Skylight Trends and News | Aluplex Skylights

Hygiene Benefits of Glass Shower Enclosures

March 1, 2021 By Ezra Vogel

Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between a shower curtain and a glass door? Wonder no longer; Aluplex has exactly the information you didn’t know you were looking for. While the superiority of either choice is fairly subjective, we have some facts that might help you decide where you stand. So, let’s take a look at the benefits of glass shower enclosures, as well as shower curtains.

Managing Mold

When you take a moment to consider the primary challenges presented by showers and tubs, one of the first that comes to mind is mold. Our showers and tubs are rarely ever given time to dry completely. This is especially true if more than one person is using it in a day. Turn out the bathroom light when you leave and your shower or tub becomes the perfect incubator for mold.

The question is, while mold is nigh impossible to avoid entirely, which enclosure handles it better? The answer truly depends on how you wish to handle it.

For those of you who would prefer cleaning a reusable barrier, mold management is one of many benefits of glass shower enclosures. You can buy an effective, foaming cleaner and scrub down a durable shower enclosure for many years – even decades – before mold begins to affect its overall quality.

For those who have less time or energy to keep up with cleaning, a quick solution may be preferred. In that case, shower curtains are great. They’re cheap – only a few dollars – to replace, and can be switched out in just a few minutes. If you have a tub/shower combo, you will likely still get some mold growth along the side of the tub that the curtain rests against, but the necessary cleaning time is much smaller. The most unfortunate downside to relying on curtains in this case is that replacing them every 1-3 months produces a lot of plastic waste, which is bad for the environment.

The Necessary Upkeep

When it comes to upkeep, much of the same principles applied to mold cleanup are the same. Tubs and shower bases will continue to need occasional cleaning, regardless of the barrier type. What the curtain makes up for in disposability, it loses in contributing to the problem. Shower curtains block a lot of light, making them produce a better breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and other grime where they rest.

Glass shower enclosures may add somewhat to the area that needs cleaning. However, they allow more light and air flow, drying faster and preventing as much bacteria and mold growth. Also, the age old problem of mold and grime getting trapped along metal framework is a thing of the past. Buying a frameless glass shower enclosure is an easy way to avoid this pitfall of glass enclosures.

Health and Safety

When you take all of these things into account, it does begin to paint a pretty stark picture of your bathroom’s health and safety situation. Curtains block light, crowd the tub wall, don’t get enough airflow behind them, and more. Therefore, they encourage the growth of harmful organisms. However, one of the benefits of glass shower enclosures is their improvement of lightflow, airflow, and cleanliness. This makes them safer to use. While the difference may be marginal for some, it may make a huge difference for others, especially those with allergies or breathing sensitivities.

If you want to upgrade your shower curtain to a glass shower enclosure that won’t crowd you while you wash, you know who to call. Ditch the short-term solution and choose something that will give you long-term results.

Emergency Skylight Repair Services in Toronto

March 1, 2021 By Ezra Vogel

There’s nothing more frustrating than something going terribly wrong while there’s no one around to help. Like getting a flat tire, miles from the nearest town, getting a broken window during a storm is quick to cause panic. After all, nobody’s open for business during a huge storm, right? Actually, Aluplex does. Here at Aluplex, we know that disaster doesn’t go on pause when it’s inconvenient for us. That’s why we have emergency skylight repair services in Toronto. When things go wrong at a bad time, we’re here to help. Here’s how you can make the most of our emergency skylight repair services.

Keep Nature Outdoors

A broken skylight can be quite a problem. A nighttime storm brings more with it than difficulty sleeping. It can also bring with it some local animals wanting to seek shelter in your home. If the glass is completely broken, anything from birds to raccoons could head toward the warmth. Getting these well-meaning, but self-serving creatures out, once they’re in, can be quite difficult. The smaller they are, the more likely they are to get in, and the harder they are to remove.

The faster you have your broken skylight repaired, the less chance there is for these locals to sneak their way inside. While waiting for our repair team to arrive, stick around and keep an eye on things. Your presence is one of the best ways to deter animals from trying to get in.

Prevent Flooding

If animals inviting themselves in isn’t bad enough, we have to consider the even more wild and uncontrollable danger of flooding. Rain isn’t sentient, so it has no qualms about running in through every crack it can find. If your skylight is cracked, flooding is possible. If it has a hole in it, it’s almost guaranteed, in some capacity. At least, if it’s not prevented right away.

If you find that a skylight has broken while the rain is pouring, your most immediate reaction should be grabbing a towel or blanket to lay out underneath it. It will soon get soaked, but will continue to minimize the spread of water across the floor. As soon as you’ve laid out something to absorb the intruding water, get yourself a bucket or bowl – or many. Place them on top of the towel or blanket where most of the water is coming in. This will help catch much of the rain and prevent damage.

As soon as your emergency flood prevention is in place, give us a call. Our number is available right at the bottom of our website. While you wait for us to arrive, be sure to empty your bowls or buckets to keep them from overflowing.

Replace Your Broken Skylight ASAP

If you want to prevent damage to your home during a storm, take a broken skylight seriously. Even if it’s only dripping, waiting until the next morning can lead to expensive damages to your home. We’re available for emergency skylight repairs for a reason. Take advantage of that so that we can help keep you and your home in good shape. The best way to do that is by replacing your broken skylight as soon as possible.

How to Clean Windows Without Leaving Streaks

January 31, 2021 By Ezra Vogel

Tired of your windows always ending up with streaks on them? Cleaning a window so that it ends up shining and streak free can be a mysterious thing. However, Aluplex is Toronto’s neighborhood expert on windows, so we have a solution or two. Here’s how to clean windows without leaving streaks.

Time of Day

The first reason your windows are getting streaks when washing them is something most people don’t know. The time of day can make a big difference in how your windows clean up. If you’re washing your windows in the warmer half of the year, like most people do, wait until evening to wash them.

The heat of the sunlight can warm up the windows, making the cleaning solution dry too fast for you to wipe away. This is one of the leading causes of streaky windows. It seems natural to wash your windows when it’s nice and sunny outside. Around noon is the perfect time to get some chores done and it’s so convenient that the sun lets you see where all the dirty spots are. Unfortunately, using the afternoon sun to light your way will only end up adding to the mess being highlighted on your windows.

Wash your windows in the evening, when the window has cooled off. Then, the cleaning solution will take much longer to evaporate, giving you plenty of time to do the next steps in window-washing.

Dust First

Before spraying any solution onto your windows, start by dry-wiping them. Using some paper towels or a clean, lint-free cloth (microfiber works especially well) wipe the windows down completely. This will clear off any dust along the window’s surface, which is important if you want to clean windows without leaving streaks. Dust is a common culprit to causing streaks. Once it gets wet, it clumps together and drags little dust particles all over the glass.

Apply and Dry

When it’s time to spray on some cleaning solution, start spraying at the top of the window. Give a few good sprays with cleaner before wiping horizontally across the glass with some paper towels. Paper towels are much better at drying than cloth, as they’re ultra absorbent. Plus, if you’re using an eco-friendly cleaning solution, like vinegar, they can be composted.

To avoid streaks, you must dry your window effectively. That means making your horizontal movements tilt back and forth, going over the edge of the last swipe with each new motion. As the cleaning solution runs from the top of the window to the bottom, you’ll be able to dry it and wash at the same time, all in one go. Ensuring all of the solution is dried off is the final step to getting streak-free windows.

Aged Windows

One hurdle that can really cause problems for window appearance is old windows. Old windows can have all kinds of microscopic damage that leads to fogginess or a lack of clarity when looking through. More washing won’t solve this problem. If your windows are outdated and you’re really looking for that bright, clear view of the outdoors, new windows are the answer. Give us a call at Aluplex if you’re in the market, and we’ll be happy to assist.

Replace Porch Enclosure Windows for Better Insulation

January 31, 2021 By Ezra Vogel

Many old homes have been changed in many ways throughout the years. Part of the reason is that old homes are usually bought and lived in by one family for a long time – sometimes for generations. One timeless way to improve a long-term home is by converting an outdated and unused porch into a porch enclosure, or sunroom. Unfortunately, after many years of serving their owners faithfully, the windows in these enclosed porches must be replaced, just like those in the rest of the house, to preserve insulation. Here’s why you should replace porch enclosure windows.

Stabilize Temperature

To start, you should know that your porch enclosure windows are a vital part of stabilizing the temperature in your home. All windows in the house are weak points for insulation. Because your porch enclosure has a lot of windows, it’s easy for it to become the weakest link. This is especially true considering people often forget to replace the windows there.

The reason why windows are so important to insulation is because of how they’re made. Old windows are often made of a single pane of glass. These single panes do very little to keep out heat or cold. More modern windows are made with two panes of glass with a layer of insulating gas between them. This insulating gas is heavier than air, making it harder for the heat or cold to travel through it.

Even if your porch enclosure windows were put in a few decades ago and are double-paned and insulated, this insulating gas leaks out over time. Once the gas has escaped the windows, they no longer insulate much at all. This is why replacing old windows is so important.

Save Money

With stabilizing the interior temperature comes saving yourself money. Because insulation does such a good job blocking out unwanted heat and cold from the outdoors, it keeps your heater or air conditioner from having to run so much. This can save you a significant amount of money on your electric or gas bill. As you can see, buying new windows is a truly worthwhile investment into your home. If you plan to live there for a while longer, it’s always worth it to get new windows sooner, rather than later.

Improve Appearance

Lastly, when you replace porch enclosure windows, you are making a massive improvement to your sunroom. Because closed porches are often the product of decades past, the windows in them can begin to look rather aged. This is especially true if your porch is home to plantlife or if it’s been neglected for a while. Aged windows in a room with low insulation and potentially years of neglect can look pretty bad.

Older windows without a good seal on the panes can gather condensation between the panes. This condensation rarely wants to go away. Even when it’s not dripping down the panes, it’s often fogging up the edges. Moreover, because of the moisture issues with older windows, they frequently harbor mold. Not only does mold look terrible on your window, it can spread to the windowsill and then even further.

Shop Aluplex

If you want a new set of windows to improve the appearance and functionality of your sunroom, replace porch enclosure windows with Aluplex glass. Our windows are high quality and affordable, making the ideal replacements. Call us today if you have any questions about replacement and installation services.

Frameless Doors and Systems for Your Office

December 31, 2020 By Ezra Vogel

If you own an office building, it’s time to consider upgrading to one of Aluplex’s designs for frameless doors and systems. Say goodbye to an outdated front door and say hello to the modern twenties. Not sure if you really need a frameless door? Let’s check out some of the reasons you should consider.

What Are Frameless Systems?

Popular design changes with each year, slowly shifting further and further away from old trends and precedents. It can take decades for a new trend to be fully realized and last just as long before being considered outdated. One thing that’s coming into style, and has been slowly reaching its apex for about a decade, is the use of frameless doors and systems.

These aren’t just the frameless doors you see at the entry of buildings. While you can use our frameless doors wherever you like, the best way you can implement them is within a frameless system. Not sure what that is? You’ve probably seen one before, and you probably loved the way it looked. Many people do, which is why it’s a great idea to implement one.

Frameless systems are the sets of frameless window-and-door dividers within offices. These are used at office entryways, to enclose personal offices, to section off hallways and different parts of the building, and much more. As you can see, from the picture above, frameless systems provide a clean divide between areas. Moreover, they don’t block out light. That makes them ideal for an office space that strives for brightness, positivity, and comfort. You surely know how much those things boost morale and inspire productivity.

The Value of Updated Design

You may be wondering what the benefit of switching to something like a frameless system is. The answer is: it’s an investment. Updating the interior or exterior of any business or office is an investment in the company that owns it.

Sure, you can always wait another ten years before spending the money. On the other hand, do you really want your company to be known as one of those that waits until it’s falling apart and antiquated before putting a dollar into updates? It’s never a good look for your company when you procrastinate building updates and improvements. Letting parts of your building reach their end before replacing them is a sure way to look like your business is suffering. That sends a negative message to clients.

Quality Products That Last

Aluplex is known as a provider of quality products. That means your investment is a good one – one that lasts. Who knows? Maybe 30 years from now, a new trend in design will be heading toward popularity and you’ll be feeling resistant toward replacing the completely intact, frameless system you once felt ambiguous about buying from Aluplex. At least, when that time comes, Aluplex will be here to offer the next quality design people are in need of. Plus, by then, you’ll know you can rely on us to provide once more.

Give us a call if you’re interested in learning more about our frameless doors and systems. Or, if you want to make an order, we can help you get started. We look forward to hearing from you!

Front Door Replacements That Last

December 31, 2020 By Ezra Vogel

Most of us take for granted the important role our front door plays. It acts as a focal point for the front of our home, it provides a warm welcome to guests, and it keeps out those who don’t belong. Not to mention, it helps shield us from the harsh weather outdoors, all while letting us come and go as we please. But, what about those front doors that are coming up short on one of these responsibilities? If you feel like your front door isn’t doing its job, it might be time to look into front door replacements. Aluplex can help.

Front Door Replacements

Here at Aluplex, while our primary focus is on windows and glass. However, we take it upon ourselves to provide for these higher-traffic openings in our houses as well. After all, windows and doors have a lot alike. They’re an important factor in security, safety, and the blocking out of the elements.

If your front door isn’t doing what it’s meant to, we want to help. We can do so by sharing with you our selection of beautiful, quality, fiberglass doors. Fiberglass doors are exactly what most people think of when they imagine a front door, even if they didn’t know the name for it. They’re thick, heavy, and durable. Fiberglass doors provide great insulation, and are hard to damage. Plus, they’re some of the most attractive and customizable doors available.

Why It’s Time for a Replacement

If you’re unsure of whether front door replacements should be on your mind, here are some questions to ask yourself:

Is my front door an attractive feature of my home?
Am I confident in the strength of my front door against potential intruders?
Are my locks functioning and effective?
Does my front door have the features I want it to?
Does my front door seal properly?

If you can say ‘no’ to any of these questions, it’s worth considering front door replacements.

Replace Ineffective Front Doors

While appearance may be the most influential part to many people, the functional aspects are even more important in reality.

If your locks aren’t working or are weak, your inadequate front door could lead to a break-in. The same goes for if your front door is broken in any way. A home with gaps in its security can make a house a target to burglars.

If your front door isn’t sealing properly – evidenced by wind noises, whistling, or drafts – you’re also losing money. Doors and windows with failing seals allow cold air to get in during winter and hot air to get in during summer. That makes your heating and cooling bills higher during each respective season. The cost difference when your doors and windows seal properly can be astounding.

Quality Design from Aluplex

When you’re ready to take front door replacements into serious consideration, check out the gorgeous front door options that are available from Aluplex. Not only are they attractive, they’re front door replacements that last for decades. Call us today if you want more information on our fiberglass front doors. Or, come by our store to see them in person and get more direct customer service.