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
- 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.
- 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.