What is a Transom?
Definition of Transom in Construction The smaller window above a door or window. A transom can be stationary or operational. Large transoms are sometimes designed to accommodate ventilation requirements or to produce the illusion of door height, without the need to produce doors of exceptional size. The use of a transom above an interior door is a common method of filling the wall space architecturally, when high interior ceilings are encountered. The term transom is a universal construction term that basically means any installation or construction element over another. The term is used in mechanical design to stimulate and increase ventilation as well as a descriptive term that means the area over a window or door. Care should be taken when using this term due to the fact that it is used in all aspects of construction and can mean different things to different individuals, depending upon their discipline and location within the country.