Glazing beads on a window seems to be one of those components most sales people never discuss.
Yet if you look at the pictures a bad (exterior) glazing bead often fails.
A glazing bead system is the 4 pieces that actually hold the glass in the sash itself from either the exterior or the interior.
In the old days for single pane glass it was actually caulks or sealants that held the pane of glass in place.
Interior glazing beads are hardly ever a problem but most companies use an exterior because it's cheaper.
Some companies don't use a glazing bead at all which means if the glass breaks or has seal failure you'll have to replace the entire sash that moves or cranks out. That can lead to having two different looking outside colors because the main frame may be the older faded color, where-as the new sash would not look faded yet.
This is especially more obvious if you're doing a darker exterior color.
If you're having sales people come out to presumably explain why their window is better than another companies, the glazing bead system (or lack there-of), should be discussed but often is not.
Wouldn't you want to know whether or not the windows you're about to purchase have either a good one, a bad one, or none at all. I know I would.
The same thing would apply to sliding patio doors as well.
I always reccommend not askng too many questions during the presentation so that you can see for yourself how much pertinent information you should have been given but usually isn't.
