Windows Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Aluplex Glass and Skylights

Get a Bay Window for Your Living Room

February 1, 2022 By Webmaster

Getting a big bay window for your living room is something a lot of people have always wanted. There’s nothing that can beat the dreamy nature of sitting on a window seat and being able to see so much of the surrounding neighborhood. The limits of a single, flat pane of glass just aren’t there. If you want to get a bay window, Aluplex wants to help you take that next step. Here’s some great info on the benefits and on how to get a bay window for your living room.

Save Money

Let’s start with considering how you can save money by getting a new bay window. While you may not have a bay window currently, you almost certainly have some kind of large front window. If this window is more than 10 years old, it’s likely not at its best. Dual-pane windows are filled with a heavy, clear gas between the panes. This acts as insulation, since it’s denser than regular air. After many years, this gas slowly escapes a window, leaving it to become a weak link in your home’s insulation. If you get a new bay window, you’re not just upgrading your home, you’re investing in it. The better your insulation, the less work your AC or heater have to do and the more money you save.

Custom Bay Windows

There are plenty of standard bay windows, but you can also order them in custom sizes. This is a great choice if the space it will be installed in is slightly more narrow or wide than is typical.

Bay windows can also come in different shapes than you know them for. They may not be classic with alterations but, if you’re interested in them more for their visibility rather than appearance, you may be interested. Instead of rectangular windows, why not go for a rhombus? Any window that’s set out past the walls of the house and connected with more panes could be considered a bay window. Get creative with your window needs. We look forward to the challenge.

You can also order glass with odd dimensions from us. Want to get an unusually-shaped bay window for your living room? You could get multiple windows that are tall and narrow, allowing one person to sit in them. That’s easy! You could also get an extra wide bay window. We could even do a floor to ceiling bay window. Even with tall ceilings, this is possible, and would look amazing.

Buy Quality

When it comes time for you to get a bay window for your living room, just remember to buy quality windows. You’re likely to be stuck with them for the rest of your stay in your current home. Aluplex is Toronto’s highest quality window manufacturer. If you want a crystal clear view, good insulation, and highly durable glass, buy Aluplex.

Give us a call when you’re ready to put in your order. Or, if you have questions about our windows, let us know. We’re more than happy to clear up any questions or concerns you may have.

Replace All of Your Windows Before Summer

February 1, 2022 By Webmaster

Did you know old windows are one of the leading causes for wasted money in the summer? If you’ve got older doors and windows or they’re damaged in any way, they’re probably costing you money. Aluplex is here to let you in on how you can start saving money. All you have to do is replace your old or drafty windows and doors. Let’s take a look at how this helps you save money.

Summer Cooling Costs

To start with, let’s take a look at how much you spend on AC in the summer. Your summer electric bills are probably a lot higher than the rest of the year. That’s because when summer comes around, things get really hot. To keep yourself cool and safe, you’ve got to run your AC for a large portion of the day. That takes up a lot of electricity and leaves your wallet a lot emptier than usual.

Drafts

When your doors or windows are old, the seal between them and the frame they’re set in begins to deteriorate. That leaves enough space for the cold air you effectively paid your AC to produce to sneak out. The same goes for windows and doors that have been damaged. If either has been damaged, cracks or splits in the frame will let drafts in or out. Doors that no longer close properly will do the same.

Drafts aren’t always noticeable to us. Really bad seals can let in a noticeable breeze, but sometimes it’s subtler than that. Old doors and windows can let in summer heat that we don’t even notice. These drafty windows and doors are going to cost you a lot of money.

Raising Your Bill

All of these drafts work together to raise the overall temperature of your home. It’s easy for that kind of change to slip by unnoticed when the house’s temperature has already gone up so much during the change in seasons. The thing is, it really does make a difference.

A well-sealed home can get cooled down much faster and then only require the AC to kick on every few hours. When you have consistent air leaks all over the house, the AC may need to come on over and over again or run constantly to keep up with the continued rise in temperature. This continued work from your heater is going to run up your electric bill and cost you a lot of money over the course of the summer.

Replace Your Windows

Are your windows over 10 years old? To save yourself the drain on your wallet this year and the many years following, you should replace all of your windows before summer. Aluplex offers the highest quality glass in Toronto and we install it as well. Get beautiful windows with great insulation in no time. Buy the styles you love and improve the appearance of your home at the same time. We also offer fiberglass doors. If you’ve got a front or back door that’s not doing its part in insulating your home, count on us to put in one that will.

Emergency Window Repair in Toronto

December 31, 2021 By Webmaster

Did one of your windows crack during a storm? Or, did your window fall victim to a fallen ladder while taking down your Christmas lights? No matter the cause, a cracked or broken window can lead to all kinds of problems. From a drop in your home’s temperature to rain water leakage, there’s no end to the hassle. So, if you need emergency window repair in Toronto, there’s one place you know you can call: Aluplex.

Damage Control

If your window has just been damaged, the first thing you need to do is damage control. Calling for help is next on the list, but step one is making sure you don’t end up with water damage. If it’s currently raining or snowing, the first step is grabbing towels and throwing them down on the floor. This will dry up any current leaks and prevent water from running all over the place.

Next, you need to find something to cover the window and prevent more water from leaking in. If the window isn’t completely shattered, you’ll need to cover it from outside. When it comes to methods of coverage, you’ve got options.

For coverage:

A tarp
Sheet plastic, like what you use to cover the floor when painting
A large, upside-down trash bag
Or, worst case, plastic wrap from the kitchen

For securing your coverage:

Nails
A staple gun
Tape, if there’s somewhere dry to stick it
Or, worst case, some thumb tacks

No matter what you use, the point is to cover the hole temporarily to prevent rain from pouring into your house. It’s okay if it’s ugly and imperfect. It’ll be removed before you know it and your window will be good as new.

Emergency Window Repair

When you need emergency window repair, call us at Aluplex. We’ll come out to repair your window as soon as possible and get your home back in shape.

It can be tempting to leave temporary coverage up and put off spending money on repairs. However, it’s never a good idea to delay window repairs. Window damage can cause all kinds of problems. Holes or shattered windows can let in pests. During the winter, that’s usually mice or rats seeking shelter from the cold. Rain and snow can get in around poor window coverings. And, finally, broken windows are a hazard, especially toward children who might try to investigate despite their parents’ warnings.

When you’re ready to have your window repaired, let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

Full Service Window Replacement

If your window is beyond repair, we can also help with window replacement. We can do a full service window replacement and have your new window installed ASAP. Let us know the extent of the damage and we’ll advise you on how to proceed if you’re unsure.

How Does Window Insulation Work?

December 31, 2021 By Webmaster

Windows are an important part of every home. They offer us a view, they allow in sunlight, and they can be opened for a nice, fresh breeze. However, during the summer and winter, our windows can prove to be the weakest link in our home’s insulation. That’s why having updated windows is so important. New windows mean maximum insulatory properties. How does window insulation even work? Let’s take a look, so you can make an informed decision on whether to update your windows or not.

Insulation Basics

To start, let’s talk about some insulation basics. What is it that makes something a good insulator? If we think of things on a molecular level, temperature can transfer through solid objects. It does this because temperature is simply how fast something is “vibrating” at a molecular level. Hotter things have faster vibrations and colder things have slower vibrations.

When it’s really cold outside, the billions of cold, slow, air molecules slow down the vibration of the glass molecules. When it’s really hot outside, the hot, fast, air molecules speed up the vibration of the glass molecules. And, of course, when the glass temperature is changed, it affects the indoor air temperature.

So, the thing that makes a good insulator is something dense, with a lot of molecules, so that those molecules are less affected by external sources.

Modern Window Insulation

Modern windows are able to implement this science in a way that’s extremely creative and unknown to the average person. Our two-panel windows are sealed tight and the space between them is filled with a dense gas. This gas is invisible to us, but is denser than air. That makes it much better than air at preventing temperature changes. Therefore, it’s a great insulator.

How Old Windows Lose Insulation

Over time, the seal on your windows’ glass panes becomes weaker, allowing the insulating gas to escape very slowly. When you’ve had windows for over ten years, the insulating gas has often escaped completely.

This is why old windows are so bad at insulating your home from external temperature as well as noise. Have you ever noticed that, in an old house, you can hear all kinds of noise from outside much louder? It’s because insulation does more than just prevent temperature leakage. Because sound is transferred in waves (vibrations), insulation also blocks out unwanted sound. So, if you’re tired of waking up to your neighbor’s lawnmower sounding like it’s right next to your bed, it’s time to get those windows updated.

Save Money by Updating Your Windows

Updating your windows isn’t just a matter of convenience and comfort; it also saves you money. People spend hundreds of dollars a year on running heating and cooling units longer and harder to make up for poor window insulation. When you replace your windows, you make a noticeable investment in your future expenses. Pay less on heating and cooling by making your home more effective at maintaining a comfortable temperature.

Call us at Aluplex if you need assistance ordering windows for your home. We look forward to helping you improve your quality of life.

How to Repair a Cracked Window

November 30, 2021 By Webmaster

Getting a crack in your window is a huge pain. It lets in cold or hot air from outside and can even leak water when it rains. So, how can you repair a cracked window? It’s actually pretty easy. If you don’t want to splurge on repair services, you can DIY the whole thing. Let Toronto’s window and glass experts tell you how.

Prepare for Repair

The first step is preparation. When you repair a cracked window, there are a few things you need.

Dish soap and a rag
Two-part epoxy
Acetone
Putty knife
Toothpick or other disposable item for mixing
Paper plate or other disposable mixing surface
Straight razor blade

To start, clean the area around the crack with liquid dish soap and water. This will remove any oils, dust, or grime from the glass. Once clean, let the glass air dry completely. This may take some time, so cleaning your cracked window is best done ahead of time.

Apply Epoxy

Now that your window is ready for repair and you’ve gathered everything you need, it’s time to apply epoxy. To repair a cracked window with epoxy, you’ll want a two-part epoxy. This can be found at a hardware store and is made to be mixed up at the time of use. One part is a hardener, so don’t mix it up until you’re ready to apply it.

Mix the epoxy with a disposable mixer, like a toothpick or popsicle stick. Make sure you follow the instructions on the packaging. Every epoxy is a little different. Then, spread the epoxy along the crack in your window with a putty knife. Press the epoxy into the crack and swipe over it from different directions to ensure the crack is filled entirely. Scrape the flat edge of the putty knife over the entire crack to scrape away any excess epoxy.

Clean Up Window

As soon as you’ve finished applying epoxy, use a flat-edged razor blade to scrape away any excess epoxy. You can do this to remove any that got onto the intact glass surrounding the area as well as any raised epoxy along the crack.

When you’ve finished scraping off the leftovers, dampen a rag with acetone and wipe down the surrounding glass to get rid of any little remnants of epoxy before it hardens. You can wipe over the repaired crack with this rag as well to ensure the surface is flat and there’s no raised epoxy left. Then, let the epoxy cure for 24 hours.

Replace a Cracked Window

While you can repair a cracked window with epoxy, it may be worthwhile to replace a cracked window instead. If you have a modern window with two panes of glass, there’s an insulating gas between the panes that does most of the insulating for that window. When the glass cracks, there’s a chance for that gas to seep out. This is especially true if the crack has been present for a while.

If your window is old and single-pane, replacing your window is definitely the right choice. Single-pane windows have no insulation, costing you money in electricity to make up for heat and cold that leak in during summer and winter. Upgrade to Aluplex windows and improve your quality of life. Call us if you have questions and we can give you a hand.

Open Concept Designs for Medical Offices

October 31, 2021 By Webmaster

Medical office design is an important part of what brings comfort and confidence to patients. Offer a comfortable medical office to your patients to ensure they come back for future appointments. How do you make your medical office design a success? One of the most foolproof methods is using open concept designs for medical offices. Here are some of the ways you can make your medical office more open concept.

Light Flow

One of the biggest features in open concept design is light flow. Without good light flow, open concept design is meaningless. So, how do you achieve good light flow in your open concept medical office? One great solution is using a frameless system.

Frameless Systems

A frameless system is a glass dividing system for office spaces. They’re most commonly used in business offices, but can be implemented in medical offices as well. Instead of walling off the actual office space behind check-in counters, put up frameless system dividers. These glass walls will allow seamless light flow, a less restrictive space, but will still provide privacy and noise dampening.

More Windows

The next solution to providing light flow in open concept designs for medical offices is by adding more windows. Too many medical office buildings skimp on windows, leaving the office dark and closed-off. By implementing large windows in your office design, you let the sun inside in all its glory.

Don’t stop at regular windows. If your medical office is its own building or on the top floor of a shared building, opt for a skylight. Putting a large skylight into a medical office space lets in tons of light and a view of the sky. Nothing feels quite so open as being able to look up and enjoy the morning sky.

Save Electricity

Because large windows let in ample light during business hours, you can save a ton of money on electricity. Especially in offices with skylights, electric light may not even be necessary during the brighter months of the year.

Bring the Outdoors In

There are more benefits to additional windows than just added light. Bringing the outdoors in is a huge bonus to office likeability. Patients love getting to admire the surrounding scenery when waiting for their appointment. This is especially true in more suburban or rural areas with lots of trees.

If you’re building or remodeling a dental office, large windows also go great on the stretch of wall your dental chairs are facing. Giving patients, young and old alike, a view of the birds and trees outside is a great way to offer peace and a sense of calm. This will help a lot with those who have dental anxiety.

Office Resale Value

If moving your office to a bigger space later is something you’re considering, don’t fret. Open concept designs for medical offices offer great resale value. Even if someone intends to move in a different type of practice, windows and skylights are always a plus. You’ll have no trouble selling an office space with a lot of light and an open concept interior.