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Windows provide for easy ventilation and psychological benefit to a building, with views to outside, breezes and sunlight.

To make a comfortable building, the windows must be part of the air barrier and provide a net R-Value to the building.

Incorporating the window unit into a building envelope requires consideration of the following:

• The rough opening and installation - the hole in the structure of the building - in wood, brick, stone - that holds the window unit and the insulation / air sealing.
• The window frame - the part of the window unit that holds the glass, whether it is wood, vinyl, fibreglass or metal.
• The area of glass and spacing - how panes or thicknesses of glass are in the frame, along with the space between each pane.
• The spacers - the material used to seal the glass panes in the frame and between each pane.
• The operation - if the window opens, there will be weather seals on the frame.

High quality, high performance windows are available from many manufacturers. When the window is shut and locked (or fixed / no operation) it should function as an air-tight component in the wall, including the installation.