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How Vinyl Windows Measure Up to the Competition?

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The most common materials used for windows these days include: wood, aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass.

Of all the materials, vinyl windows are the most commonly installed in newer homes, while fiberglass windows are still relatively new on the market.
Before we break down each material’s good and bad qualities, let’s take a look at the materials in an easy-to-understand overview:

Wood Vinyl Fiberglass Aluminum
No cracking ? ? ?
No peeling ? ? ?
No bending or warping ? ? ?
Large variety of shapes and designs ? ? ?
No sticking caused by expansion or contraction ? ?
High energy efficiency ? ? ?

As you can see, vinyl and fiberglass have many great qualities that wood and aluminum are lacking. But to get a more in-depth understanding of each material we will break down the various issues separately below:

Vinyl Windows vs. Wood, Fiberglass and Aluminum Windows

Durability/Maintenance

When talking about windows, durability usually boils down to how long the windows will last without any need for repairs or window replacement. In Canada, and other places where temperatures change drastically throughout the year, this can have varied effects on the different materials as follows:

  • Wood windows expand and contract quite quickly in humid, hot or cold weather. After only a couple of years, the wood can permanently warp, leaving you with windows that are difficult to open and close, and you may find small (or large) gaps between the window and the frame.
  • Aluminum windows can behave in a similar fashion. A great conductor of temperatures, aluminum will also expand and contract quite quickly, making the windows difficult to open, which, again, often creates gaps.
  • Vinyl windows are resistant to the contracting and expanding seen in wood and aluminum windows. They will maintain their shape and be easy to open and close for many years to come.
  • Fiberglass windows are also very sturdy and will stand up well against varied temperatures, similar to vinyl windows.

On top of this, you must also think about how the windows will look in say, 5 to 10 years. Wooden windows will never look better than they do on the day that they are stained and installed. They will also need regular upkeep to retain their appearance and functionality. Aluminum windows can rust and warp. Vinyl windows, however, will look just as good 10 years later as they did when they were first installed.

Insulation

Out of all the materials mentioned above, aluminum will provide the least amount of insulation. In fact, you can feel the outdoor temperatures permeating through the aluminum if you place your hand against the metal frame. Wood is a fairly good insulator, but because it is prone to bending and warping, it’s not long before you’ll feel a cool (or warm) draft coming from a wood window, due to gaps between the frame and window as mentioned above. Vinyl windows are made mostly from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and they create an incredible airtight seal that lasts for years on end as it does not expand like the other noted materials. Gaps and drafts are very rare in vinyl windows, similar to those made of fiberglass.

Energy Efficiency

Basically, insulation directly relates to energy efficiency (and your monthly energy bills). If you’ve got windows that are letting in a draft of cold air, your heating system will have to work extra hard to warm the house. Windows that can ensure a tight seal are your best bet for saving money in the long run by keeping the heat (or cold as would be the case in the summer) securely inside the home. As well, there are some municipalities that offer government incentives when you choose energy efficient windows such as vinyl.

Cost

Cost is always an important fact when thinking about window installation, and that’s why vinyl windows are the number one choice for most homeowners. It can be broken down like this:

Window Materials from Most to Least Expensive

1. Fiberglass
2. Wood
3. Vinyl/Aluminum

Window Materials from Most to Least Durable (meaning they last the longest with the least amount of regular maintenance)

1. Fiberglass
2. Vinyl
3. Aluminum
4. Wood

As you can see, vinyl sits on the list with high durability and very little maintenance at an affordable cost. Wood can cost two to three times that amount, but requires a lot of regular upkeep. Fiberglass sits at the top of both lists, but the cost for fiberglass is a lot higher than any other material, making it a more common choice for commercial or industrial buildings.

At Toronto Doors and Windows, we can help you choose the perfect all weather windows and doors that complement your lifestyle while staying within your budget.

Features of the Best All Weather Windows and Doors

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Torontonians are no strangers to extreme temperatures, going from -25 °C in winter to +35°C in summer (okay, only when we get lucky). But that’s still a huge temperature difference from season to season. And as if having to spend bundles of money to dress yourself for these varied temperatures wasn’t enough, the drastic temperature difference can ruin your doors and windows, costing you extensive amounts of money in repairs.

How Extreme Climate Changes Affect Door and Window Installation

As the temperature rises and falls, materials contract and expand, causing:

  • Permanent Warping. If the materials expand and contract too much, they lose their shape, and become permanently warped – leading to gaps between the door/window and its frame, causing drafts and in turn higher energy bills.
  • Broken Seals. Even the best window sealings will crack with too much movement between the frames and doors/windows, letting air in and out.
  • Paint Chipping. If you’ve got paint on your windows or doors, extreme humidity as well as being exposed to the elements will cause the paint to chip away. Direct sunlight will cause colours to fade.

These factors can cause your exterior doors and windows to look old beyond their years, as well as cause major damage, unless you fit your home with high quality all weather windows and doors made specifically for climates such as ours. All weather windows and doors use unique technologies to create energy efficient, long-lasting, low-maintenance doors and windows.

Unique Technologies Behind All Weather Windows And Doors

  1. V-Weld: Technology for the Elements: Traditional combination windows are usually put together with Box-to-Box modular construction, requiring gaskets and silicone to seal them properly. While this method is okay, it offers limited structural integrity and water and air leaks become common place over time. V-Weld technology, however, welds the pieces completely together so there is no need for gaskets or silicone. And, these pieces expand and contract together, ensuring a tight and lasting seal while virtually eliminating water and air leaks. This tight seal on all weather windows and doors increases energy efficiency – and lowers your monthly energy costs.
  2. Superior Glass Options: To further enhance the energy efficiency of your windows, you can choose specialised glass that will further keep your home properly insulated. Most all weather windows will offer you the following options for energy efficient glass:
  • Double Pane: Regular double pane windows give you two panes of glass, usually separated by half an inch of air. The air acts as an insulation barrier, protecting your home from the outside elements.
  • Triple Pane: Triple pane windows offer a third pane of glass, each separated again by half an inch of air. This extra air pocket provides further insulation while also providing an extra sound barrier, keeping your home protected from outside noises.
  • Argon Filling: Argon is a non-toxic, clear and odourless gas that can be used to fill the gaps between the panes of glass in either double or triple pane windows. This gas evenly distributes heat through the window, so that frost is less likely to build up on cold days.
  • Low-Emissivity Coating: “Low-E” coating can be put on the window panes to further enhance energy efficiency. It causes the warm air from your furnace (or cold air from your air conditioner) to basically deflect off the glass and send it back into the room, instead of escaping through the window. Low-E coating can provide up to 105% better insulation than non-Low-E windows.
  • Sun Stop Coating: Essentially two layers of Low-E coating on each pain, this will keep the sun’s rays from adding too much heat to your home, while still letting the sun shine through to brighten up your rooms.
    Combining these features (say, triple pane windows with Low-E coating) will drastically increase your home’s insulation while decreasing your energy bills each month.

Bold, Long-Lasting Colour Innovation

All weather windows and doors are often constructed from vinyl (PVC), which up until recently had been very limited in terms of its colour options. You could potentially paint or add metal cladding, but paint chips easily making typically low-maintenance windows, high maintenance. And metal cladding comes with high added costs. Now, however, new technology from Europe called Renolit Exofol FX, means that your all weather windows and doors can be fitted with an acrylic-based exterior film that permanently bonds beautiful, vibrant colours to your windows. And unlike paint, it wipes clean easily, won’t chip and is backed by a 10-year warranty if applied by professional window and door installation contractors.
At Toronto Doors and Windows we can help you increase the energy efficiency of your home with beautiful, long-lasting, low maintenance windows that match your lifestyle.

Give us a call today for your free consultation and quote.

Exterior Doors Can Be Made From Many Materials: Which One Should You Choose?

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With Canada’s extreme temperature differences throughout the year, it’s important to choose entry doors for Toronto your home that can easily handle the temperature fluctuations without getting damaged, and keep the home well-insulated during the long and cold winters.
50 years ago, you’d have just one choice of material: wood. However, these days, fiberglass and steel entry doors are becoming more popular choices, albeit for their own reasons which we will discuss in detail below.

Benefits of Exterior Doors Made of Fiberglass

  1. Beauty: Fiberglass doors can be made with a stunning array of finishes, including stains that look just like real wooden exterior doors – but at half the price of a real one. A new technology duplicates the look of oak or mahogany wood grain and replicates it onto the durable, cost-effective fiberglass for a classy, elegant look.
  2. Low-Maintenance: Entrance doors often warp and twist over time due to the contrast in temperatures that they have to endure. Doors made of fiberglass do not warp, bend or twist – making them an excellent choice in climates such as Canada. As well, you do not have to worry about rot or rust, and these doors do not dent or scratch easily. Overall, they are very low maintenance.
  3. Efficiency: A quality door made of fiberglass can offer up to five times more insulation than a wood door, and surpasses the level of insulation on steel exterior doors as well.

Benefits of Exterior Doors Made of Steel

  1. Low Cost: Steel doors are definitely the lowest-priced exterior doors on the market, making them an excellent choice for those on a budget. They also come in a variety of colors and finishes to suit almost any home.
  2. Medium-Maintenance: While steel exterior doors are not quite as low maintenance as those made of fiberglass, they’re still pretty easy to keep. They do not warp or bend, but scratches can lead to rust if you’re not careful, and the paint can often chip away, needing frequent touch-ups.
  3. Efficiency: As far as insulation goes, steel sits somewhere in the middle: a better insulator than a wood door, but not quite as good as a fiberglass one. Steel doors do, however, conduct temperatures. On a cold day, that steel door is going to feel quite cold from the inside. You won’t necessarily be losing heat, but it will feel chilly when you’re standing close to it.

Which Exterior Door is Best for You?

As you can see, both steel and fiberglass materials offer many benefits when used to produce exterior doors. So still the question remains: Which material should you choose? That depends on a few things:

  1. Budget: As we stated above, steel doors are the most inexpensive option, although doors made of fiberglass are slowly making their way to the lower-price market and will hopefully be available for every budget in the near future. Until that happens, however, your budget will likely play a huge role in your decision. But just remember – a small investment in a top-quality door now will last you many years and could save you a lot of money in the long run by providing better insulation and thus lowering your heating costs.
  2. Time: You might be thinking ‘What does time have to do with my front door?’ But time, in this case, refers to how much time you really want to spend maintaining the door in the future – and also how much time do you wish to lapse before having to replace it? Fiberglass is the most durable material by far, will require the least amount of maintenance, and will have the longest lifetime.
  3. Placement: Where are you putting this door? You may wish to choose different materials for different spaces in your home. For a door on the side of your house that leads only to the garage, you might opt for a cheaper steel door where temperature conduction doesn’t matter since most garages are not heated. For the front door – which gets the most amount of use – you’ll want the sturdiest, most durable door that you can afford.

At Toronto Doors and Windows, we have over 15 years of experience with door and window installation, and our qualified team would be happy to offer you personalized advice if you’re still unsure of which doors will suit your needs best. Whether a simple patio door replacement, or an entire house fitting of all-weather windows and doors, we pride ourselves on the hundreds of satisfied homeowners we have helped around the GTA, and we’d love to help you as well. Give us a call or fill out the online form to get a free quote or ask us any questions you might have about doors and windows. We look forward to hearing from you!

Looking for Entrance Doors? here are the factors That Need to Be Considered

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Most homeowners know the value of a solid, high-quality entrance door. They understand that a door is not always just a door. They know that with entrance doors you can’t sacrifice function for form. They know that a dependable entrance door can enhance their homes physically and aesthetically. But what many don’t know is what to look for when they’re in the market for new entrance doors.
If you’re one of those homeowners who’s looking for a guide to buying a new entrance door and your flummoxed as to where to start, look no further. Toronto Doors and Windows has put together a list of all the factors that need to be considered when buying new entrance doors.

Entrance Door Mindset

First, you need to consider what you want from your front door. If you’re looking for a simple door that just works, you have nothing to worry about. The days of flimsy entrance doors have passed us by. Nearly any door that you find will provide you with a functional entrance for your home.
If you’re looking for something more complex that will offer you all of the same functionality as a simpler entrance door, there’s good news: New materials and styles of entrance door allow you to have just that

Material Matters

Next, you need to figure out which door material you prefer. There are a number of different materials from which modern doors are crafted and each offers its own special benefits to suit your individual needs.

  • Wood: Wood is a classic material that offers a traditional feel and aesthetic beauty. Oak, mahogany, maple, and cherry entrance doors are widely available and look great as the entry to your home. However, wooden doors, while beautiful, do come with the added responsibility of regular maintenance to keep them looking fresh and new.
  • Fiberglass: If you’re looking for a versatile door that can take nearly any shape and even mimic the beauty of wood, then fiberglass doors are your best bet. They offer better insulation than wooden doors, are more gouge- and scratch-resistant, and also require very little, if any, maintenance. Over the lifetime of a fiberglass door, you can expect minimal hassle and big energy savings.
  • Steel: The final category of door is all metallic. They’re the second most expensive of the different materials, but offer you the added security of knowing that your entrance door is strong enough to defend your family. Steel doors offer the same protection against cracking and rotting as fiberglass doors, but tend not to insulate your home as well.

Style Selections

Now, the most exciting part: choosing what your door is actually going to look like. There are a few factors to consider when it comes to style. The material of your entrance door will not say much about you and your family, as most people will never touch it, but its style can speak volumes. Do you want people to think of your home as more traditional or would you prefer that people thought you were modern? No matter what, there’s a style of entrance door perfect for you.

  • Traditional: More traditional entrance door styles like Georgian or Edwardian give your home an almost historic feeling, showcasing that you are the type of person who understands why traditions are important and has a certain level of refinement.
  • Modern: Modern entrance doors can take an old-fashioned house and make it into something contemporary and lively. If you would prefer that your home have a sense of modernity, Toronto Doors and Windows has you covered with our vast selection of modern fiberglass doors.

Strong Silent Types

In these troubling times, safety is one of the few things that many of us are unwilling to compromise on. Protecting your family is important and every decision you make plays a part in keeping them safe, including what type of door you buy. It’s important that you consider what kind of security options a new entrance door will offer you and your family before you buy it. If the material doesn’t stand up to the possible abuse of home intruders, it’s a definite no-go. Ensure that the design doesn’t have too much fragile glass that could be broken in order to force entry into your home. Glass accents can make a door look more ornate, but they can also leave the locks on the inside vulnerable.
There are a lot of factors to look at when in the market for new entrance doors, but the most important are mindset, material, style, and safety. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at Toronto Doors and Windows for advice or a new entrance door installation.

How to Find High Quality Discount Windows

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Upgrading your windows has many long-lasting benefits for your home both functional and cosmetic. From upping your home’s value to improving your home’s energy efficiency, lowering your heating and cooling bills, upgrading your home’s style, and increasing its safety from unwanted intruders. Unfortunately, good quality windows can be an expensive investment that many Toronto homeowners just can’t afford in this recovering economy.

With many discount windows scammers out there all too willing to take advantage of desperate homeowners, it’s difficult to know where to turn for cheap deals that won’t break the bank. After all, you don’t want to be left with a poorly insulted or badly constructed window that turns your home into an igloo come winter.

There are an almost overwhelming number of factors to consider when buying windows – from styles to glass type to installation to insulation – and it’s difficult to know where you have room to compromise and where you really should not. After 15 years in the business, the experts here at Toronto Doors and Windows know a thing or two about how to sniff out a good window replacement deal. Read on to discover how you can get better quality discount windows for less.

Six Tips for Finding the Best Deals on Discount Windows

1. Go With the No-Names

Many name brands charge more even for their lower-quality windows because they know they can get away with it. People are drawn to familiar names, especially those that are usually associated with quality. Often, better deals can be had when you go with the no-name windows. No-names will usually give you higher-quality discount windows for a lower price.

2. Shop Out of Season

When windows are open all day and night during the balmy summer, many homeowners often forget about them completely. It’s only when it’s the middle of January and they’re huddled up in layers of blankets staring at their heating bill in horror that they stop to think that maybe, something should be done. If you’re looking for insulating windows that will lower your energy costs and improve your home’s insulation, the hottest day of the summer is often the best time to shop. Window companies are more likely to have massively discounted sales when their products are not in high demand.

3. Compromise on Special Features

Energy efficiency may be the biggest buzzword in the window industry at the moment. Make no mistake, energy efficiency is important in these days of melting polar ice caps and sky-high utility costs, but sometimes, it’s best to compromise on just how far you need to go. Although triple pane windows are the most insulating option on the market today, many homeowners opt for double pane windows that are less expensive but still energy efficient. Another great way to save is to only install triple pane windows on the north side of your home to withstand the coldest winds or to opt for cheaper argon gas in between panes rather than krypton.

4. Stick with the Tried-and-True

While bow and bay windows with seats and ornate embedded Victorian window grills are gorgeous, they’re decidedly not the best option for a family on a budget. The cheapest window options are those old standards: casement, sliders, double-hung, and fixed windows. Although not the most aesthetically adventurous, these common styles are classic and can easily be personalized with a little paint or interesting curtains or blinds. While they may not be as fancy, your new discount windows will still look far better than your old panes.

5. Buy Vinyl Windows

These days, vinyl doesn’t refer to those old records collecting dust in your basement, but to inexpensive and good quality vinyl windows. While wood is classic and fiberglass is high-tech, neither material factors in while buying discount windows. Vinyl windows are completely affordable, surprisingly durable, require little maintenance, are great insulators, and can be painted to look just as stylish as the rest of them.

6. Always Negotiate

If you’re really in a jam, the best way to get discount windows is to negotiate the price with the company. Could you get a lower price if you buy a certain number of windows? How about if you hire them to do the installation? Every window company expects their customers to negotiate, and are more than likely relieved when they don’t. You should always counter offer with a price that’s lower than what you’d actually be willing to pay. Hopefully, you and the windows company will find that sweet spot of compromise somewhere in the middle.

Still wondering where to get the best deals on discount windows? Stop by Toronto Doors and Windows to browse our extensive window selection, ask for expert advice on cost saving, and receive free estimates on window installation.

Keeping Your Toronto Home’s Vinyl Windows Clean

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As the old saying goes, if you take care of something, it will last longer. This is just as true for the vinyl windows in your Toronto home. Your quality vinyl replacement windows are built to last a long time anyway, but factors like weather can have an effect on their life expectancy. Just like the vinyl siding on a house, vinyl clad windows need regular cleaning and inspection to ensure that they are still in good shape to keep doing their job right. That job, of course, is to provide lighting and ventilation for your Toronto home, as well as provide a satisfactory thermal barrier to insulate inside from outside.

The Dos and Don’ts & vinyl windows

  • Don’t use abrasive cleaners. These can not only damage the vinyl cladding on your windows, but also the seals that keep your windows airtight.
  • Don’t use strong chemical cleaners, like engine degreaser or oven cleaner, as these will also damage the material of your windows.
  • Don’t use anything that will scratch, gouge, or otherwise damage the windows to clean them. This includes razor blade scrapers or steel wool.
  • Don’t try to clean your windows with any type of high-pressure water sprayer like a power washer. This high water pressure can damage the seals or even lift the vinyl cladding, causing loss of seal, or corrosion to the underlying metal components.
  • Don’t lubricate your windows with any type of oil-based lubricant, such as WD-40, because they can attract dirt.
  • Don’t attempt to paint or lacquer your vinyl windows.

In attempting to take care of your windows, the last thing you would want to do is shorten their lives.

  • Start with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth.
  • Refer to your manufacturer’s paperwork or manual for the approved cleaning methods.
  • Use a silicone based spray lubricant, if lubrication is necessary.
  • To safely clean screens, use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner.
  • Stick with a regular, over the counter, ammonia based window cleaner for the tough spots.

If you do have some tough spots that need extra attention, try a little hydrogen peroxide, again applied with a soft cloth, to clean away spots, then re-clean the window in the traditional manner. Note, you don’t want to leave any residue that may contain substances that will corrode the vinyl cladding. Using a power washer to clean your replacement vinyl windows, in most cases, will void the manufacturer’s warranty. Your windows are not designed to withstand the levels of water pressure your power washer can produce, and losing a seal on a multi-pane window can produce fogging between the panes.
If you feel your windows need a little more than just Windex, a regular household surface cleaner like Fantastik or 409 can help, but don’t be tempted to use anything with even the mildest abrasive agent, like SotfScrub, because even minor scratching will do permanent, irreversible damage. Furniture polish, cleaners containing organic solvents, nail polish remover, paint thinner and chlorine bleach are potentially damaging to the vinyl surface as well, so don’t take unnecessary risks.

Vinyl Windows: What Works and What Doesn’t

If you are thinking about painting the vinyl trim on your replacement windows, don’t do it. Paints and varnish can weaken the vinyl cladding, causing it to lift away from the metal, exposing it to the elements, causing corrosion on parts that were never meant to see the light of day. Keep in mind, most types of paint will not adhere to vinyl or plastics anyway, and will blister, flake and peel, making your windows look worse, instead of better.
Using a paint scraper, steel wool or heavy duty cleaning pad like Scotchbrite may scratch the glass or the vinyl. A nice gouge in the seal around the glass may cause “seal failure” which not only fogs the window and voids the warranty, but completely defeats the window’s energy efficiency. These windows are designed with two or more panes of glass with an inert gas between them to prevent conduction of heat or cold from one side of the window to the other. With your home’s heating and cooling bills hanging in the balance, don’t make any hasty decisions about cleaning them.
You will also want to keep the tracks clean to prevent dirt and debris from causing unnecessary wear, or clogging the tracks. A stiff bristled nylon brush, along with some soapy water, will get these tracks clean without much fuss. Remember, if you believe these tracks need some lubrication, stick with silicone based lubricant spray that won’t attract dirt the way petroleum based products do.

Keep It Sweet and Simple

Your vinyl windows are specifically designed to be low-maintenance, and easy to keep clean. Don’t over-think the cleaning process when a little soapy water will work just fine. It is always a good idea to consult your manufacturer’s paperwork or warranty information when you have questions regarding the care and use of your vinyl replacement windows, and if you have a question that isn’t covered, don’t hesitate to look for a toll-free number to call. Most manufacturers include contact information for this exact reason.
If you think your vinyl window has sustained damage from some other source, call the manufacturers immediately to help determine the best course of action. Your vinyl replacement windows aren’t cheap, and if there is a problem that may be covered by the warranty, you will want to get it taken care of as quickly as possible. Remember, it’s all about making your vinyl replacement windows last as long as you can, so don’t cut corners or look for shortcuts. Honestly, the easiest thing you can do is, while watering the lawn or spraying down the vinyl siding, give your windows a quick spray with the garden hose. This will work better than you might expect. And also remember if you are interested in vinyl windows for your Toronto home or office, call Toronto Doors and Windows. We’ll be happy to help!

Get your vinyl windows from Toronto doors & windows – call now!