A technical pre-check is a short pause between a promising design and a production release. It is not a replacement for engineering or a site survey. Its purpose is to catch the small conflicts that become expensive when a frame, glass unit or hardware set has already been made.
Check the opening before the product
Compare the latest measured opening with the frame size, installation tolerance and finished floor line. Review width, height, diagonals, reveal depth and the location of corners or services. If a size is still provisional, mark it visibly and keep it out of the production issue.
Check the glass against the hardware
Confirm the glass build-up, thickness and weight for the actual sash dimensions. Then compare that weight with hinge, roller, restrictor and handle capacity. A glass change made for acoustic or solar reasons can affect the same hardware that worked for a lighter unit. Keep the glass schedule and hardware schedule side by side.
Check drainage and weathering
Trace where water goes at the sill, threshold, frame joints and perimeter. Confirm that weep paths remain open after packers, sealants, membranes and floor finishes are added. A flush detail should show its fall and outlet, not rely on a note that says “weatherproof”.
- Frame size and installation tolerance
- Glass weight and thickness
- Hinge, roller and restrictor capacity
- Handle and reveal clearance
- Sill, threshold and drainage route
- Finish, colour and visible sample
- Delivery, lifting and protection plan
Check the documents against each other
Use the opening reference as the join between drawings, schedule, quote and label. Confirm that the operation and handing match on all four. Check that the product name is not being used as a substitute for a tested configuration. Where performance is required, record the test size and the document revision.
Record decisions and open issues
Finish the review with a short decision log. Each open issue needs an owner, a due date and the drawing or schedule it affects. A decision that exists only in a chat message will be hard to recover when the project team changes.
Questions to settle before release
Who should attend the pre-check?
At minimum, the person who measured the opening, the person responsible for the frame or glass, and the installer who will own the interface. Add the designer or builder when the detail affects finishes or structure.
What counts as a failed pre-check?
Any conflict that can change size, performance, safety, operation or installation responsibility. The aim is to resolve it while the drawing is cheap to change.
Send the latest schedule through contact and use the product pages as a starting point for the system review.
Make the check repeatable
Use the same short checklist on every opening, then add a project-specific section for unusual interfaces. A repeatable review makes omissions visible and lets the team compare one revision with the next. The checklist should be signed or dated before a production release, not after the problem is discovered.
Keep the signed checklist with the release issue so the reason for each decision remains visible during fabrication, delivery and final inspection.
Prepared by the joycham Windows + Doors editorial team. Specifications and performance outcomes vary by opening, glass, hardware and installation; confirm project-specific values before ordering.
