Blog Archives - Page 11 of 27 - Aluplex Glass and Skylights

How to Clean Up Aging Windows

August 1, 2022 By Webmaster

Old windows don’t look their best. As with all things, time will do a real number on them. If you live in an old house and your windows are looking worse for wear, it’s time to do something about it. Aluplex is here to help. As Toronto’s #1 glass manufacturer, we know just what to do to clean up aging windows.

Wash Them

The first step to getting your windows back up to snuff is washing them. Soap and water will work wonders on an old window, but you may need more. For particularly old windows with a lot of grime on them, using special cleaners is a good idea. Something intended to cut through tough grime will get off layers of years-old sediment.

However, if you also have molding issues, you might want to use vinegar as well. Just be sure you don’t mix cleaners. Things that are completely harmless by themselves can create deadly gasses when combined. So, be sure to wash with plain water between different cleaners if you’re not sure how they interact. Or, go straight for a cleaner with a vinegar base. Vinegar is great at killing off mold and is safe for animals and children to be around.

You may want to use a straight-edge tool like a putty knife to scrape out any grime along the edge of the glass panes.

Patch Cracks

Windows with cracks should always be patched or replaced ASAP, depending on the severity of the damage. Modern windows with dual panes are filled with an insulating gas. This keeps your home’s temperature from fluctuating as much with the weather. Additionally, it prevents noise from traveling as freely from inside or outside of the house. When your window cracks, it makes space for that insulation to escape, hurting the integrity of the window.

Patching window cracks is a bit tedious, but not difficult. You can do so with epoxy and an adhesive film. These are easiest to attain in a glass patching kit, which can be found at most hardware stores.

Mend the Window Frame

Lastly, you’ll want to mend the window frame and sill. You’d be surprised how much of a window’s appearance comes from its surroundings. Get yourself some putty and fill in any cracks in the sill, wiping any excess of so that it’s smooth. Do the same for any cracks in the wall surrounding the window. Any notable gaps between the window case and frame should be tightened up with wooden shims. These can be cut down and then covered with putty to hide them. Finally, use some caulking to trace the perimeter of the window case and close any seam between it and the frame. All of this sealing will both improve the appearance of the window and make it harder for any bugs or air to get past.

Replace Aging Windows

If you’ve got room for window replacements in your budget, replacing aging windows is definitely the best option. Windows that have reached an age where their appearance is suffering are typically not doing so great in other respects either. If you’re in the market for reliable window replacements, come to Aluplex. We offer a wide selection of quality windows that can improve your home’s appearance and function in one go.

Replace Custom Windows in Toronto

August 1, 2022 By Webmaster

Replacing windows is a pain in and of itself. It only becomes more difficult when the windows are custom sized. Many places that sell windows only sell standard sizes. Aluplex is different. Because we manufacture glass instead of just selling windows as a middle man, we can help you with custom window replacements. Let’s check out how we can help you replace custom windows in your Toronto home or business.

Custom Window Creation

What makes Aluplex different than other locations that sell windows is that we’re a window manufacturer. Hardware stores may carry a variety of windows, but they’re only functioning as a middle man for big manufacturers. At Aluplex, on the other hand, we make our own products. Therefore, if you call us to order custom windows, we’ll never be out of stock! Your order just means rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.

Custom Window Installation in Toronto

Our team at Aluplex does more than just manufacture windows; we do it all! From the production to the installation, our team knows windows. Therefore, when you need to replace custom windows in Toronto, you don’t have to order from us and then find another team to put them in. We’ll make the windows, deliver the windows, and install the windows. Plus, we’ll continue to provide care for them even after we’ve put them in and said our goodbyes. Repair services are just a phonecall away.

Custom Skylight Windows

While regular windows are a need in every household, skylight windows are not. Because of that, there are fewer window experts that cover skylight manufacture and installation. There are even fewer that craft them to custom specifications.

If you have an unusual skylight design or location, we’ll work with you to design and craft the right skylight for the space. Replacing oddly-shaped skylights is just as easy. We can copy the dimensions of the existing skylight. Or, if the current design is faulty due to its unusual shape, we can do better and replace it with one that works reliably.

Window Maintenance and Repair

Installing a window is only half the battle. Upkeep is just as important. A window cracking, breaking, or leaking is an emergency for most homes. Especially since most window damage occurs during storms.

If your Aluplex window meets with an untimely break, call us at any time of day and we’ll come out to service your window ASAP.

Order Custom Windows

Don’t have custom windows yet? If your home is a work in progress and ready for some new windows that are outside the standard, Aluplex can help. No matter your custom window needs, we’ve got you covered. Call us today and we can get started!

Broken Window Repair and Replacement

June 30, 2022 By Webmaster

A broken window is an annoying thing to be tasked with dealing with. Unfortunately, if you’re a homeowner and a window breaks, tasked with dealing with it is exactly what you are. Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Aluplex is here to help! As Toronto’s leading window and glass manufacturer, we can have you sorted out in no time with our broken window repair and replacement services.

Broken Window Repair

A broken window can spell disaster. It doesn’t matter if you live in a shack or a mansion – a broken window means there’s nothing stopping the outside from coming in. That could be rain, snow, the sweltering heat of summer, or even your neighborhood squirrels.

If your broken window is only cracked, your fortunate. It’s possible it can be repaired. Small enough cracks, if handled quickly, can be repaired before the insulating gas in the window is able to escape. Therefore, calling for repair services quickly is paramount. Using some adhesive stickers and a syringe, we can inject the crack with epoxy, sealing the crack entirely. This can also be done with a kit from the hardware store. However, if you have no experience repairing cracked glass, it can end up a mess. Use caution and patience when attempting to DIY repair window cracks. Messing up can leave your window impossible to fully repair, and ugly to boot.

Broken Window Replacement

If your window is more than cracked, the risk of those aforementioned intruders becomes possible. Completely broken windows cannot be repaired effectively. You may be able to tape up some sheet plastic to temporarily keep out rain and pests. However, any size of hole will allow the insulation in your window to escape. An uninsulated window will lead to horrible temperature regulation in your home. Additionally, any noise outside will suddenly become loud and clear from inside – not to mention the reverse.

If your window has shattered, give us a call at Aluplex and we can come out and replace it for you. As tempting as it may be to put it off, the longer you wait to replaced a shattered window, the more likely something is to go wrong. Someone could get hurt on the shards left in the frame, pests could get in, or you could end up with water damage. It’s best to get it dealt with right away.

Emergency Window Repair and Replacement Services

If you end up with a broken window in the middle of a storm, don’t wait until your living room is flooded with rain water to call. Call right away and we’ll head out to replace it right away. In the meantime, find some tape and plastic to cover the window. It’s best to do this from the outside so that rain blowing against it won’t just run down it and end up inside anyway. Painter’s sheet plastic, tarp, and even plastic wrap can be used in emergencies. If you have none of this, you can always pull down one of your plastic shower curtains and use that while you’re waiting for a new window to be installed.

Replace Old Skylight Windows in Toronto

June 30, 2022 By Webmaster

There are many reasons to replace old skylight windows. No matter your reason, when you’re ready to take the plunge, call us at Aluplex. We offer high quality skylight windows and installation to the whole GTA.

Replace Leaking Skylight Windows

When you’ve had a skylight for many years, it will eventually begin to leak. If you’ve moved into a house that’s had a skylight for years before you lived there, you’re even more likely to be the one it gives out on. If your skylight is fairly old and begins to leak, even in small drips, you’ve got a problem on your hands.

A skylight window leaking doesn’t necessarily mean it’s broken. Because skylights are horizontal and placed on the roof, they have to handle keeping out sitting water for many years. Eventually, the seal will wear out. This can happen from caulking drying out and cracking, the wooden frame warping, or many other causes. Unfortunately, a crack would be easier to repair. When your skylight begins to have frame seal issues, it often needs to be replaced. The glass in it may be fine, but if the frame is having issues, that becomes the weakest link.

Replace Old, Worn Out Skylight Windows

Aside from leaking, skylights can also just begin to wear out. After over a decade of fending off sitting rain water, sitting under decomposing leaves and branches, and weathering the summer sun and winter snow, your skylight will begin to show its age.

When you’ve got an aging, old skylight, sometimes a good, passionate scrub will get it looking clean and new again. However, this isn’t always the case – especially with even older skylights. Sometimes even elbow grease isn’t enough to remove tough, burned-on algae and moss that’s been baking under the sun for years. This is why it’s good to clean your skylight every year or two. If you like to put up Christmas lights or clean your gutters, that’s a good time to maintain them.

Another unfortunate truth: old skylights may not leak, but there may be more issue than just the look of them. If you can see the glass fogging up or moisture gathering between the panes, the outer pane is no longer sealed properly. Water has gotten into it. If that’s true, it’s a matter of time before the leak gets past the second pane as well. Additionally, this means the insulation gas has been able to leak out. Therefore, summer sun coming in through the skylight will impact your home temperature much more than usual. It ends up driving up your electric bill when it’s hot or cold out.

These skylights cannot be properly repaired and will never regain their integrity. They must be replaced with new ones.

Replace Old Skylight Windows

No matter what kind of wear and tear your skylight has sustained from aging, Aluplex is here to help in the replacement process. We can replace old skylight windows quickly and get you back to enjoying your everyday life with one less concern on your plate. Plus, we offer emergency repair services. So, if you ever encounter any problems in the future, we’ll be back in no time to fix your new skylight up again. Give us a call if you have any questions about our windows or services. We look forward to hearing from you.

The Best Windows for Cold Weather

June 1, 2022 By Webmaster

Everyone knows that Canada is the home of some very cold weather. Keeping our homes in good shape to endure harsh winters is vital to our safety and comfort. But, even a home that’s built well, with walls full of insulation, can do poorly in winter. That’s because windows are a significant part of your home’s insulation. If your windows aren’t doing their job, it’s time to call us at Aluplex and find yourself the best windows for cold weather.

The Best Windows for Cold Weather

What is it that makes windows the best for cold weather? Simple: they need to be recent, well-made, and insulated. Most modern two-pane windows are insulated. This is done by filling the space between the panes with a heavy gas. This gas is heavier and denser than air. Therefore, temperature travels through it much slower. That means the cold from outside isn’t able to get in as quickly and your heater can keep on top of things.

Why Window Quality Matters

If your windows are low quality, they degrade faster. And, when windows degrade, they lose their insulation. This is why, in old houses with old windows, the rising sun can turn a room into an oven. It’s also why homes with very old windows mean hearing every little sound in the neighborhood. There’s no insulation in the windows anymore to keep temperatures and sounds from coming right on in.

When Do Windows Need to be Replaced?

Not sure if your windows are ready for winter? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Did I get my windows installed more than 10 years ago?
Does it seem impossible to keep my house warm in the winter?
Do I have just as much trouble keeping it cool in the summer?
When people are talking outside, can I hear them clearly?
Are there any cracks in any of the panes in my window?

If you can say yes to any of these, it’s a sign that your windows are deteriorating and need to be replaced. Cracks simply speed up the process of insulation degradation, as it offers an easier exit for the insulating gas to escape from.

Aluplex Emergency Window Repair Services

When you replace your windows with Aluplex glass, you become one of our customers and are entitled to Aluplex’s emergency window repair services in Toronto and the GTA. This is a vital service in the cold months, as your safety can come to depend on it.

If one of your Aluplex windows breaks or begins leaking this winter, give us a call and we’ll come out and repair it. Damaged windows can let in rain water, leading to damaged floors or walls, or mold growth. Damaged windows also let in the cold, which can become dangerous, fast, in the depths of winter. Don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Winter Window Replacement in Toronto

If your windows aren’t doing you a service, let us give you some that will. Call us today if you want your windows replaced before this winter in Toronto. We look forward to working with you.

Where to Install Windows for Maximum Light

June 1, 2022 By Webmaster

Light in the home is a hugely important part of the overall feel of it. It has the power to improve or hurt your mental health, make a space feel bigger or smaller, and more. If you’re looking to bring some more light into your home, knowing where to install your windows is vital. Let’s take a quick dive into the most important parts of window placement.

The Sun and You

First and foremost, you need to consider the direction the sun is come from at various points of the day. If you’re building a custom home, you’re fortunate in that you may be able to change the orientation of the house still. If you’re installing new windows in an existing house, you’ll have to work with what you have.

East

While it’s easy to think you should install your windows on the easternmost side of rooms, in order to catch the most morning light, it’s not necessarily so. When a window faces east, it will get a lot of sunlight until about 1pm. Then, as the sun reaches its peak, the light will begin to dim. By the middle of the afternoon, the room will be considerably dimmer and will require lamps to be turned on.

This is alright for some people. However, many people are sensitive to evening darkness and find their mood dropping as the sun disappears. These are often the same people who struggle with seasonal depression. If this sounds familiar, you should consider the other two main options.

North and South

The most consistent place to put windows is on a northern or southern wall. This will mean a steady stream of indirect sunlight from sunup to sundown.

West

Alternatively, if you enjoy a bit of direct light, putting a window on a west wall works great. The morning comes with a bit less light, but this is usually easier to manage for people who have to leave for work anyway or who sleep in. Then as the day wears on and you become a bit more tired, the sun reaches the side of the house with your window on it. The sunset brings in a flood of warm, direct sunlight, along with a beautiful view to window down to.

Multiple Windows to a Room

When you have more than one window in a room, it offers a bit of flexibility. This is especially true if the room is on a corner of the house. Corner rooms mean the ability to put a window in adjacent directions. Of course, if you’re working with an existing home, those two directions are decided for you. If you’re building a new home, any corner room that you want the most light in is best placed with the corner pointing north or south. This way, no matter whether the sun is east or west, you’ve got a bit of direct sunlight coming in from an angle.

If you’re looking to replace your windows or need a supplier for a new home, Aluplex is here to assist. Located in Toronto, we’re the #1 window and glass manufacturer in the GTA. Give us a call if you’re interested in making an order or getting more information on our products.