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.

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.

If you’re used to being handy around the house and you’ve recently gotten a broken window, you may be wondering, can you DIY window replacement? Aluplex is here to answer this question in a bit of detail. As Toronto’s #1 window and glass manufacturing company, we think we can safely answer this.

Window Replacement Safety

The first question we need to answer is why you’re replacing your window! Are you looking for a new style of window, or are you dealing with a broken window? If you want to change the type of window that’s installed, safety concerns are minimal. You just need to ensure you don’t break any glass while replacing it and follow standard installation safety guidelines.

However, if your window broke and you’re looking into what’s required to replace it, there’s more to know. Broken windows, especially those that have actually shattered, bring a lot of safety issues with them. Tiny fragments of glass that are too small to see with the naked eye can end up all over the room. This is especially dangerous if the floor is carpeted. Vacuuming may not be enough to clean the area safely. 

As glass professionals, our team at Aluplex knows how to properly care for a room after a window shatters to ensure it’s safe to traverse. If you have pets or small children, this concern is especially potent. Therefore, please let us know you need help with window replacement and we’ll pay you a visit.

Window Replacement Procedure

Now is the question of what window replacement procedure involves. If your window hasn’t shattered and you simply want to replace the window with something new, is it in your wheelhouse? 

Finding a guide for replacing a window is pretty easy with the number of people who write DIY tutorials online. As you can see by taking a glance at one, it’s a very involved process. It requires a lot of tools as well as special equipment like insulation. There are a lot of steps that could easily go sideways.

Can You DIY Window Replacement?

For someone who does this all the time, like someone from Aluplex, this process is second nature by now. If you’ve never installed or replaced a window before, however, this process could easily take 3 times as long. Plus, there’s the added likelihood of making mistakes. If your heart is set on doing it yourself, you could learn a lot from the process. The question is: is this something you want to dedicate time and energy to learn?

Professional Window Replacement in Toronto

If you’d rather get the help of someone who does this regularly, give us a call at Aluplex. We specialize in window installation and replacement. Therefore, we can have the entire process done in no time at all. Additionally, if you’re looking for quality windows to replace yours with, we’re the best place to buy from. That means you can buy your windows and have them installed all through the same reliable team.

If you like your home to have a classy and well-kept appearance, keeping your windows clean is probably on your chore list somewhere. Even if you only wash your windows once every month or so, you’re probably doing so more often than most households. The question is, how do you clean your windows without leaving those ugly streaks? If you keep leaving behind streaks no matter how well you wipe your windows, you’ll be pleased to learn a few tricks from the window experts of Toronto to get streak-free windows every time.

What Causes Streaks?

When it comes to what causes streaks, there are actually more than one correct answer. What cleaner you use, what type of cloth you’re using, as well as when you clean them can all affect the result of your window cleaning.

How to Clean Windows Without Leaving Streaks

So, the only way to get clear, streak-free windows is to tackle each problem one at a time.

Window Cleaner

You might not think it makes a difference, but what product you’re using to clean your windows can make a huge difference. Use a spray intended for cleaning glass, like Windex. These cleaners are made to remove grease and evaporate quickly. (That makes them great for cleaning many different household surfaces.)

Using something like soap and water may seem like a KISS solution (keep it simple, stupid), but soap suds don’t evaporate well. That means, if you don’t rinse your windows after washing them wish soapy water, they’ll likely have soap residue left on them. Even rinsing them might not be enough to remove soap all the way.

Cleaning Cloth

Next up, what you’re washing your windows with also makes a difference. Many people opt for using an old rag or a kitchen washcloth. However, these are both poor ideas.

If you want crystal clear windows when you’re through with washing them, you need something that isn’t going to leave behind tiny bits of lint. You may not be able to see much of it when you’re standing back and looking at your handiwork. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll see that soft, fluffy washcloths or old, worn out rags leave behind teeny tiny hair fibers that were left in them when they were washed. Fluffy materials hold on to lint in the dryer and this makes them poor for cleaning windows.

Instead, use paper towels. Or, if you want something reusable and more environmentally conscious, use an old t-shirt that isn’t so worn out that it’s fraying. T-shirts are flat and very absorbent, so they’re easier to get lint-free in the dryer and they’ll hold onto the cleaning spray.

The Secret to Streak-Free Windows

Finally, what you’ve been waiting for: the ultimate secret to clean windows without leaving streaks. It’s all about the temperature and time of day. That’s right: you need to stop doing the windows during your mid-morning cleaning spree.

The biggest reason why people struggle with streaks even when using window cleaner and paper towels is because the spray is evaporating too quickly. The second it goes onto the window, it begins to evaporate because the glass is warm from the daytime sun. By the time half a second has passed and you’ve wiped your paper towel over the spray, the partially dried spray doesn’t come right off. Instead, it drags a nice, ugly streak across the glass.

The solution is simple: clean your windows early in the morning, before the sun has brought the temperature up. Or, if you’re not an early riser, clean them in the evening, after the sun has set. The cool glass will allow the spray to remain liquid. That gives you long enough to wipe it up manually before the remaining moisture evaporates.

Do you have moisture inside your window? If your window keeps turning up damp, it’s because it’s gathering condensation. Condensation happens all the time – like when you shower and the mirror fogs up. Or, if you get a cold glass of water, it will get covered in condensation on a warm, summer day. But, what is it that’s making your windows covered in condensation all the time? How do you prevent it?

What is Condensation?

To start, let’s take a peek at what condensation really is. Condensation is caused when a material like glass has two different temperatures on either side. For example, when you get cold water during summer, there’s cold water on one side of the glass and hot air on the other. The moisture in the warm air is attracted to the cold glass. This moisture isn’t much at first, but it builds up until you can see big drops of water rolling down the side of the glass. It can even start pooling under your glass on whatever surface it’s sitting on.

Moisture Inside a Window

So, now that we understand condensation, what about the windows? The same principle applies. If it’s cold outside and it’s warm in your house, the windows are likely to collect moisture from inside until they’re dripping with water. This is especially unfortunate because we don’t usually think to wipe down windows. This can mean moisture collecting in the window track or on the sill, leading to mold or water damage.

How Window Quality Affects Condensation

The question is, why do some windows condensate and others don’t? It all comes down to window quality. A lot of older windows are only a single pane or are two panes with a bad seal. These windows do not insulate very well or at all. A single pane of glass can’t do much insulating, leaving the hot and cold directly against both of its sides.

High quality windows are made up of two panes, tightly sealed into their frames. In between the panes, a gas is injected. While the type of gas can vary slightly, it’s something denser than air. This helps insulate and keeps extreme temperatures from moving through the window as easily. Because the cold air and hot air aren’t both touching one pane of glass, there is minimal condensation. These quality windows almost never condensate to a point of dripping or collecting water.

Replace Old Windows

If you have windows covered in condensation, they may be old and need to be replaced. It’s best to get this done sooner rather than later so that they don’t allow your home to get water damage or mold. Aluplex provides high quality windows that are properly insulated to prevent condensation and heat transference. If you live in the GTA, give us a call and we’ll help you with the window replacement process.

If you’re remodeling your home, now is the time to replace your windows. Windows older than 10 years are likely to be missing part of their insulation. Furthermore, windows older than 20 years may not be insulating at all anymore. Take the opportunity, while you’re investing in the future of your home, to invest in some new windows for your home remodel.

Do I Need New Windows?

If your windows seem to gather a lot of moisture on their panes, or ‘sweat’, you may have an insulation problem. Windows that gather condensation are not doing their job. When quality windows are made, they’re made with two panes. These panes have a space between them that’s filled with a clear gas. That gas is heavier than air, which makes it an insulator.

Windows that are single-pane or that are old enough to have leaked out their insulating gasses, will lose their insulating abilities. This leads to condensation collecting. It works the same way as your cold glass of water when it gathers moisture from hot, summer air.

Collected condensation will run down the window and collect in the window frame. This can lead to mold issues. If you find your windows are often damp, drafty, or moldy, it’s a sign they’re ready to be replaced.

What Is the Point of Replacing Old Windows?

Replacing old windows is a great idea for a multitude of reasons, starting and ending with insulation.

First, the insulatory properties of your windows are the weakest link in your home’s temperature regulation. If your windows aren’t doing their job, your AC or heater have to pick up the slack, and that means paying more.

Second, if your windows are outright drafty, even the heater won’t keep that from being a bother. Sitting in a room in winter when there’s a cold breeze blowing through is nobody’s idea of comfortable. Plus, if there’s enough of a gap in the frame for a breeze to get in, there’s enough space for pests to get in.

And, finally, a window that collects moisture or allows it inside will lead to mold issues. Even if you only see the mold in the window frame, that doesn’t mean it isn’t starting to grow elsewhere. A piece of furniture nearby, like a couch, could be getting damp and collecting mold spores. All in all, a window that encourages mold growth is no good and should be replaced.

How Do I Buy and Install New Windows?

If you’re looking for quality glass in Toronto, Aluplex is your only stop. We’ve got custom windows of all sizes, shapes, and styles. Get new windows for your home remodel that last, from a brand that cares. We’ll also help out with the professional replacement, ensuring you don’t have to spend all evening looking at DIY window tutorials.