be calculated for the actual opening size, building height, terrain, local wind speed, and exposure category. | EN 12211 and EN 12210; ASTM E330/E330M; AS/NZS 1170.2 and AS 2047 where applicable | Structural calculations, pressure test reports, mullion and transom checks, anchor design, and maximum approved panel sizes. | A generic pressure rating should not be used for every size. Large villa openings require project-specific engineering verification. |
| Thermal Transmittance | Prefer thermally broken aluminum systems with whole-window U-values calculated for the actual frame, glazing, spacer, dimensions, and configuration. | ISO 10077-1 and ISO 10077-2; EN 14351-1; NFRC 100; ASTM C1199 where applicable | Thermal calculations or certification showing Uf, Ug, Uw, test dimensions, spacer type, and glazing build-up. | U-values are not directly interchangeable across regions unless the area basis, boundary conditions, units, and calculation method are the same. |
| Solar Heat Gain and Visible Light | Select glazing according to climate and orientation. Solar heat gain coefficient and visible transmittance should be balanced with daylight, cooling load, glare, and shading design. | ISO 9050; EN 410; NFRC 200; ASTM E308 for color-related measurements where applicable | Glazing datasheets stating SHGC or g-value, visible transmittance, emissivity, reflectance, and center-of-glass or whole-product values. | Low-e coating performance depends on coating position, gas fill, cavity width, glass thickness, tint, and spacer design. |
| Condensation Control | Thermal bridges should be minimized at frames, edges, corners, and hardware. Interior surface temperatures should be assessed for the project’s indoor humidity and climate. | ISO 10211; ISO 10077-2; EN ISO 13788; AAMA 1503 where applicable | Two-dimensional thermal-bridge calculations, condensation-risk assessment, frame temperature-factor data, and spacer specifications. | Condensation depends on indoor humidity, ventilation, surface temperature, shading, and installation—not only on the nominal U-value. |
| Glazing Safety | Use safety glazing in locations required by local building regulations, including hazardous areas, doors, low-level glazing, and impact-prone zones. | EN 12150; EN 14449; EN 12600; ANSI Z97.1; CPSC 16 CFR 1201; AS/NZS 2208 | Glass identification marks, safety-glass certificates, impact classification, laminated-glass interlayer data, and glazing-location schedule. | Tempered glass breaks into small fragments but is not a substitute for laminated glass where post-breakage retention is required. |
| Security and Forced-Entry Resistance | Specify multi-point locking, suitable cylinders, reinforced keep areas, robust hinges, restrictors where required, and a tested security class appropriate to the risk. | EN 1627–EN 1630; PAS 24; ASTM F588 or ASTM F842 where applicable | Security test certificate, hardware schedule, lock-cylinder specification, hinge capacity, and tested product-size limitations. | Security performance applies to the complete assembly, including frame, glass, hardware, fixings, and installation—not to the lock alone. |
| Operational Durability | Hardware, rollers, hinges, seals, and operating mechanisms should be tested for repeated cycles suitable for the product type and expected use. | EN 1191 and EN 12400; EN 13115; ASTM F842 where applicable | Cyclic-operation test results, hardware load ratings, maintenance instructions, replacement-part availability, and warranty conditions. | Lift-and-slide doors, folding doors, and frequently used entrances need hardware selected for panel weight and operating frequency. |
| Acoustic Performance | Specify the required weighted sound-reduction or outdoor-indoor transmission rating based on site noise, room use, glazing area, and ventilation requirements. | ISO 10140; ISO 717-1; ASTM E90; ASTM E413; ASTM E1332 | Laboratory acoustic report with test construction, glass make-up, frame type, seals, vents, and rated performance. | Acoustic ratings can change significantly with installation gaps, trickle vents, perimeter seals, and the weakest element in the façade. |
| Thermal Break and Material Compatibility | Thermal barriers should be continuous, mechanically secure, and compatible with the aluminum, glazing, sealants, fasteners, and expected temperature range. | EN 14024; EN 14024-related system requirements; ISO 10077-2 | Thermal-break material specification, shear and aging data, profile cross-sections, production controls, and thermal-performance calculations. | A nominal polyamide strip width does not by itself establish thermal performance; the full profile geometry must be assessed. |
| Installation and Weather Sealing | Use a coordinated installation design with structural fixings, sill support, back dams, perimeter air seals, water management, and compatible sealants. | ASTM E2112; ISO 16000-10 where relevant to sealant emissions; local façade and building-code requirements | Method statement, sill and jamb details, anchor schedule, sealant compatibility data, mock-up records, and installer qualifications. | A high-performing window can fail because of poor leveling, inadequate support, discontinuous air seals, blocked drainage, or incompatible sealants. |
| Quality Management and Traceability | A documented quality-management process should control design revisions, purchasing, fabrication, testing, nonconformities, and final inspection. | ISO 9001; ISO 10005; project inspection and test plan | Quality certificate, inspection and test plan, batch labels, nonconformance records, calibration certificates, and sample approval procedure. | Certification should be current and within scope. Confirm that the certificate covers the manufacturing site and relevant product activities. |
| Environmental Documentation | Prefer documented recycled-content information, responsible sourcing data, product environmental information, and end-of-life recyclability where required by the project. | ISO 14025; EN 15804; ISO 14021; ISO 14001 | Environmental Product Declaration where available, recycled-content declaration, environmental-management certificate, and material composition data. | Environmental claims should identify the calculation boundary, product stage, declared unit, verification status, and validity period. |
| Warranty and After-Sales Support | Warranty terms should clearly separate coverage for profiles, finishes, insulating glass, hardware, seals, and installation, with defined exclusions and response procedures. | Contract requirements; applicable consumer and construction-product regulations; project-specific warranty schedule | Signed warranty, spare-parts policy, service response times, maintenance schedule, defect-reporting process, and local technical-support contacts. | Compare warranty duration with the exclusions, geographic coverage, required maintenance, and whether labor and replacement installation are included. |
