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Today’s Vinyl Windows: Durable, Low-Maintenance Money Saving Tech

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Today’s vinyl window is a mainstay of the contemporary home renovation scene. Durable, attractive and surprisingly affordable they can be found on homes new and old from coast to coast. But it wasn’t always so as the This Old House website points out in a recent post.

They used to be a low-maintenance default when it came time to replace leaky or rotting wood double-hungs. But, over time, white vinyl could yellow, colored vinyl wash out, and the material itself split or crack in extreme temperatures. Times have changed. The vinyl window … comes in no-fade colors and faux-grain finishes that weather well in any climate. And its sturdy construction and insulated glass meet Energy Star criteria.

And speaking of sturdy construction:

The best vinyl has additives that protect against brittleness, yellowing, or fading. Sash and frame extrusions should have welded corners and numerous internal air chambers for strength, rigidity, and insulation.

This Old House is right to sing the praises of today’s vinyl windows because they really are marvels of modern technology and light years ahead of their progenitors from the 70s and 80s. Today’s vinyl replacement windows provide:

  • Improved Energy Efficiency – Today’s vinyl replacement windows come with thicker frames than their predecessors which helps improve their energy saving abilities and almost completely eliminate air leaks. The improved structural integrity of today’s windows means savings of 10 – 20% or more on your energy bills over older vinyl windows.
  • Ease of Installation – Today’s vinyl replacement windows come pre-assembled. They’re ready to be installed so they can get to work saving you money. Where older windows could take weeks of onsite fabrication all of your new vinyl replacement windows should be ready to go in just a few days.
  • Low Maintenance – Once your windows have been installed, your maintenance will amount to little more than wiping them down on occasion to remove dirt and dust. No painting, no sealing up cracks and crevices, no oiling squeaky hinges. Just install them and forget about them.
  • Choice – Today’s vinyl window styles include Awning, Bay, Double-hung, Casement, Single-hung, Sliding, Fixed, Transcom and more. If you can’t find a vinyl window style to fit your home, you’re probably not looking hard enough.
  • Colour Fast Construction – Unlike their ancestors from 20 or 30 years ago, today’s vinyl windows never need painting or staining of any kind. They’ll hold their colour for the duration of their useful life, which could be decades.
  • Affordability – While vinyl replacement windows don’t qualify as “cheap,” if you step back and take the long view, you’ll better understand just how affordable they are. Your costs amount to the one-time purchase and installation of the windows and that’s it. Pro-rate that cost over the 30 years or so you’ll have the windows and you can see what a deal they actually are.
  • Warranty – The top rated windows from the best manufacturers today will often come with a lifetime warranty. Some will offer double lifetime warranties. Double lifetime warranties are often transferable to new owners and so become major selling points when the time comes to part with your home.

Vinyl Windows Lead the Way in the GTA

Today’s vinyl windows represent the apex of modern home technology and will provide you with decades of trouble free service. Don’t waste your time and money trying to get one more year out of your leaky, hard to maintain wooden windows, or one more winter night taping up holes in the plastic of your window insulation kits. Install new vinyl replacement windows today and watch your energy bills fall and your home value rise.

Not Convinced? Give Us a Call to Find Out More!

If you’re considering vinyl replacement windows for your Toronto home, give us a call on 647-932-3667 to speak with one of our friendly and knowledgeable window experts. We’re Toronto Doors and Windows. We’ve been helping homeowners in the GTA save on energy while adding curb appeal and resale value to their homes for more than 15 years. We can do the same for you.

Energy Efficient Window Installation Facts

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As much as 30% of the heat loss in a typical home goes straight out the windows. That means 30% of the heating oil you buy is wasted on warming up the air outside your home. Good for the birds maybe, not so good for your wallet. In order to bring the situation under control you’ll want to consider replacing your old windows with new, energy efficient windows, but exactly which windows to install in your home is not always clear.

Hgtv.com tackles the subject of replacement window installation and looks at the various options open to homeowners intent on bringing their energy bills down to earth.

Today, energy-conscious homeowners want to minimize the costs of heating and cooling their homes, and selecting the right windows is a crucial step. So how far should you go when choosing energy-efficient windows? The key is knowing what window upgrades will give you the biggest bang for your buck without delivering a blow to your bottom line.

Most people know a wood frame is less prone to heat and cold transfer than an aluminum one, since metals conduct temperature much more easily than wood. But that doesn’t mean wood is always the best choice for a utility-bill-friendly window. There are a variety of materials available for window frames, and each has positive and negative aspects.

When it comes to materials, window technology has advanced to the point that few will even consider wood framed windows any more. That leaves two materials as clear favourites for most homeowners. They would be:

  • Vinyl – Vinyl windows are practically maintenance free. Vinyl is also a poor conductor of heat, meaning you needn’t worry about heat bleeding out through the window frames. Vinyl is also non-corrosive and will last for decades under normal conditions.
  • Aluminum – Unlike vinyl, aluminum windows can be painted. They’re also stronger than vinyl and better at blocking out sound. However, they conduct heat and cold more effectively than vinyl which means they’re not a great choice for homes subjected to temperature extremes.

There’s more to energy efficient window installation than just materials however. It’s also important that you carefully consider the type of windows you install as different types leak air at different rates and that affects energy consumption. The most common types of window include:

  • Casement – Casement windows are hinged along the side and have some of the lowest leak rates of any window. When they close the sash presses into the frame creating a tight seal.
  • Fixed Pane – Fixed pane windows don’t open. Hard to beat that when it comes to preventing air leakage but a major drawback if you like to open the windows once in awhile.
  • Awning – This type of window has hinges at the top and opens outward. Like casement windows, when they close the frame and sash form a nice tight seal that prevents air leakage.
  • Double Hung – With double hung windows both sashes slide up and down. In the single-hung variant only the lower sash slides. This sliding however creates greater air leakage than other types of window exhibit.
  • Double-Sliding – With this type of window the sliding motion is horizontal. Again with the single-pane variant only one pane will slide. As with double-hung windows, sliding creates more opportunities for air leakage.

You’ll also need to consider whether to purchase double or triple-pane windows. Each has their pros and cons. Both will do an outstanding job keeping the heat in your home, where it belongs, though triple-pane will do that job slightly better. Whether the marginally better insulation is worth the extra 25% or so you’ll pay for triple-pane will be something you’ll have to decide yourself.

Call the Window Installation Pros and Rest Easy

Lastly you need to keep in mind that even the most energy efficient windows won’t do their job very well if they’re poorly installed. Make sure you enlist the window pros from Toronto Doors and Windows to handle your window installation. We’ve been installing energy efficient windows and doors throughout the GTA for over 15 years and know how to get the job done right the first time. Call us on 647-932-3667 to schedule your window installation or to find out more about today’s amazing energy saving double and triple-pane replacement windows.

Entry Doors Finally Get Some Long Overdue Respect

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If you asked 100 people which home improvement project would generate the highest ROI which project do you think would win the popular vote? Kitchen remodeling? Bathroom remodeling? Window replacement? These are all good guesses and most people would probably pick one of them as being the most cost effective. But they’d all be wrong. Because the home improvement project that actually wins the ROI battle is none other than (drum roll please)…. replacing your front door.

Huh? Is that right? Absolutely. By replacing your front door with a new steel door you stand to recoup a staggering 98% of your investment, according to a new article on houselogic.com. Here are the details:

Year in and year out, no single project has provided such a healthy return on your home improvement dollar as a new front door. A replacement steel door averaged a 98% return on investment — by far the highest return in our historical look at the “Cost vs. Value Report.
It’s also the lowest-cost project in the annual report at $1,230. It’s an energy upgrade that has great curb appeal and needs virtually no maintenance…Plus, old exterior doors can be a huge source of energy loss. So you’re improving the look of your house, improving energy efficiency, and you’re able to do it without breaking the bank.

That’s a pretty amazing piece of information since it’s likely that, at best, only 1 or 2 of those hundred people surveyed would have picked front door replacement as being such a smart thing to do. But maybe it shouldn’t be all that surprising since ⅓ of all home invasions occur through the front door and by replacing old wood entry doors with a new steel door you instantly raise your home security profile by several degrees.

But besides just keeping you safe steel doors keep the heat in and the drafts out. In fact a steel door without a window has 5 times the insulating power of a wood door. 5 times. Some of the other advantages of steel entry doors include:

  • They can be painted
  • They’re extremely durable
  • They require little maintenance
  • They’re relatively inexpensive
  • They come in a wide variety of styles

Steel Entry Doors: A Smart Investment From Any Angle

Your home’s front door is a place of anticipation and expectation. It’s where first time guests wait and wonder what may lie beyond, where kids come to trick or treat, where important packages are received and where the cold and snow of the Toronto winter are left behind. In addition to all that it’s also the visual focal point of the front of your house. In short, your front door is where you meet the world. Because of that it needs to be attractive, welcoming, practical, energy efficient and safe all at the same time.

Wood doors look great but have a low R-Value and leave you and your family vulnerable to intrusion. Fiberglass doors will last forever, are energy efficient and more secure than wood doors; they’re also by far the most expensive type of door you can buy. Steel doors provide the good looks of wood and the increased insulation value of fiberglass without requiring you to spend your vacation money to get them. On top of that they’re also the smartest, most cost-effective improvement you can make to your home.

Want to Know More About Entry Doors? Contact Us Today

At Toronto Doors and Windows we manufacture a variety of steel entry doors that will not only look great but help you save money, save energy and keep your family safe. We’re pioneers in the design and manufacturing of steel doors and all the steel entry doors we make adhere to the highest standards of security, durability and energy efficiency.

Don’t spend another day letting heat escape through your beautiful but ineffective wood door. Don’t spend another second lying awake at night wondering if that same door makes you vulnerable to the type of  break-in that occurred across the street. Do something to improve your home’s energy efficiency and security profile while at the same time adding real value to its bottom line: install a steel entry door from Toronto Doors and Windows today and rest warm and easy tonight.

Steps to Successful Window Replacement

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Replacing all the windows in a condominium building is the type of project that’s sure to run into resistance. Some residents won’t see the need, some won’t appreciate the noise and disruption still others will take issue with the type, style and cost of new windows to be installed. An article on the reminetwork.com website suggests some steps owners will want to take before embarking on such a window replacement project.

Residential windows have an anticipated service life in the range of 35 to 45 years but may require replacement in half of that time if problems develop. The timeframe is the same for new windows or windows installed 20 years ago, and depends on the quality of the design, fabrication, and installation.

A window replacement program can be an expensive endeavour that involves a significant amount of work and disturbance within owners’ units.

The author of the piece then goes on to lay out four questions he believes should be asked of a condo board before window replacement commences including: the reason for replacing the windows, what type of windows will be installed, the energy efficiency of the new windows and how long and disruptive the process will be.

Certainly transparency is integral to the successful completion of any such project and the article makes several important points. But it also neglects to mention another important step, one that should be undertaken before any decision is made about replacing windows: an energy audit.

An energy audit will involve an examination of all aspects of the structure including the windows. It will determine where the structure is haemorrhaging energy and how much. Your building may have additional issues such as defects in the window openings themselves that are causing air leakage. An energy audit can pinpoint such problems and allow you to address them during the window replacement process.

The results of the energy audit will also help you make an informed decision regarding the type of replacement windows you’ll want to purchase. Certainly local building codes will provide a framework but building codes are really just a list of minimum requirements. It may behoove the condo board to install windows that exceed what building codes require and the energy audit will help them make that decision.

R-Values and Window Replacement

Until the oil crisis of the 70s no one paid much attention to the energy efficiency of windows. Windows were windows. If they allowed more heat to escape than they held indoors so what? Heating oil was cheap and plentiful and would be that way forever. Carbon footprint? What’s that? Today we’re a bit wiser and less prone to throwing heat (money) out the window. We’re also more aware of the damage we can cause to the environment through the use of wasteful technologies.

Enter the R-value. An R-value is the measure of a material’s ability to resist transferring heat. In a typical building, whether commercial or residential, the windows possess among the lowest R-values meaning they are responsible for most of the heat that’s lost to the atmosphere. Making sure your new replacement windows have the proper R-value will go a long way toward ensuring your window replacement project yields the desired results.

Toronto Doors and Windows: The Area’s Premier Window Replacement Contractor

There’s a saying in racing circles “It’s not the car, it’s the driver” meaning you can have the fastest car ever built but if you’re driver isn’t up to the task it won’t matter. Same with replacement windows. You should always be sure your new replacement windows are installed by experienced, certified installers. The window technicians from Toronto Doors and Windows are some of the best in the business so you and the board can rest assured that the installation will proceed on schedule and without incident.

When it comes to replacing the windows in your condo or home it doesn’t pay to overlook details. Make sure you have a thorough energy audit before deciding on which replacement windows to install and then have those windows installed by the pros at Toronto Doors and Windows.

Long-Term Benefits of Paying A Little Extra For Your Window Installation

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Any homeowner knows that house maintenance isn’t cheap. From new kitchen appliances to repairing the furnace, there are some things that just have to be done, despite the fact that you’d much rather be spending that hard earned money on a vacation to the beach.

Window replacement, for example, is one of these things. You know that in order to keep your home energy efficient as well as appealing to the eye, your windows have to be replaced. You also know that it’s going to cost a fair bit of money to do so, which is why so many people try to cut deals when it comes to window installation. Paying cash, or looking for the cheapest contractors around sounds like a great way to save a few bucks, but in the end it could end up costing you more money. Here’s why:

Why Price Shouldn’t Be the Only Factor in Choosing Window Installation Contractors

1. Licensing

Most of the time, when you find a contractor that is able to charge you far less than everyone else, it’s because they don’t have the proper licensing (and thus don’t have to pay monthly or yearly licensing fees). Knowing that your contractors are fully licensed, means knowing that they have at least the necessary level of competence to complete the job. As well, licensing means that you can legally dispute any discrepancies regarding contract or quality of work.

2. Insurance

Low-end (cheap) contractors don’t always have adequate insurance. If you’re having all your windows replaced, that’s a going to be a big bill, and small-time contractors might not have the adequate insurance to cover any mishaps, repairs or damages caused by improper window installation.

3. Paper Trails

You may be tempted to pay a contractor in cash in order to get a discount, but if anything happens down the road, you won’t have the proper receipts you need to dispute the issues. Whether window and door installation, or even a new roof, the same rule applies – sign legal contracts and leave as much of a paper trail as possible so that should any problems arise in the future you have the paperwork to back up your claims.

4. Longevity/Guarantees

Possibly the most important thing to look for when hiring a company to do your window installation is that they fully guarantee not only their product – but their installation too. Window installation includes making sure the window is a perfect fit and then sealing it properly to maintain energy efficiency within your home. New windows are a big investment, and a good company will guarantee their work so that that you’re not the one paying for repairs if something goes wrong.

5. Efficiency

Paying a bit extra for window installation experts usually means you’ll get a larger team – and one that knows how to work quickly and efficiently. Let’s be honest, installing new windows can be a nuisance to the homeowner if the process becomes long and drawn out. An experienced team will have the entire job done as quick as humanly possible, giving you your home back much faster.

At Toronto Doors and Windows, we often see people spending top dollar for quality windows, only to skimp when it comes to hiring the installers. But good windows are only as good as their installation. So what happens when the seals come apart and the “lowest price contractors” won’t fix it? They call us of course! And it’s not that we don’t want the business, but it’s better to get it done right the first time. And that’s why we’ve provided you with a brief checklist for hiring your next window installation contractor:

Quality Window Installation Checklist

1. Do They Have a Storefront?

Don’t rely on telemarketers and newspaper ads to choose the best installers, and stay clear of the guys who work out of the back of their own rundown pick-up trucks and are willing to be paid in cash and beer. Instead, look for a reputable company with a proper store front that you can visit, with a useful, high-quality website. Choose a company that is completely transparent about what they can and cannot offer you.

2. Can They Provide References?

Ask for a few references from previous clients, but also check with the Better Business Bureau to see if they’ve had any complaints against them. If they have any unresolved issues, or a long list of complaints, steer clear!

3. Do They Have Experience?

Hiring a professional window installation team doesn’t need to break the bank, but remember that you usually get what you pay for. Hiring a quality team with years of experience means they can predict potential problems and fix them before they become an issue. Most importantly, a good quality team will ensure you get quality, long-lasting results.

Call us today for professional window installation in Toronto

How to Tell if Your Entry Doors Need Replacing

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Pulling up in front of your home, one of the first things that people notice is the front door. It can make or break a first impression, and it’s something that can make you feel good about walking into your home – or feel bad if the doors aren’t in good condition.
But entry doors aren’t restricted to just the front door. Entry doors include all doors that connect the outdoors to inside, including garage doors, side doors and patio doors. All of these doors are important to keep your house safe and secure, keeping certain things inside and other things out.
Unfortunately, entry doors are often taken for granted – not often thought about even by the homeowners – and if they do get forgotten about, they will begin to age and wear down. Stop and think about your entry doors for a moment. Do they need replacing? If you’re not sure, check out the following list of signs that indicate they probably do need replacing.

5 Tell-Tale Signs Your Entry Doors Should be Replaced

1. Drafts

As a door ages, the seals surrounding it can shrink and/or crack, leaving gaps from which the outside air can get in, and the air in the home can get out. It is easier to feel when the outside air is cold rather than warm, but in either case you will definitely notice a jump in your heating or air conditioning bill if the draft goes without repair. If you can’t find where the draft is coming from, you’ll need to hire a general contractor or door and window specialist.

2. Ease of Opening/Closing

Take a look at how your exterior doors function overall. Can you open and close them with ease, or do they scratch the floors as they swing? Do they get stuck in the door frame when you start to open them or do you have to give them a hip check to get them closed? Alternatively, can you see any large gaps between the door and the frame? In some cases, a small adjustment might be all you need. However, most cases are caused by warping. Entry doors are affected by intense climates, expanding and contracting with the hot and cold temperatures, leading to permanent warping of the material, especially when the doors are constructed from wood, which is prone to warping. If you’re unsure if the door is permanently warped, give a call to your local door and window installation company to get a professional opinion.

3. Weathering

Entry doors face extreme weather conditions such as heat, sun, wind and humidity on a regular basis, and they will eventually start to show that in their appearance. Are any of your entry doors cracked, dented or rusted? Some doors simply need a coat of paint to look brand new – but cracks, dents and rust are more serious and it’s likely a good idea to get a replacement quote to start working into your budget.

4. Everything Together

There are many components to a door that can be damaged over time, causing the entire structure to need repair or replacement. The frame, door jamb and threshold are all susceptible to wear and tear, another common problem for entrance doors. If the door itself is still in great condition, you might be able to get away with replacing only the damaged components, but more often than not, you’ll need to replace the entire system. Doors are often sold with the frame, which is one reason fixing the components separately can be difficult. Get your local door installers or even a general contractor to assess what can be done in this situation.

5. Insect Invasion

Ants and spiders will be the first to find out that you’ve got any type of gap in your door. If you’ve got a marching line of ants or other insects coming from your door frame, it’s a clear sign that you need to check the seal of your door frame, and again – check for warping of the actual door.
Replacing your entry doors can be a scary thought, as quality doors can be expensive. However, investing in a good quality door now will ensure that it lasts for a long time.
With over 15 years of experience in window and door installation, the skilled team at Toronto Doors and Windows can help you decide whether or not you need to replace your doors, and we can offer you advice on what style and material of door would work best to increase the curb appeal of your home, as well as help to save you money on heating and cooling with properly insulated and sealed doors.

If you’re looking to replace any doors or windows in your home, our team would be pleased to offer you a free quote.

Give us a call at 647-932-3667 or fill out our online form for your quote and, of course, we are happy to provide answers to any questions you may have.