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"I wanted to thank all of you personally for coming at the last moment to help my daughter and myself with securing our home. I have been a respected interior designer for some twenty-two years and your installation of my front door at my residence shows exceptional expertise and workmanship. Thank you again and all the best and look forward to working with you in the future."
- Gaye Craig
Doors & Windows Tips
Tips & Resources to Keep Your Doors and Windows Looking Great
- Why Fiberglass?
- Do we need triple glazed glass?
- Why is the cost of Installation so much of the total price?
- Big box stores sell doors and windows for a lower price than specialty stores but are there differences in quality?
- When comparing window quality it is important to consider the following...
- I’m planning on selling my house in the near future so I don’t care about the quality of doors and windows I put in my home, as long as they look good.
- Can windows and doors be installed in the winter?
- Famous words to live by!
Why Fiberglass?
Fiberglass holds many distinct advantages over steel.
- Fiberglass doors will not Dent, Rust, Warp or Crack
- Since Fiberglass has a lower range of heat and cold, less temperature transfers from one side to the other resulting in a higher R value
- Fiberglass doors are significantly stronger and more durable than steel doors. Fiberglass doors are built with 5" of re-enforcing side rails opposed to 1" for a steel door. Results being more resistant to any serious damage caused by normal wear and tear than steel doors
- Fiberglass doors come smooth to imitate steel doors or wood grained to imitate solid wood doors
Click Here for a cross section of the fiberglass door
Do we need triple glazed glass?
The largest factors in determining whether or not triple glass is necessary are location and climate. Triple glass can be beneficial in certain regions of Ontario. However in southern Ontario where the temperature rarely hits less than -25oC, triple glazed glass is not worth the extra cost. The Government of Canada through the popular Energy Star program has released documentation containing the minimum recommended requirements for Doors and Windows according to region. The minimum R-Value recommended by the Government of Canada is 3.2 for the southern Ontario area. Vinylbilt Platinum Series windows with a dual glazed soft coat of LoE3 and Argon Gas carry an R-value of 4.9.
Click here for additional information
Why is the cost of Installation so much of the total price?
Trades people require schooling and experience to be properly qualified to perform their jobs in a professional manner and according to industry standards and above. Many tools not common to everyday homeowners are also required to do the job properly. Auto mechanics are the best and most common example of a skilled trade. Any dealership will charge upwards of $85 an hour for its mechanics. The going rate for most carpenters is between $50 and $75 an hour so it may seem expensive but it is well within industry standards for skilled trades’ people.
Big box stores sell doors and windows for a lower price than specialty stores but are there differences in quality?
There are many large differences as well as many subtle differences in the quality of products purchased at a big box store and products purchased through a specialty store. Fundamentally, if a product sells for significantly less, there are most likely differences in manufacturing or engineering or both.
When comparing window quality it is important to consider the following...
Spacer Bar: Several spacer bars on the market today are still made from various metals. The problem with a metal spacer is the conductivity, which allows temperature to transfer from the outside of your house to the inside. A few manufacturers offer a complete non-metal spacer system called Super Spacer, made from polymer foam. A warmer spacer bar will give you a better R-value saving you money on heating and cooling your home in the long run.
Click here for more information
Glazing: Most windows come with energy efficient coatings on one or more surfaces of glass. These invisible coatings work to deflect UV rays from the sun, keeping them from entering your home. UV rays carry heat from the sun as well as the harmful rays that fade furniture and flooring. LoE is the industry standard for glazing. The LoE glazing blocks 44% of the suns UV rays. Several improvements have been made to the LoE glazing over the past 5 years. LoE2 improves the percentage by almost double (84%). While Lo3, the most recent update blocks 95% of the suns UV rays. Next to the spacer bar, glazing is the biggest factor affecting the energy efficiency of you window.
Click here for more information
I’m planning on selling my house in the near future so I don’t care about the quality of doors and windows I put in my home, as long as they look good.
It can be tempting to shop just based on price for large ticket items for a house that isn’t in the long term plans; however there are several things to consider when attempting ‘pre-sale’ renovations:
- Higher quality windows and doors are more efficient and better for the environment. Preventing unnecessary energy consumption is good for your pocketbook, the pocketbook of the future owner(s) of your home, and not to mention the environment
- The ever-rising real estate market is forcing home buyers to make smarter more educated decisions regarding their purchases. It is no longer enough to claim your house has “brand new doors” if they will have to be replaced in 3 years. Putting in quality doors and windows will help maximize the value in the selling price of your home. Most home buyers know if things look cheap they probably are cheap.
Can windows and doors be installed in the winter?
Yes, the actual time the inside of the house is exposed to the elements is quite minimal. Only one window or door is done at a time, keeping heat loss to a minimum.
Famous Words to live by!
Prices
It's unwise to pay too much. But it's worse to pay to little.
When you pay too much, you lose a little money...that is all.
When you pay to little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying little and getting a lot. It just can't be done.
If you deal with the losest bidder, it is well to add smething for the risk you run.
And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.
There is hardly anything in the world that someone can't make a little worse and sell a little cheaper...and people who consider price alone are this lawful prey.
John Ruskin 1819 - 1900