If you have a basement, you may not pay it much mind on the average day. This is especially true if it’s unfinished, partially finished, or used only for housing a guest bedroom and laundry. However, your basement has some special maintenance needs. Today, let’s take a look at why you may need to replace your basement windows before winter.

Water Leakage

If your basement windows haven’t been replaced in many years – or never, as far as you know – they bring a lot of risks with them as winter approaches. Basement windows that rest close to the ground are at risk for water leakage.

As snow begins to fall, it doesn’t always come all at once and stay. Many years, it falls, melts, falls again, and melts once more before finally staying for good. Moreover, it will melt again as the winter passes. All of that snow melt means a lot of tests on whether your windows are waterproof or not.

Old basement windows are liable to leak water, not just when snow is melting entirely, but as the temperature fluctuates daily. Snow that’s resting against your basement window will be the first to melt, as the warmth from the house thaws it. If your basement windows are old and struggling, replace them before winter arrives in full.

Heat Rises, Cold Falls

You probably already know that heat rises and, therefore, cold falls. Taking this into consideration, your basement windows are especially at risk of losing your heat in winter. If your basement is heated like the rest of your home, the heat will rise to the top of the room. Because basement windows typically sit along the ceiling, they’re in the perfect place to leak that hot air if not properly insulated.

Modern windows are made with two panes so that the space between them can be filled with a heavy, transparent gas. This gas, being heavier than air, provides some insulation. As years pass, that gas will slowly leak out, leaving your window without insulation. If your basement’s windows are very old, they’ll leak that hot air out nearly as fast as it fills the room. That means a continually running heater and a hefty electric bill.

Outdated Window Style

We mentioned how modern two-pane windows work, but not all windows are modern. A lot of windows are only made with one pane. Some of them have two panes but aren’t insulated with gas. Outdated window styles are, perhaps, one of the best reasons to replace basement windows before winter. These outdated styles are exceptionally bad at insulating and will cost you an arm and a leg in electric heating costs.

If you live in Toronto, getting new windows is easy. Simply give us a call at Aluplex and let us know you’re in the market for new windows. Whether you replace just the basement windows, or all of the windows in the house, we’re here to help. From the purchasing process to the installation, our team will do everything required to get your windows replaced with ease.

If you’re looking for a way to improve both the interior and exterior appearance of your home or business, high quality floor to ceiling windows are the way to go. These come with a number of benefits, and we want to share those with you.

Get Better Lighting and Save on Electricity

One of the first things you’ll notice after having floor to ceiling windows installed is that you get incredible lighting. Having large windows allows sunshine to poor into your home, so long as you allow it to. Want your home to be illuminated with beautiful, natural daylight? This is how to achieve that.

If you want exceptional lighting from morning til night, install floor to ceiling windows on more than one side of your house. Depending on which direction your home is facing, you could gain daylight illumination by installing floor to ceiling windows on opposite sides of a room, or even adjacent walls.

In addition to the magnificent lighting you’ll obtain, you will also save on electricity. Without the need of so many electric lights in your home, you’ll spend less on electricity each month. You’d be surprised how much electricity is wasted on lights each day. By simply opening your home up to the sun, you can get all of that light for free.

Improve Views from Inside

Right after natural light, floor to ceiling windows also grant you amazing views from inside your home. Whether your home overlooks a beautiful nature scene, a cityscape, or simply your backyard, the view will be magnificent. 

Looking out a regular window doesn’t offer much excitement. Even if the view is really nice, it feels contained. There’s no ignoring that you’re inside. However, with large, floor to ceiling windows, your interior becomes one with nature. The border between you and the outdoors nearly melts away into nothing.

Increase Resale Value and Curb Appeal

Whether you’re in the city, the suburbs, or tucked away in nature, adding floor to ceiling windows to your home is going to increase resale value and curb appeal. Why is that?

Well, resale value is boosted for 3 reasons: the lighting, the improved views, and the beauty added to the house itself. Windows just look nice on a house. That’s exactly why the curb appeal is boosted! When you pull up to a house and can see large windows on it, it looks fancy, expensive, and elegant. Just looking the part of an expensive house will make it into an expensive house. Adding these large windows will more than make up for the cost in resale increase.

Get High Quality Floor to Ceiling Windows in Toronto

When shopping around for new windows, floor to ceiling or otherwise, you should always come to us at Aluplex. We’re the #1 glass manufacturer in Toronto. Our high quality windows are made to last. Their quality means crystal clear visibility, damage resistance, and fantastic insulation. Plus, when you become a customer at Aluplex, we also offer repair services, even in emergencies.

Give us a call today if you’re looking for the right windows for your home. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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.