Understanding Your Vetrina Shop Drawings
Vetrina shop drawings are the project-specific technical drawings that define what will be manufactured for your order. They translate the approved project requirements into detailed information about each window or door, including dimensions, configuration, operation, finishes, glass, hardware, and other applicable components.
Because Vetrina products are custom manufactured, reviewing the shop drawings carefully before approval is one of the most important steps in the ordering process. Once approved, the drawings become the primary reference for fabrication and are also an important reference during delivery and installation.
What Is Included in a Vetrina Shop Drawing Package?
The exact contents vary depending on the product and project, but a typical drawing package may include the following information.
Project and Drawing Information
The first sheet generally identifies the project, project address, customer or contractor, drawing date, revision, and other project information. It may also include an Approved for Fabrication signature area.
Always make sure the project information is correct and that you are reviewing the latest revision before approving the drawings.
Window and Door Schedule
For projects containing multiple units, the drawing package may include a schedule summarizing each window or door type.
Depending on the project, this can identify:
Unit or type designation
Description and configuration
Quantity
Rough opening
Fabrication size
Opening or stacking arrangement
These unit designations matter because they allow you to match each drawing, manufactured assembly, and intended opening throughout the project.
Rough Opening vs. Fabrication Size
One of the most important distinctions on your shop drawings is the difference between the rough opening, often shown as R.O., and the fabrication size.
The rough opening is the available opening in the building structure. The fabrication size is the actual outside dimension of the window or door Vetrina will manufacture.
These dimensions are intentionally different. Installation clearance is required around the unit for positioning, leveling, shimming, insulation, sealing, construction tolerances, and normal movement.
Before fabrication, measure rough openings in the field at multiple locations. We recommend measuring the width at the top, center, and bottom and the height at the left, center, and right, using the smallest measurements to determine the available opening dimensions.
Do not assume that the architectural opening, framing plan, or original construction drawing accurately represents the final field condition.
Unit Dimensions
Individual unit drawings show the dimensions used to manufacture the product.
Depending on the system, you may see:
Overall frame width and height
Individual panel or sash widths
Glass dimensions
Mullion or transom locations
Threshold or sill dimensions
Frame depth
Other system-specific dimensions
Compare these dimensions with the actual project conditions before approval.
Configuration and Operation
Shop drawings also show how the product is configured and how it operates.
This is particularly important for operable windows, swing doors, sliding doors, and bi-fold doors.
Check:
Number of panels or sashes
Fixed versus operable sections
Opening direction
Hinge or pivot side
Sliding direction
Bi-fold stacking direction
Interior versus exterior orientation
For example, a bi-fold project can include separate drawings showing an outward-opening stack-left assembly and an outward-opening stack-right assembly, along with clear "IN" and "OUT" orientation references.
Do not review the elevation solely for appearance. Make sure the operation shown will work with walls, furniture, columns, railings, walkways, and other surrounding conditions.
Interior and Exterior Orientation
Always confirm which side of the drawing represents the interior and which represents the exterior.
This affects more than appearance. It can determine:
Hinge location
Handle location
Opening direction
Panel stacking
Drainage orientation
Threshold configuration
Hardware access
Vetrina requires installers to verify interior/exterior orientation, fixed and operable sash configuration, hinge or pivot location, opening direction, handing, head and sill orientation, drainage locations, and applicable connection details against the approved shop drawings.
Frame System and Finish
The drawings may identify the window or door system, frame construction, profile type, thermal-break configuration, or other system information.
Example: “thermally broken aluminum bi-fold construction”.
They should also identify the selected finish or frame color.
Example: “selected matte silver anodized finish”.
Before approval, verify that all interior and exterior frame colors and finishes match your order.
Glass Specifications
Where glass is included in the project scope, the shop drawings may show the complete insulating glass configuration.
Depending on the project, this can include:
Overall glass thickness
Individual glass lite thicknesses
Tempered or laminated glass
Air or gas-filled spaces
Coatings
Low-E surfaces
Special edge or corner conditions
A drawing may include a dedicated glass specification showing the overall IGU makeup as well as individual glass and air-space components.
Verify that the glass shown matches the project requirements before signing the drawings.
Hardware
The shop drawings may also identify handles, cylinders, locks, hinges, rollers, or other operating hardware.
Where multiple hardware options are possible, the drawing may include a hardware schedule requiring confirmation of the selected configuration.
Pay particular attention to:
Handle type and finish
Keyed versus non-keyed cylinders
Interior versus exterior hardware
Locking configuration
Specialty or project-specific hardware
On doors, hardware selection may also affect how a particular panel operates, so it should be reviewed together with the elevation and panel configuration.
Section and Profile Details
Not every part of a shop drawing is an elevation. You may also see cross-sectional drawings through the head, jamb, sill, mullion, threshold, or other portions of the assembly.
These drawings show how the aluminum or uPVC profiles, glass, gaskets, hardware, thermal breaks, and other system components relate to one another.
A shop drawings package may include both vertical and horizontal sectional views through the presented system and threshold. These details can be particularly useful to architects, installers, glazing contractors, and other construction professionals coordinating the product with adjacent construction.
Position and Unit Numbers
On larger projects, each unique window or door may be assigned a position or unit number such as Pos. 001, Pos. 002, or another project-specific designation.
These identifiers help connect:
shop drawing → manufactured unit → packing information → building opening
They should remain consistent throughout the project.
At delivery and installation, Vetrina recommends verifying that each unit number, opening type, handing, and sash configuration corresponds to the approved project documentation.
What Should You Check Before Approving the Drawings?
Before signing your shop drawings for fabrication, review the entire drawing set, not just the overall dimensions.
At minimum, confirm:
Project name and address
Quantity of each unit
Unit or position numbers
Rough-opening dimensions
Fabrication dimensions
Overall width and height
Panel and sash configuration
Fixed versus operable sections
Interior and exterior orientation
Opening or sliding direction
Bi-fold stacking direction, where applicable
Frame system
Interior and exterior frame finish
Glass specification
Hardware and handle configuration
Threshold or sill configuration
Any special project requirements
Most importantly, compare the drawings with the actual field conditions.
The approved shop drawings and schedule define each unit's location, dimensions, configuration, operating type, and handing, and require verification of all dimensions and field conditions at the installation location.
What If Something Is Incorrect?
Do not approve the drawings if something needs to be changed.
Clearly mark the requested revision and return the drawing set to Vetrina. Our team will review the requested changes and issue a revised drawing package where necessary.
When you receive a revision, review the complete updated drawing, not only the item you requested to be changed. Make sure you sign and return the latest revision.
What Does "Approved for Fabrication" Mean?
When you sign and approve shop drawings for fabrication, you confirm that the project-specific information shown on the drawings has been reviewed and accepted for manufacturing.
Because Vetrina manufactures products specifically for each project, dimensions, operation, finishes, hardware, glass, and other selections should be resolved before this approval.
After the drawings are approved and the project moves into material ordering and manufacturing, subsequent changes may require a change order and may affect pricing and lead time.
Shop Drawings and Installation
The approved shop drawings should remain available to the installer and project team.
Before installation, the installer should verify that the correct unit is being placed in the correct opening and confirm its dimensions, orientation, operation, handing, and applicable installation conditions. Shop drawings should be used together with the Vetrina installation instructions and any project-specific installation or engineering details.
Still check surrounding building conditions in the field. A drawing cannot compensate for a rough opening that is incorrectly sized, out of square, out of level, or otherwise inconsistent with the approved project conditions. Vetrina's installation guidance specifically requires openings to be structurally sound and sufficiently plumb, level, and square before installation.
Need Help Reviewing Your Shop Drawings?
If you are unsure about a dimension, configuration, opening direction, hardware selection, glass specification, or another detail shown on your Vetrina shop drawings, contact us before approving them for fabrication.
Please reference your project name, job number, drawing page, and the specific unit or position number whenever possible. This helps our team identify the item quickly and answer your question accurately.