CSLB C-17 Glazing (Trade Exam) — All Questions

Why do metal frames have thermal breaks?

• a.To carry the weight of the glass in the pocket
• b.To reduce heat loss through the frame✓
• c.To add weight so the frame resists wind
• d.To let water in the pocket drain to the outside

A thermal break separates the inside and outside metal with a lower-conductivity material to cut frame heat loss. It does not add weight, carry glass load or drain water.2025 Energy Code residential compliance manual, Ch. 3

Why are frame members dry-fitted before sealant is applied?

• a.To reduce the time that is spent cleaning the shop
• b.To confirm joints close and diagonals match✓
• c.To give the sealant time to cure before assembly
• d.To avoid cutting the members to length

A dry fit shows whether joints close and the frame is square before the sealant makes correction hard. It does not cure sealant, avoid cutting or save cleaning.CSLB C-17 study guide 13E-17 (fabrication of framing systems)

A storefront frame has a head and sill of 10 feet each and three verticals of 7 feet each. How many lineal feet of framing is that?

• a.41 feet✓
• b.37 feet
• c.50 feet
• d.34 feet

Horizontals are 2 × 10 = 20 feet and verticals 3 × 7 = 21 feet, so 41 feet. The 34 counts only two verticals, 50 uses 10 feet for each vertical, and 37 is a guess.CSLB C-17 study guide 13E-17 (job-related calculations)

Why does the storefront specification require field verification of dimensions before fabricating components?

• a.Openings and adjoining work differ from the drawings✓
• b.The building department requires it for the permit
• c.The frame is cut on site from the field sizes
• d.The supplier needs it to quote the unit price

Real openings and adjacent construction vary from the drawn dimensions, so components that depend on them are fabricated from verified sizes. A permit requirement is not the reason given, pricing does not depend on field verification, and the specification calls for shop fabrication, not cutting the frame on site.UFGS 08 41 13

What is the correct order of work when setting a storefront frame?

• a.Verify the opening, set and shim, then anchor✓
• b.Seal the perimeter joint first, then set the frame into the sealant
• c.Glaze the frame first, then brace it in place
• d.Anchor the frame first, then shim it to alignment

The specification sequence is to verify the opening, set the frame, then shim and brace before anchoring. Anchoring first locks in any error, sealing the perimeter joint first leaves no room to adjust the frame, and glazing before bracing loads an unstable frame.UFGS 08 41 13

Where does a storefront manufacturer's checklist call for shims?

• a.Nowhere, since the anchors align the frame
• b.Only under the glass, at the sill
• c.Only at the head and sill
• d.At the head, sill and jambs✓

Shims are used at the head, sill and jambs to set the frame plumb, level and square and to leave room for the backer and sealant. Head-and-sill shims leave the jambs unaligned, shimming under the glass is a different task, and anchors alone do not set the frame plumb and square.YKK AP storefront weathering/sealant checklist 02-4100-05

What is the maximum shim stack in the product-approval detail?

• a.2 inches
• b.1/4 inch
• c.1/2 inch✓
• d.1 inch

The detail limits shim stacks to 1/2 inch. Two inches and 1 inch exceed it, and 1/4 inch is stricter than the detail.Arcadia IPTC-470 installation details, Florida approval FL40951

At what gap size does the detail call for a shim?

• a.Wherever the space is 1/16 inch or more✓
• b.Only where the space exceeds 1 inch in width
• c.Only at the corners of the opening and sill
• d.Wherever the space is 1/2 inch or more

The detail calls for a shim wherever the space is 1/16 inch or greater. A 1-inch or 1/2-inch trigger leaves smaller gaps unsupported, and a corner-only rule leaves the rest of the perimeter open.Arcadia IPTC-470 installation details, Florida approval FL40951

What separates aluminum framing from a masonry sill?

• a.A nylon pad or a bituminous coating✓
• b.A bed of mortar under the aluminum sill
• c.Bare contact with the masonry surface
• d.A coat of lacquer on the masonry surface

The guide specification protects aluminum in contact with masonry, steel or concrete with nylon pads or a bituminous coating. Mortar attacks aluminum, bare contact corrodes, and lacquer is not the specified protection.UFGS 08 41 13

Aluminum is fastened to a dissimilar metal other than stainless steel or zinc. What is required?

• a.Protect the aluminum from the dissimilar material✓
• b.Paint over both metals after the sealant is applied
• c.Add a second fastener at each connection point
• d.Nothing, since all of these metals are compatible

The specification requires protecting aluminum surfaces from dissimilar materials. Metals are not all compatible, painting over sealant surfaces prevents adhesion, and a second fastener adds more metal contact without isolating anything.UFGS 08 51 13

Aluminum must be protected from which contaminants?

• a.Clean water used to rinse the finish
• b.Lime, mortar, cement and harsh acids✓
• c.Normal daylight on the exposed surface
• d.Neoprene gaskets in the glazing pocket

The specification protects aluminum from lime, mortar, cement, acids and other harmful contaminants. Clean water, daylight and neoprene gaskets are not named.UFGS 08 41 13

Why should coatings and lacquers not be applied to surfaces where caulking must adhere?

• a.They cause the weep holes to fill and close up
• b.They can keep the sealant from adhering✓
• c.They make the metal brittle at the joint
• d.They change the apparent color of the glass

The specification forbids coating surfaces to which caulking and glazing components must adhere because the coating becomes the bond line. A coating does not make metal brittle, it does not change the color of the glass, and it is not what closes weep holes.UFGS 08 51 13

At what locations does the checklist call for backer rods and perimeter sealant?

• a.Head, sill and jambs, at both faces✓
• b.The glass edge and nowhere else
• c.The exterior sill and nowhere else
• d.The interior head and nowhere else

The checklist calls for backer rods and perimeter seal at head, sill and jambs on both faces. A single location leaves the other joints open.YKK AP storefront weathering/sealant checklist 02-4100-05

When are perimeter anchor fastener heads sealed?

• a.Only after the building is occupied
• b.Before the anchors are installed
• c.Only at the corners of the frame
• d.After the frame is anchored in place✓

The checklist seals all perimeter anchor fastener heads after anchoring. Sealing before installation covers nothing, sealing only the corners leaves the other heads open, and waiting until occupancy leaves leak paths in the meantime.YKK AP storefront weathering/sealant checklist 02-4100-05

How does the aluminum window specification say windows are placed in their openings?

• a.Attached before the opening has been measured
• b.Plumb, square and level, braced against distortion✓
• c.Forced into the opening with a hammer if needed
• d.Left loose in the opening until after the glass is set

Windows are set plumb, square, level and in alignment and braced to prevent distortion, without forcing. Forcing, leaving them loose and installing before measuring all risk distortion.UFGS 08 51 13

What does the aluminum window specification say to do with screws and bolts in sill members?

• a.Coat them with paint to protect the thread surfaces
• b.Cover them with foam before the frame is set
• c.Leave them bare so that any water can drain past them
• d.Bed them in the manufacturer's mastic sealant✓

Screws and bolts in sill members, joints at mullions and contacts with sills are bedded in the manufacturer's recommended mastic sealant. Bare fasteners leave a path for water, paint does not seal a threaded penetration, and foam is not a sealant and does not stay in place.UFGS 08 51 13

How deep must window head and jamb members recess into masonry in the guide specification?

• a.Not less than 7/16 inch✓
• b.No recess is required
• c.Not less than 3 inches
• d.Exactly 1/16 inch

The recess is not less than 7/16 inch. A recess is required, 3 inches is not stated, and 1/16 inch is too little.UFGS 08 51 13

How are entrance thresholds installed in the guide specification?

• a.Set in mortar with no mastic bedding at all
• b.Set on foam with no mechanical fasteners
• c.Set in a bed of mastic, then secured✓
• d.Set dry on the slab and held by the door

Thresholds are set in a bed of mastic and secured. Dry setting leaks, and mortar and foam are not the specified bedding.UFGS 08 41 13

A completed storefront is 10 feet by 14 feet. The specification limit is 0.06 cfm per square foot. What is the maximum allowable infiltration?

• a.140 cfm
• b.24 cfm
• c.8.4 cfm✓
• d.0.84 cfm

The area is 140 square feet and 140 × 0.06 = 8.4 cfm. The 0.84 shifts the decimal, 140 is the area, and 24 is half the perimeter in feet.UFGS 08 41 13

A pair of entrance doors and its frame fill an opening 7 feet wide by 8 feet high, with a limit of 1.2 cfm per square foot. What is the maximum infiltration?

• a.30 cfm
• b.67.2 cfm✓
• c.56 cfm
• d.6.72 cfm

The pair covers 56 square feet and 56 × 1.2 = 67.2 cfm. The 56 is the area, 6.72 shifts the decimal, and 30 is the perimeter in feet.UFGS 08 41 13

Where does one manufacturer call for vertical expansion joints in a stick curtain wall?

• a.At every tenth floor
• b.At the roof only
• c.At the base of the wall only
• d.At every floor✓

The guideline calls for a vertical expansion joint at every floor, at glass corners and never along an edge of an insulating unit. A joint at the roof only, at the base only or at every tenth floor leaves long runs unable to move.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

Column lines are 40 feet apart. One guideline spaces horizontal expansion joints at each column line or within 30 feet, whichever is less. What is the maximum spacing?

• a.40 feet
• b.30 feet✓
• c.60 feet
• d.10 feet

The lesser distance controls, so joints are no more than 30 feet apart. Forty feet is the column spacing, 60 is a multiple, and 10 is not the rule.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

Which code provision covers glass in curtain walls, storefronts and glazed partitions?

• a.No seismic provision applies to glass
• b.The seismic provisions of ASCE 7, Section 13.5.9✓
• c.The section on fire-resistance ratings of the wall
• d.Only the section on design wind loads

The code says glass in glazed curtain walls, storefronts and glazed partitions meets the seismic requirements of ASCE 7 Section 13.5.9. Wind alone is incomplete, seismic provisions do apply, and fire resistance is a different topic.2025 CBC §2404.1

What does the code require when one or more sides of a glass pane are not firmly supported?

• a.A written statement from the glass supplier
• b.Analysis by a registered design professional✓
• c.A note on the shop drawing by the glazier
• d.A thicker lite chosen by the installer on site

The code requires detailed documents and analysis or test data prepared by a registered design professional. A glazier's note is not engineering, a supplier's statement does not come from a design professional responsible for the building, and an installer's on-site choice of thickness is not an analysis of the unsupported edge.2025 CBC §2403.2

For school and hospital work, how must unitized framing be attached to the building?

• a.By friction clips that hold the frame in place
• b.By gravity and friction, if the frame is heavy
• c.By screws or bolts, not by gravity or friction✓
• d.By sealant bonded to the slab edge

The code's provisions for those jurisdictions require anchoring by screws or bolts and say framing shall not rely on gravity or frictional forces for attachment. Weight is a gravity method, a sealant bond is adhesion, and friction clips are a frictional method, so each is excluded by name or by kind.2025 CBC §2410.1.1

In the federal guide specification, what Shore A durometer range applies to closed-cell neoprene setting blocks?

• a.30 to 50
• b.95 to 100
• c.70 to 90✓
• d.10 to 20

The specification calls for dense extruded neoprene setting blocks of Shore A 70 to 90. Thirty to 50 is too soft to carry glass, 95 to 100 is too hard, and 10 to 20 is far too soft.UFGS 08 81 00

What setting block material does one glass manufacturer require for all glazing systems?

• a.Neoprene with a PVC jacket
• b.100 percent silicone✓
• c.Hardwood
• d.Natural rubber

That manufacturer requires only 100 percent silicone setting blocks of Shore A 85 ± 5. Natural rubber, jacketed neoprene and wood are not allowed in its guideline.Viracon Glazing Guidelines - Standard

A lite 108 inches wide sits on a sill. At what two distances from one vertical edge are the blocks centered?

• a.13-1/2 inches and 94-1/2 inches
• b.27 inches and 81 inches✓
• c.36 inches and 72 inches
• d.54 inches

Quarter points of 108 inches are 27 and 81 inches. A center block is at 54, 13-1/2 and 94-1/2 are eighths, and 36 and 72 are thirds.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

What is the minimum length of an edge block in the glass manufacturer's guideline?

• a.1/2 inch
• b.24 inches
• c.12 inches
• d.3 inches✓

The guideline calls for edge blocks at least 3 inches long, placed anywhere along the jamb. Half an inch is too short to locate the lite, and 12 and 24 inches exceed the stated minimum.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

A lite is 60 by 90 inches in a dry-glazed system. What is the maximum total edge force at 10 pounds per linear inch?

• a.30,000 pounds
• b.300 pounds
• c.1,200 pounds
• d.3,000 pounds✓

The perimeter is 300 inches and 300 × 10 = 3,000 pounds. The 1,200 is the minimum at 4 pounds per inch, 300 is the perimeter, and 30,000 shifts the decimal.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

What does the glass manufacturer say about face shims?

• a.Face shims replace setting blocks
• b.Face shims must be spaced at 12 inches
• c.Intermittent face shims should not be used✓
• d.Face shims are required at every corner

Face clearance is kept by a continuous cushioning material, not intermittent shims. Spaced shims, shims as blocks and corner shims are not the practice described.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

An insulating unit arrives with a corner chipped by handling. What does the guide specification say about units?

• a.Fill the chip with sealant and set the unit
• b.Do not grind, nip or cut a unit after delivery✓
• c.Nip the corner off to remove the chipped area
• d.Grind the chip smooth on site with a fine wheel

Units are not modified after leaving the factory, so a damaged unit is replaced. Grinding on site alters the factory edge, nipping the corner removes glass from a sealed unit, and filling the chip with sealant leaves the damaged glass in place to break later.UFGS 08 81 00

What is a rolling block used for?

• a.To measure the opening before the glass is cut
• b.To level the sill before the glass is set
• c.To turn a unit on a corner without damaging it✓
• d.To roll the glass out of its shipping crate

A rolling block spreads the glass weight along the edges when a unit is rotated on a hard surface. It does not move crates, level sills or measure openings.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

What does the guide specification require of sashes that receive laminated glass?

• a.Glaze them without setting blocks under the lite
• b.Seal them tightly so that no water can enter
• c.Weep them to the outside so water can drain✓
• d.Fill them with sealant to the top of the glass

Sashes receiving laminated glass must be weeped to the outside so water drains, since wet edges delaminate. Sealing, filling and omitting blocks do not drain the pocket.UFGS 08 81 00

What does the guide specification say about field cutting heat-absorbing glass?

• a.Not permitted; use clean factory edges✓
• b.Permitted with a wheel cutter on site
• c.Permitted if the cut edges are ground
• d.Permitted when it is below 40°F

Heat-absorbing glass must have clean-cut, factory-fabricated edges and field cutting is not permitted. Cutting with a wheel, grinding afterward and temperature do not change the rule.UFGS 08 81 00

At what outdoor temperature may glazing start under the federal guide specification, absent approved warming procedures?

• a.Above 40°F and rising✓
• b.Above 20°F and rising
• c.Above 32°F and rising
• d.Above 80°F and rising

The specification says not to start until the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and rising. Twenty and 32 degrees are too cold, and 80 degrees is not required.UFGS 08 81 00

A balcony guard has a glass infill panel with its bottom edge 8 inches above the deck and a total area of 3 square feet. Is it a hazardous location?

• a.Yes, since glazing in guards is always hazardous✓
• b.Yes, but only where the glass is above 36 inches
• c.No, because the bottom edge is under 18 inches
• d.No, because the pane is under 9 square feet

Glazing in guards and railings is hazardous regardless of area or height above a walking surface. The 9-square-foot and 18-inch conditions apply to windows, and there is no 36-inch condition for guards.2025 CBC §2406.4.4

A window is 12 square feet with its bottom edge 10 inches above the floor, its top edge 82 inches above the floor, and a walkway 20 inches from the glass. Is it hazardous under the Building Code?

• a.No, since the pane is too large to be hazardous
• b.Yes, only if there is a handrail
• c.No, since the top edge is over 36 inches
• d.Yes, since all four conditions are met✓

The pane exceeds 9 square feet, the bottom edge is under 18 inches, the top edge is over 36 inches and a walking surface is within 36 inches, so all four conditions are met. A single condition does not rule it out, and a rail would be an exception, not a trigger.2025 CBC §2406.4.3

A fixed lite beside a door is 20 inches from the door's vertical edge and its bottom edge is 70 inches above the floor. Is it hazardous under the Building Code?

• a.No, since the bottom edge is 60 inches or more✓
• b.Yes, since every fixed lite is hazardous
• c.No, since fixed lites are exempt as a class
• d.Yes, since the lite is within 24 inches

Glazing next to a door is hazardous only if its bottom exposed edge is less than 60 inches above the walking surface, and 70 is not. Distance alone does not decide it, and fixed lites are not exempt as a class.2025 CBC §2406.4.2

A glass panel faces a bathtub and its bottom exposed edge is 48 inches above the tub floor. Is it hazardous?

• a.Yes, but only if the panel exceeds 9 square feet
• b.Yes, since the bottom edge is under 60 inches✓
• c.No, since bathtubs are not named in the code
• d.No, since the bottom edge is above the 36-inch line

Glazing in walls and enclosures facing bathtubs and showers is hazardous where the bottom exposed edge is less than 60 inches above the standing or walking surface. Thirty-six inches is not the limit, tubs are listed, and no area condition applies.2025 CBC §2406.4.5

In a store, a window's bottom edge is 50 inches above the walking surface of a stair. Under the Building Code, is it hazardous at stairs?

• a.No, since the limit is under 36 inches
• b.No, since stairs are not covered
• c.Yes, only with a guard
• d.Yes, since the limit is under 60 inches✓

The Building Code treats glazing as hazardous at stairways where the bottom exposed edge is less than 60 inches above the walking surface. The 36-inch limit is the Residential Code's, and a guard creates exceptions, not hazard.2025 CBC §2406.4.6

How does the guide specification say sheet glass is cut and set?

• a.With no regard to the direction of the lines
• b.With the visible lines or waves set on the diagonal
• c.With the visible lines or waves running vertical
• d.With the visible lines or waves horizontal✓

Sheet glass is cut and set with the visible lines or waves horizontal. Vertical, diagonal or random orientation changes the appearance.UFGS 08 81 00

A swinging door has a lite whose opening cannot pass a 3-inch-diameter sphere. What does the code say about glazing in that opening?

• a.It is excepted from the hazardous-location rule✓
• b.It still has to be Category II safety glazing
• c.It still has to be tempered glass in all cases
• d.It still has to be laminated glass in all cases

The code excepts glazed openings through which a 3-inch-diameter sphere cannot pass, so the hazardous-location rule does not apply. That is why Category II glazing, tempered glass and laminated glass are each not required by that rule.2025 CBC §2406.4.1

Which product is Category II under 16 CFR 1201?

• a.A mirror hung on a dressing-room wall
• b.Sliding glass doors of the patio type✓
• c.A door with only 5 square feet of glass
• d.Any fixed window in a house

Sliding patio-type glass doors are Category II regardless of size. Windows outside doors and enclosures are outside the standard's scope, a door with 9 square feet or less of glass is Category I, and a wall mirror is a different product.16 CFR 1201.2

How wide is a setting block relative to the glazing channel in the glass manufacturer's guideline?

• a.Half the width of the channel
• b.1/2 inch less than the channel width
• c.Wider than the channel it sits in
• d.1/16 inch less than the channel width✓

Blocks are 1/16 inch narrower than the channel or positively located so they cannot shift. Half an inch less, wider or half-width blocks do not fit that rule.Pilkington ATS-192 General glazing guidelines (2013)

On a fire-rated glass label, what does the letter H indicate?

• a.The glazing has been heat-treated in a furnace
• b.The glazing is intended for hospital buildings
• c.The glazing meets hose-stream requirements✓
• d.The glazing is intended for hinged doors only

H indicates the glazing meets the hose-stream requirements of the door test standard. It does not refer to hospitals, heat treatment or hinged doors.2025 CBC §716.1.2.2.1

What does "OH" on fire-protection-rated glazing indicate?

• a.Fire window use, meeting fire and hose-stream tests✓
• b.Use in fire doors only, with no hose-stream test
• c.Use outdoors where hazards are present
• d.No hose-stream test, only a furnace test

OH indicates the glazing meets the fire protection and hose-stream requirements of NFPA 257 or UL 9 for fire windows. It is not limited to doors, it includes the hose stream, and it is not about outdoor hazards.2025 CBC §716.1.2.2.2

A required rating is 45 minutes. May a labeled 90-minute lite be used?

• a.Yes, since a higher rating is permitted✓
• b.Yes, but only after a variance is granted
• c.No, since only the exact rating is allowed
• d.No, since 90-minute glass is made for doors only

The code permits glazing marked with a rating that exceeds the required rating. Exact-only, doors-only and variance rules do not apply.2025 CBC §716.1.2.2.4

What is the maximum area of fire-protection-rated glazing used as a vision panel in a self-closing horizontal-exit door?

• a.25 square inches
• b.1,000 square inches
• c.100 square inches✓
• d.100 square feet

Such vision panels are limited to 100 square inches. One hundred square feet is far larger, and 25 and 1,000 square inches are not the limit.2025 CBC §716.2.5.1.2.1

A rated wall is 18 feet long and 9 feet high. What is the maximum area of fire-protection-rated glazing in windows in it?

• a.18 square feet
• b.40.5 square feet✓
• c.162 square feet
• d.81 square feet

The wall is 162 square feet and 25 percent is 40.5 square feet. Eighteen is the wall length, 81 is half the wall, and 162 is the whole wall.2025 CBC §716.3.2.1.2