Glass glossary
Plain-language meanings for 50 terms used on this site and in a glass request.
Windshield features
The details that make two windshields for the same model different parts.
- Camera mount
- The bracket and clear window near the top of the windshield that a driver-assistance camera looks through. Replacing the glass can mean the camera needs calibration.
- Rain and light sensor
- A sensor bonded to the inside of the glass beside the mirror. On vehicles that have one, it runs the wipers or the headlights automatically.
- Head-up display zone
- The part of the windshield where speed and other information is projected in front of the driver. Head-up display windshields use a special interlayer so the projected image stays sharp.
- Heated wiper park
- Fine heating elements along the lower edge of the windshield on some vehicles. They keep the wipers from freezing to the glass.
- Frit band
- The black ceramic border baked onto the edge of the glass. It shields the adhesive from sunlight and hides it from view.
- Glass stamp (bug, monogram)
- The small etched mark, usually in a lower corner, with the maker's name and codes such as the DOT number and the AS marking. Glass shops call it the bug or the monogram. A clear photo of it helps identify the part.
- Third visor band
- The dotted or solid shade printed on the glass behind the mirror. It cuts glare in the gap between the two sun visors. Its shape can differ between versions of the same windshield, so it helps tell them apart.
- Auto-dimming mirror
- An inside mirror that darkens by itself when headlights shine on it at night, also called an electrochromic mirror. It is wired and often carries a sensor, so the mount on the glass can differ from the one for a plain mirror.
- Logo in the glass
- A small maker's emblem printed in the black band or a corner of the glass. Some Jeep, Ram and Ford Mustang windshields have one. The version with the emblem and the version without are different parts, so mention it if yours has one.
- VIN window
- The clear cut-out at the base of the windshield that keeps the VIN readable from outside.
- VIN
- Vehicle identification number: the 17-character code that identifies one specific vehicle. It can be used to look up the equipment the vehicle was built with.
Glass on a vehicle
Every vehicle has several separate pieces of glass. Naming the right one is the first step.
- Windshield
- The front glass. It is laminated and bonded to the body with adhesive, and it is the piece most affected by cameras, sensors and coatings. Start a windshield request
- Door glass
- The front and rear windows that move up and down. Each door's glass is a separate part.
- Vent glass
- A small pane at the front or rear edge of a door, beside the main door glass. On trucks it is also called wing glass.
- Quarter glass
- The small fixed pane behind the rear door or beside the cargo area.
- Back glass
- The rear window. It usually carries defroster lines and sometimes an antenna. Start a back glass request
- Roof glass
- A sunroof that opens, or a fixed panoramic panel in the roof.
Kinds of glass and their markings
What the glass is made of, and how to read the codes etched on it.
- Laminated glass
- Two sheets of glass bonded to a plastic layer between them. When it cracks, the pieces stay attached. Windshields are laminated, and so is the side glass on some vehicles.
- Tempered glass
- A single heat-strengthened sheet that breaks into small, blunt pieces. Most side and back glass is tempered. It is made to size and cannot be cut afterwards.
- Safety glass
- Glass made to reduce injury when it breaks: laminated or tempered. Vehicles use it throughout, and building codes generally require it in doors and beside doors and walkways.
- AS marking
- A code on the glass stamp. AS1 is windshield glass. AS2 can be used anywhere except the windshield. AS3 is darker privacy glass used behind the driver.
- DOT number
- A code on the glass stamp that identifies the company that made the glass.
- M number
- The manufacturer's own model number for that piece of glass, shown on the glass stamp.
Storefronts and building glass
The parts of a commercial opening, and what is inside a double-pane unit.
- Storefront window
- The large fixed panes beside the entrance. Get a quote by phone
- Transom
- The pane above a door. Get a quote by phone
- Door glass in a storefront
- The glass in each door leaf of a commercial entrance. It is generally required to be safety glass. Get a quote by phone
- Bulkhead
- The solid panel below a storefront window. It is not glass, but it sets the size of the pane above it.
- Insulated glass unit
- Two or three panes sealed around a spacer, with air or gas between them. Often shortened to IGU. When the seal fails, moisture gets in and the glass fogs from the inside.
- Pane
- One sheet of glass. A single-pane window has one, and a double-pane window has two in a sealed unit.
- Sealed space
- The air or gas held between the panes of an insulated glass unit. This is where fog appears when the seal fails.
- Spacer
- The strip that holds the panes of an insulated glass unit apart. It contains a drying agent.
- Edge seal
- The seal around an insulated glass unit that keeps moisture out. Once it fails, the unit cannot be dried out again.
Home windows
Window styles, and the parts every window has.
- Double-hung window
- Two sashes, one above the other, that slide up and down. Get a quote by phone
- Casement window
- A sash hinged at the side that swings outward, usually with a crank. Get a quote by phone
- Slider window
- Sashes that slide sideways past each other. Get a quote by phone
- Picture window
- A fixed pane that does not open. Get a quote by phone
- Awning window
- A sash hinged at the top that swings outward from the bottom. Get a quote by phone
- Sash
- The part of a window that holds the glass. In a window that opens, the sash is the part that moves.
- Frame
- The fixed surround that holds the sashes in the wall.
- Glass-only replacement
- Replacing the glass or the sealed unit and keeping the existing frame. It is often enough when the frame is sound and only the glass is cracked or fogged.
- Window replacement
- Taking out the whole unit: frame, sash and glass. It makes sense when the frame is rotted, warped or damaged, or the window no longer opens or seals.
Service terms
Words that come up once a request is being reviewed.
- Camera calibration
- Setting up a driver-assistance camera again after the windshield is replaced, so features such as lane keeping and automatic braking work as intended. Depending on the vehicle, it is done in the shop with targets, on the road, or both.
- Driver-assistance systems
- Features such as lane keeping, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. Often shortened to ADAS. Many rely on a camera behind the windshield.
- Lane departure warning
- Alerts the driver when the vehicle drifts out of its lane without signaling. Lane keeping goes a step further and steers back. Both usually rely on a camera behind the windshield.
- Forward collision warning
- Alerts the driver when the vehicle is closing on something ahead too quickly. Automatic emergency braking can also apply the brakes. Many systems use a camera behind the windshield, a radar, or both.
- Automatic high beams
- Switches between high and low beams by itself when other vehicles are detected. The sensor is usually a camera behind the windshield.
- Chip repair
- Filling a small chip with resin so it is less visible and less likely to spread. Not every chip can be repaired: the size, depth and location of the damage all matter.
- Urethane
- The adhesive that bonds a windshield to the vehicle's body.
- Safe drive-away time
- How long a vehicle must sit after a windshield is installed before it is driven, so the adhesive can cure. The time depends on the adhesive and the conditions.
- Request
- What this site collects: the details of the glass that needs attention. A request is not a quote, an appointment or a guarantee of coverage.
Ready to start?
Tell us which glass needs attention. The request is reviewed before pricing or scheduling is confirmed.