Toronto Doors & Windows | Vinyl Window Replacement, Entry Doors, Exterior Doors & more

Toronto doors and windows company is the #1 provider for vinyl windows, window replacements, entry doors and more. specializing at fiberglass doors & door installation

Blog

You are here: Home / Blog

Match Vinyl Windows With the Right Glazing Option And You Win Big

By

Few things influence the comfort level of your home like the windows. If your windows are old, rickety, single-pane jobs with wood frames and rotting casements you can expect to need sweaters inside during the coldest months and to pay up to a third more in energy costs than you actually need to. On the other hand, if the idea of freezing while you throw away money doesn’t appeal to you then it’s time to consider vinyl replacement windows for your home.

Choosing the Right Vinyl Windows for Your Home

Vinyl window frames are great for saving energy because they don’t conduct heat. Today’s vinyl windows are also composed in a nearly unibody fashion with virtually no chance for heat to escape through leaks in the casing, jams or apron. That leaves one component of the vinyl window for you to concern yourself with: the glass itself or glazing.

Types of Glazing You’ll Want to Consider:

  • Insulated glazing – The most basic form of window insulation is the double or triple pane window. The layers of glass are spaced apart and hermetically sealed creating a layer of trapped air that helps prevent heat loss.
  • Gas fills – Inert gases such as krypton and argon naturally resist the flow of heat. For this reason injecting this type of gas into the space between the type of double or triple-pane vinyl windows mentioned above can significantly improve their already impressive U-factor.
  • Low-E glass – With low-E glass an ultra-thin metallic coating is applied to the surface of the glass which allows visible light to get through but prevents solar radiation from penetrating your home or business. With low-E windows in place it’s easier to keep your home within a comfortable range allowing you to save money on heating and air-conditioning.
  • Tinted glass – Tinted windows also employ a special ultra-thin layer but in this case it acts to change the opacity of the window in order to keep more light out. There are different types of tinting available but they all do essentially the same job; acting as your home’s sunglasses.
  • Spectral coatings – This specialty form of low-E coating can filter out more than half the heat that normally passes through your windows by targeting specific wavelengths of light. The effect can be tweaked to produce extremely precise aesthetic or climate results.
  • Laminated glass – This type of glazing is created by sealing a layer of vinyl between two panes of glass. The resulting window resists shattering when impacted and is preferred by homeowners for whom safety and security are paramount issues. Laminated glass is also popular in places prone to hurricanes or other types of severe weather.

Remember, when shopping for vinyl windows with the right glazing for your home:

  • A good place to start is with the U-factor. The U-factor indicates the ability of the glass to resist heat transfer. The lower the U-factor the better.
  • Exterior walls facing different directions will likely require different glazing. In the icebox of Toronto you’ll likely want high solar-gain glazing for south facing windows and low solar-gain glazing for windows facing west.
  • Another GTA-specific consideration will be warm-edge spacers. These will typically cost a bit more than normal spacers (and aren’t available from every window manufacturer) but will provide a better seal between the panes.

By taking the time to match the right glazing with your vinyl windows you can ensure maximum energy savings for your home. To learn more about glazing options for new vinyl replacement windows call Toronto Doors and Windows on 647-932-3667 and speak to one of our vinyl replacement window experts, or visit us at our St Clair Ave W location.

Common Misconceptions About New Windows and Doors

By

Strange as it may seem there are dozens of misconceptions floating about related to the topic of buying new windows and doors for the home. Where these misconceptions come from is difficult to say but they’re here and they beg to be addressed. So below we’ll take on a few of the most common myths and misconceptions we’re aware of in the hopes of setting the record straight.

Separating Fact From Fiction When it Comes to Windows and Doors

It can be difficult to know exactly where to start when discussing such a topic so we’ll just pick a misconception and go from there. Windows first:

  • Misconception: Installing vinyl replacement windows is a DIY project.
  • Reality: While there are plenty of skilled do-it-yourselfers in Toronto window replacement is one project where you need to enlist the help of properly trained professionals. There is too much at stake and very little to be gained by way of energy efficiency if your windows are not properly installed.
  • Misconception: Replacing the windows requires renovating the home.
  • Reality: Replacing your leaky old single pane windows with vinyl replacement windows is renovating your home. In 99% of cases no structural modifications of any kind will need to be done to pave the way for window replacement. This particular misconception may stem from the practice of unscrupulous contractors who will try to convince homeowners otherwise.
  • Misconception: U-Value is the only factor that really matters.
  • Reality: U-value expresses the ability of the window to prevent the transfer of heat. The lower the U-value the better the window is at preventing heat from escaping through to the outdoors. But while U-value is certainly important there are other important things to consider as well including the degree of visible light transmittance and the amount of solar radiation that the windows allow in (the solar heat gain coefficient or SHGC).

Now that we’re on a roll let’s have a look at a few of the popular misconceptions related to door replacement.

  • Misconception: Heat doesn’t escape through the front door.
  • Reality: Most people harbour the mistaken idea that heat only escapes through the front door when it’s open. In fact as much as 5% of heat lost from a home escapes through old, leaky, ill-fitting doors. Replacing your old entry door with snug-fitting insulated, fiberglass door will wind up saving you a bundle in the long run.
  • Misconception: Wood doors are a fire hazard.
  • Reality: Solid wood doors will actually repel fire and help keep it contained. That’s because when wood burns it creates a protective layer of charring that acts to insulate against fire penetrating to the interior. Often when firefighters arrive at the scene of a house fire they’ll find the wood front door intact while fire rages behind it.
  • Misconception: PVC doors will outlast wood.
  • Reality: They may in certain circumstances but consider this: In 2005 it was discovered that one of the solid wood doors on Westminster Abbey in England was nearly 1000 years old. Not only that but it’s been in continuous use since it was hung. While PVC doors are certainly durable until one lasts more than a thousand years we’ll have to say this contest is a draw.

There are as many misconceptions about replacement windows and doors as there are people who will believe them. The fact is if you want to bump up the energy efficiency of your home by a third or more consider replacing your old windows and doors with new ones from Toronto Doors and Windows. Call us today on 647-932-3667 and learn more facts about the benefits of renovating your home with energy efficient windows and doors.

New Window Installation: Why Winter is In Fact a Good Time to Get One

By

Installing replacement windows seems like a warm weather project if ever there was one. But is it? While it may seem counterintuitive, the fact is that having your windows replaced during the winter makes a lot more sense than it might seem to at first. All it requires is that you think outside the box a bit and recognize that there are savings to be had if you do.

The Joys of Winter Window Installation

Right about now you’re probably thinking that we’ve lost it. But such is not the case because, in fact, there are many good reasons to consider replacing your windows in the wintertime, including:

  • Manufacturer discounts – Because sales for December and January combined typically account for less than 10% of yearly totals and because factories don’t want to lay off workers during the winter, everyone’s in the mood to deal.
  • Installation discounts – What applies to the factories also applies to installation companies. To say the winter is slow for them is an understatement. As such most installation contractors are willing to discuss a lower price for their services just to keep everybody busy.
  • No Waiting – During the warm months you’ll often have to wait in line to have your new windows installed as installation companies are dealing with a backlog. During the winter months though you can pretty much call the shots as far as scheduling goes.
  • Quality Service – Sometimes during the summer months a window installation company can be so backed up with work that quality suffers. During the winter months installation professionals are less hurried and better able to keep their minds on the job in front of them.

In spite of all this some homeowners are still concerned that their house will become an icebox, the materials will break down in the cold or that the workmen will be rushed to get back to their nice warm truck. Fortunately these fears are unfounded.

  • Typically during a winter installation in Toronto only a single window at a time is removed. This minimizes the number of rooms exposed to the cold. Keep the door closed to the room where the work is occurring and you’ll hardly notice a difference.
  • Most materials related to window installation such as foam insulation and caulking will work fine down to freezing or below. Though the materials need to be kept warm before being used, the installation crew simply keeps them in the truck or in your house until they’re needed.
  • As for the workers themselves, most window installation professionals have seen it all as far as weather is concerned. They’re a hardy bunch because they have to be to work outdoors in the GTA. Cold weather is nothing new to them and isn’t going to have them scurrying for the truck every time a cold breeze comes up.

Replacing your windows in the winter is not the prohibitive nightmare people’s imaginations often make it out to be. In fact, if managed properly you’re likely to see little in the way of temperature difference in your home while the work is being carried out. Also, the money you save on purchase and installation may be the best Christmas present you receive this year.

All Sound Good? Call Us Now for More Info on Window Installation!

Toronto Doors and Windows are the area’s premier replacement window installation company. We’re a full service, year-round business that can take your cold, drafty November home and turn it into a snug, secure oasis in time for Christmas. If you’re contemplating replacing your windows but are being held back by the cost, give us a call today on 289-297-5155 and learn how much you can save by replacing your windows in the winter.

Window Replacement: How You Can Inadvertently Bump Up the Price of Yours

By

Replacing the windows in your house is a big deal with many laudable benefits like increased energy efficiency, better sound insulation, increased curb appeal and increased home value to name just a few. Some homeowners, however, seem to get stuck with enormous bills in the wake of their replacement window installation, often much larger than they were anticipating or budgeted for. So what happened?

Avoid These Window Replacement Budget Busters

What happened was that, in their enthusiasm to give their Toronto home every aesthetic and practical advantage they allowed themselves to be talked into things they didn’t originally plan on purchasing and which they didn’t really need. Either that or they discovered that rock bottom prices don’t always extend to things like installation. Here are some common mistakes people make that jack up the price of their window replacement efforts.

  • Buying Triple Pane Windows – There is virtually no difference in energy efficiency between double pane and triple pane. The main difference is in the price. Unless you live on the Arctic tundra, double pane windows should do you just fine.
  • Buying Fiberglass When Vinyl Will Do – For most homes in most areas vinyl windows are an affordable, energy efficient replacement window choice. They add immediate and significant curb appeal and cut energy costs substantially. Yet some get talked into purchasing very expensive fiberglass windows whose advantages are often difficult to quantify.
  • Replacing Your Window Frames When You Don’t Have to – If your existing frames are in good condition there is no reason to have them replaced. As long as the frames are not rotting or out of square, consider window replacement inserts that will fit neatly into your existing frames and save you as much as 50%.
  • Piling on the Upgrades – Do you really need the hardware to be oil-rubbed bronze? Are Simulated Divided Light grilles really going to make a big difference? Why would you need impact resistant glass if you don’t live in a hurricane zone? Every additional feature adds to the bottom line.
  • Saving Money by Purchasing Fixed Pane Windows – Some folks like the idea of saving money by purchasing fixed pane windows. This often seems like a good idea until the warm weather comes and you want to open a window but can’t. Also you may have to hire a professional to clean the outside of fixed pane windows on upper floors, negating any savings.
  • Buying from a Big Box – The thinking here is that you’ll save money by purchasing from the big box and having them install the windows. But while you may pay a rock bottom price for the windows themselves, big box stores have been known to charge exorbitant fees for installation. Something a lot of homeowners don’t realize until they get the bill. Get the entire cost up front (including the cost of installation) before buying anything.

When contemplating window replacement you should always remember that if you’re not careful, costs can spiral out of control and leave you in a tight spot. Before buying windows, do a comprehensive examination of your current windows to check on the state of the frames and when you order your new windows “beware the upgrades.”

Get Your Widow Replacement Today Without Paying Over the Odds

Toronto Doors and Windows helps homeowners in the GTA get the most value from their home by making sound choices and installing quality products. If you are considering replacing your current windows, give us a call on 647-932-3667 and talk to one of our window replacement specialists. They’ll help you choose the replacement windows that are right for your home without pressuring you into purchasing things you don’t need.

Why Entry Doors Can Have Such a Profound Effect on the Value of Your Home

By

Entry doors are the first thing people will focus on as they approach your house. The old saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” may as well have been written about the front door. If your door is old or in poor condition, or if it looks like it was picked up in the bargain bin at the big box store and just stuck on the house without regard for whether or not it matched, people’s entire experience of your home will be tainted. That is not something you want happening, particularly if you are hoping to sell your house.

The Many Ways Entry Doors Enhance the Value of a Home

Of all the renovations you can do to a house, none offers a better ROI than replacing your front door. Here’s a short list of the five most cost effective remodeling projects and their average ROI.

  1. Front door replacement: 96.6 percent
  2. Backyard deck: 87.4 percent
  3. Bedroom in the attic: 84.3 percent
  4. Replace the garage door: 83.7 percent
  5. Kitchen remodeling: 82.7 percent

It’s fair to assume that many people would have guessed that a kitchen remodel would return a better percentage of the investment than a front door replacement, but the numbers don’t lie. So now that we have your attention, how do you go about selecting a new front door that will not only live up to ROI expectations but will also add to your home’s curb appeal and overall energy efficiency? Your decision making process should be focused on three main areas:

  • Aesthetics – It’s hard to beat the look of a solid wood door. There’s no doubt about that. While other materials may be able to mimic the look to more or less convincing degrees there is something about the way wood reacts to light and other factors that make it stand out. If money is no object and you don’t mind the maintenance, you can’t beat natural wood from an aesthetic point of view.
  • Energy Efficiency – Wood is not the best material for keeping out the Toronto If not properly maintained, a wood door will rot around the edges, particularly along the bottom, and begin to crack and loosen in its frame. It doesn’t take much to create a draft that can rob you of interior comfort no matter how high you’ve set the thermostat. Fiberglass and steel entry doors generally come with a fully insulated interior and will seal up tight when closed. Fiberglass may win this category though, because it will not conduct heat the way metal will.
  • Security – Wood will likely look the best and fiberglass will have a slight edge when it comes to energy efficiency. But when it comes to matters of security, steel is king. Wooden doors are easily compromised and fiberglass doors are not much better. A steel door, however will thwart even the most determined intruder. When you consider that ⅓ of all home intrusions come through the front door that is an important consideration homebuyers regularly take into account.

Ready to Take Advantage of that High ROI? Contact Our Team Today

Toronto Doors and Windows is the preferred choice of smart homeowners who recognize that value and price are two different things. Drop by our showroom today and peruse our vast selection of top-quality entry doors. Or, if you like, call us on 647-932-3667 to discuss replacing your old, insecure, energy-wasting door. We have entry doors for every taste and budget and our installation professionals will make sure your new door is set properly in order to provide you with years of trouble free service.

The Amazing Variety and Value of Replacement Windows and Doors

By

When shopping for new windows and doors the first thing you’re likely to notice is the sheer number of available styles. Picking one that suits your home to a tee is not always the easiest thing to do but charlesandhudson.com has posted a primer that might help clarify things for you. They start right off with a helpful tidbit that a lot of people probably don’t think about when purchasing new windows or doors:

Remember to choose a window or door that will look good from the inside as well as the outside of your home.

Believe it or not a lot of people get so fixated on the way windows and doors (windows particularly) look from the street that they forget to consider how they’ll look from the sofa in the living room. So keep that in mind.

The primer then goes into some detail about the most popular styles including: awning windows (“hinged from the top, opening outward from the bottom… Awning windows are typically installed over fixed windows or doors,”) bay windows (“…a large center window bordered on either side by double-hung or casement windows set at 30- or 45-degree angles.”) casement windows (“…casement windows feature a single sash that’s hinged on the left or right and open outward using a crank handle.”) and more.

Main Reasons Homeowners Replace Their Windows and Doors

It might behoove us to back up a bit and take a look at why people would want to replace their windows and doors in the first place. Typically one or more of the following reasons are at work when people decide to replace their windows:

  • The Single-Pane Blues – Some homeowners will hold on to their wood frame single-pane windows until there’s little left but caulk and peeling paint. When they finally relent and replace their old windows it’s like having a new house.
  • Security Issues – Old windows that don’t close all the way, close awkwardly, are loose in their frames or have rotting casements pose a significant security and safety risk to you and your family.
  • Adding Value – Few improvements you can make to your home will add as much value as new, energy efficient windows (exception below). You can reasonably expect an ROI of 85% when it comes time to sell your home.

As far as replacing entry doors is concerned, most people do it in order…

  • To Save Energy – Chances are that draft you’re feeling is originating from the front door. A draft may not seem like much of a problem, but it can increase your energy usage by 10% or more.
  • To Add Curb Appeal – The front door is the focal point of your home. For most people it’s also the first thing they get a good look at when they visit, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression as they say.
  • To Increase Security – A wooden door is a major security risk. The fact that ⅓ of home invasions happen through the front door should be proof enough of that. By replacing your wooden front door with a steel door, you make your home many times more secure.
  • To Add Value – When you think of the home improvement projects with the best ROI what comes to mind? A deck? New windows? If you guessed either of those you’d have company, but you’d be wrong. Front door replacement provides the highest ROI (nearly 97%) of any home improvement project.

Replacing Your Windows and Doors? Speak to Our Experts Today

If you’ve decided it’s time to replace your windows and doors, talk to the professionals at Toronto Doors and Windows. We’ll help you choose a style that’s right for you at a price you can afford. We’ll work with you every step of the way to make sure the process goes smoothly and that you wind up with a warmer, safer and more valuable home. Call us today on 647-932-3667 and talk to one of our knowledgeable sales associates. They’ll get you started on the road to a more beautiful, more energy efficient home.