If you’re building a new office building or looking to improve the one you already have, you should probably consider windows. There are a lot of reasons to consider replacing the ones you have. If you’re working on a new building, there are also a lot of reasons to consider which kind you plan on installing. Let us tell you a bit about awning windows and why they’re a good choice for your office.

Replacing Old Windows

Did you know windows have a shelf life, so to speak? Modern windows are made with two panes of glass. The inside is then filled with a heavy, transparent gas. Because the gas it’s filled with is heavier than air, it does a better job of insulating, without obstructing your view.

Unfortunately, because your windows’ insulation relies on this gas, years of wear means loss of insulation. As your window panes begin to lose their perfect seal, the gas slowly but surely begins escaping. In 8-15 years you can completely lose your window insulation.

A lack of window insulation can mean a lot of things. For example, your office may get very cold in winter or very hot in summer. The sun will have more impact when hitting your windows directly. Your electricity bill will be higher from trying to compensate for the lack of insulation. The only way to fix this problem is to replace your windows with new ones.

What Are Awning Windows?

When it comes to window styles, the most common ones in North America are horizontal sliding windows, single-hung windows, and casement windows. These ones, you’re surely familiar with. However, one window style which is actually much more suited for office spaces is the awning window.

Awning windows are windows which can be opened, typically by turning a crank on the inside of the window. The moving segment of window will then tilt outward from a hinge at the top, creating an “awning.”

Awning Windows for Your Office

Awning windows are great for office buildings for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is their hardiness. Single-hung and horizontal sliding windows are too easy to, theoretically, disassemble. This is a feature when it comes to windows in a private home. The ability to simply lift the sliding part of a horizontal window in order to remove it means easier cleaning and repair. However, for a high rise, this poses a theoretical hazard due to being unsecured.

Additionally, single-hung and sliding windows provide no protection from rain. If it’s raining and there’s a good amount of wind, rain water can be blown right into the building. For an office space with a large number of people who can access and use windows, this is a risk. It’s easy for someone to forget to close a window before going home for the night. Awning windows ensure rain doesn’t reach the opening. Instead, it hits the “awning” and runs right off.

Affordable Awning Windows in Toronto

If you’re looking for quality, affordable awning windows for your office, Aluplex is the place to buy them. Let us know if you have questions or need assistance ordering. We’re happy to help!

So, you’re dealing with a broken window and want to patch it up? Aluplex is here to help. Below, we’ll cover some of the ways to patch a broken window.

Assess the Level of Damage

The first thing to do when you have a broken window is to assess the exact level of damage to determine how to patch it. The thing is, not all damage is equal. You can’t patch every break.

If your window is cracked, but there are no places where glass has actually left the window, it’s patchable. Even long cracks, while a bit more tedious, can be patched with a glass patching kit or similar.

However, if the crack is big enough that some small pieces have fallen out, it’s beyond patching with a patching kit. This type of crack can still be repaired, but it involves replacing the broken glass. The same goes for larger breaks, such as when a baseball goes through the window.

How to Patch a Broken Window

Patching a broken window with manageable cracks in it can be done with a glass repair kit. These can be bought online or from a hardware store. These are especially common, since they’re used to repair small cracks in windshields and other car windows.

These repair kits generally have instructions in them, but we’ll run over the basics.

1. The first step is cleaning the window. You’ll want to do this with a window cleaner like Windex, which will remove skin oils and dust.
2. Next, you’ll put on the adhesive patch. This isn’t permanent and only functions as a barrier. Ensure the length of each crack is completely covered by an adhesive patch. If you don’t have enough, you’ll need to buy more.
3. After that, you’ll use your syringe to draw up some of the epoxy. How much you need will depend on the size of the cracks you’re filling.
4. Then, you can stick your syringe needle through the patch and right into one of the cracks. Inject the epoxy slowly. Injecting it too fast can lead to bubbling in the barrier patch. You have to give it enough time to spread down the length of the crack.
5. After that, when you’ve filled each crack with epoxy under the barrier patch, you’ll need to let it cure. Each epoxy will have different requirements. Follow the instructions in your kit.
6. When the epoxy has cured, remove the adhesive patch(es) and scrape any excess epoxy off with the flat edge of a razor blade.
7. The epoxy will need to set overnight as well, in most cases. Once it has set completely, you can wash the window with soap and water.

Holes Too Big to Patch

If your hole is too big to patch with a crack repair kit, you’ll need to cover it with something until you can get it replaced. Your best bet is using some packing tape and one or more pieces of plastic. This will keep rain out of your home. If you don’t have sheet plastic, plastic wrap from the kitchen works as well.

If you’re working with smaller strips of plastic, like plastic wrap, be sure to place it horizontally with the higher strips overlapping the lower ones so that water won’t get under them.

Replace Broken Windows

Unless your crack is very small, it’s always best to replace broken windows. When you patch a broken window, it works great as a temporary measure. However, windows with large cracks in them are likely to have lost some of their insulating gas. Without that gas, they will do much less to keep the cold or heat in or out (depending on the season). Don’t settle for a weak and ineffective window.

Call us at Aluplex if you need help with window repairs or window replacement.

If you own a hotel with a penthouse suite, you need penthouse suite skylights. Penthouse suite skylights may seem like an unnecessary expense, but they’re not. What is it that makes them a necessity? Let’s find out.

Paying for the Experience

For many people, booking the penthouse suite is a special occasion. Whether it’s for their honeymoon, for an expensive vacation that they’ve been saving for, or some other reason, getting the penthouse isn’t just a cross-country pitstop. To most people, the penthouse suite is there for the experience.

The fact is, for most people, the penthouse is way outside their budget. If someone is going to dip into their savings and pull out all the stops for the top floor of the hotel, they want a night to remember.

What does this have to do with skylights? 

What Skylights Accomplish

Skylights in a penthouse suite do more than just save you money on electricity. They add a third dimension to the penthouse, opening it up to the sky above just the floor to ceiling windows open it up to the sky beyond. This extra dimension lets in more light, making the penthouse suite feel bigger, more open, and more clear.

Let’s not forget about the nighttime effects of penthouse suite skylights. When the sun sets and your temporary tenants are left in the dark, your skylights are still hard at work. We all know that romantic excursions are one of the primary reasons someone would book the penthouse. So, how much more romantic can you get than being able to lie in bed and look up at the stars?

Placing a large section of pyramid skylights over the bed gives guests a night to remember. When the more active events of the day have passed, lying back against the plush, hotel pillows and staring up at the night sky is truly something worth paying for.

Plus, that morning wakeup call of a little sunshine splashed across the bed is one of the most peaceful ways someone can can wake up in the modern world.

Long Term Business

While this sounds great for your guests, you might be wondering why it’s great for you too. Remember, your guests and their experiences are what keeps bringing people back for more. The better the experience in your penthouse suite, the more raving the review.

Remember how most people only dream of renting the penthouse suite? The top floor suite of a hotel brings with it such high expectations that it’s easy to become disappointed and leave a negative review. Don’t let that be the fate of your hotel. Do what you need to to ensure that your guests’ expectations are lived up to.

The more extraordinary your penthouse suite is, the more positive your reviews will be and the more likely people will return to try and recreate the magical experience your hotel provided.

Buy Aluplex

If you’re going to invest in penthouse suite skylights, you need to invest in the best glass company Toronto has to offer. Aluplex is exactly what you need. Our window and skylight professionals will install skylights for you in no time. Plus, Aluplex is known for its 24 hour emergency repair services. Don’t rely on a company that leaves you high and dry in times of need. If your skylights spring a leak, we’ll be there as soon as you call.

With the second wave of Covid-19 spreading throughout Canada, protecting ourselves and our patrons is more important than ever. One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in stores is by enforcing mask usage and putting up barriers. An easy barrier to put in place is service window glass.

Service Window Glass

Service windows, such as those at the bank or a ticket booth, are well known throughout the country. We have all gone to a service window one time or many. The thing is, any service counter can suddenly become a service window. All you need is some service window glass.

Limit Contact

By putting up service window glass at a check-out or check-in counter, we limit contact with the general public. Items must be passed beneath the window, ensuring there is no unexpected contact with a patron.

Physical contact is one of many ways that Covid-19 can spread. By ensuring employees only come into contact with the objects being passed under a service window, you can better control how they’re touched. Employees can wear gloves to guarantee they don’t come into contact with Covid-19 that has been passed under on an object. The counter and glass can be sterilized between customers and gloves can be changed out as needed.

Air Barrier

Even more dangerous than the probability of contracting Covid-19 through secondhand surface touching is the probability of catching it through the air. Because Covid-19 is an airborne virus, it is passed between people through droplets in the air. This is frequently misunderstood to mean only large droplets, such as in a sneeze. While a sneeze is a high risk way to catch Covid-19, we must remember that just breathing near each other can pass the virus.

Moisture hangs in the air all the time. When it’s humid outside, the air is filled with moisture. When someone exhales, they breathe out moisture from their lungs. If this moisture is breathed out in the same vicinity as someone else, that other person can inhale the infected particulates from the air.

Putting up a glass window between employees and patrons keeps infected particulates from reaching the other side of the glass, protecting employees and their breathing space.

Combine with Masks

However, service window glass isn’t the only thing we should be doing to protect ourselves from Covid-19. By having employees wear masks as well, behind the service window, you double the protection from Covid-19. Should any infected particulates end up on the other side of the service window, your employee will also have their air filtered through their mask. Those infected particulates’ journey will end as soon as they hit the front of a mask. Everybody wins.

Buy Service Window Glass

If you’re looking to put up a barrier in your store or business, Aluplex is the place to go. We can provide high quality glass with custom cuts and sizes, just right for your business. Give us a call if you have questions about how to order.

We love skylights. They offer so much to every home. From additional natural lighting to turning your house into an energy-efficient property, the list goes on and on for why skylights are an excellent addition to a house.

However, even the best-installed skylight is prone to wear and tear, cracks, and leaks. Just like everything else in and around your house, after a while, the skylight ages and the structure loses its integrity. That is when you’re likely to see leaks and wind seep through the seals.

Replacing a skylight can get expensive. Add in anything damaged in the home below from a leak, the price tag of reacting to a leaking skylight can increase exponentially. That is why with proper maintenance and knowing when it’s time to replace the skylight, you can prevent leakages and keep your home in prime condition.

Let’s take a look at ways in which you can prevent your skylight from leaking.

 

What Causes a Leak?

Before you can begin to repair or prevent a skylight from leaking, you need to know what causes a leak. Many factors contribute to a leaky skylight:

• Improper installation.
• Damaged flashing.
• Roof damage and lack of roof maintenance.
• Too high humidity inside the home.

Now that we know some of the causes, we can start to look at ways to prevent a leak.

Regular Maintenance and Inspections

Having a regular maintenance routine that includes inspecting your skylight is one of the best ways to keep tabs on the integrity of the skylight. Thorough and regular inspections can help you notice any wear and tear on the skylight and the roof around it.

When inspecting, look any signs of deterioration, as well as holes, cracks, or broken seals. Your maintenance routine should include examining the roof as well. Broken shingles around the skylight can cause issues too.

Proper Ventilation Inside the Home

Too high humidity levels can cause many problems in any house. When there is lots of humidity inside, condensation begins to form on windows and mirrors. The skylight is no exception. When that condensation starts to build, it has to go somewhere. It will either drip onto whatever is below it or seep into different areas of the skylight and roof.

Humidity can also cause wood and other materials to warp. If the structure of the roof and home begin to distort and have issues from the moisture, it could affect the seal of the skylight. So, ensure you have proper ventilation inside your home.

Boost Up the Seal

Sometimes, all you need to do to prevent or stop a leak in a skylight is to fix the seal. An easy way of doing that is by applying caulking around the edges of the skylight. One hundred percent silicone caulking will help keep the skylight sealed tightly to prevent any leaks from occurring. Including this step in your regular maintenance routine.

 

Preventing leaks is the best way to protect your skylight and your home. Having a preventative routine allows you to catch any damages before they can do any harm to the property.