The term Fenestration Testing Laboratory (when used with an

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings o ...

meaning and/or in regards to a

building envelope A building envelope is the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building including the resistance to air, water, heat, light, and noiseSyed, Asif. ''Advanced building technologies for sustainability''. Hoboke ...

) refers to either an individual test facility or the collective group of independent testing laboratories that have been inspected and accredited by nationally and internationally recognized governing bodies to perform fenestration test standards. The word

fenestration Fenestration may refer to: * Fenestration (architecture), the design, construction, or presence of openings in a building * Used in relation to fenestra in anatomy, medicine and biology * Fenestration, holes in the rudder of a ship to reduce the w ...

itself is a derivative of the Latin word Fenestra, which means

window A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof, or vehicle that allows the exchange of light and may also allow the passage of sound and sometimes air. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent materia ...

. Through the progression of time, the word ''fenestration'' has come to be used and accepted by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

builders Builder may refer to: * Construction worker, who specializes in building work * Carpenter, a skilled craftsman who works with wood * General contractor, that specializes in building work ** Subcontractor * Builder (detergent), a component of moder ...

, and

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

s as a technical term referring to windows, doors, and other types of openings in a building or wall envelope.

Product Performance Testing

These labs conduct tests according to many nationally recognized test standards developed b
AAMA

ASTM ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, an ...

NFRC
an
WDMA
Performance testing includes but is not limited to: Operating Force, Air Infiltration, Water Penetration, Structural Wind Loads, Thermal Simulations, and Forced Entry Resistance.

Test Methods, Guidelines, and Standards

Title 24
Section 116 (Air Leakage Testing)

Field measurement of air leakage through installed exterior windows and doors.

Field determination of water penetration of installed exterior windows and doors.
AAMA 501.2
Quality assurance and diagnostic water leakage field check of installed storefronts, curtain walls, and sloped glazing systems.

External links

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA)ASTM International (ASTM)The International Accreditation Service (IAS)The Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA)
Windows Doors