[Merged] Windows/Doors

[maxmonty]

Yep this thread is awesome!
I'm looking to get a new entry door as well as a new garage door. I noticed that one of the places you mentioned, Atlantic, does both. Would it be a better idea to go with someone that specializes in garage doors? It would make it easier to only have to deal with one company.
Anything specific I should look for in entry doors?

[utopianbl]

Ugh, hopefully you have a 2nd washroom in your condo...for times when you need, privacy.
I'd be cautious with something like this if resale is an option in the near future.

the whole idea of the glass fogging up is to give privacy when needed :-). But I know what you mean. I am just scouting this idea - only economics and feasibility will dictate the implementation. Which is why I ask you knowledgeable people for help! :-)

[l69norm]

....I was thinking of removing the entire en suite washroom wall (shared with the bedroom) and place a glass wall there...

Are you allowed to remove or change an interior wall in a Condo?

[stealth]

Does the thickness of the window frame give any indicator of quality or efficiency?

[stealth]

the whole idea of the glass fogging up is to give privacy when needed :-). But I know what you mean. I am just scouting this idea - only economics and feasibility will dictate the implementation. Which is why I ask you knowledgeable people for help! :-)

I was referring to sound privacy, lol...
Visual privacy is another issue...for when the bathroom isnt foggy, do you or a future buyer really want to see another person (or their silhouette) when their trimming their toenails or sitting on the throne?
It has a certain modern urban chic to it, but I think it would creep me out.

But to each his/her own

[letitbe1973]

Hi windowguy,

I live in Richmond Hill and consider change all windows, entrance door and patio door. Two companies came to do the estimation: WINMAX and CANADIAN CHOICE WINDOWS and DOORS. How would you compare these two companies' windows? Do you have other recommendations on window companies? Is casement better than double hung/slider tilt? In which way? In the long run, is it better to do brick-to-brick? My window wood base is still good. But, I am afraid that I have to paint them to have them match with the vinyle window.

Thanks very much.

[windowguy]

wow, am i ever excited to see this thread growing like there is no tomorrow......lets give u my 5 cent input on the last entries,

first lets take the measurements.......

Quick lude had it perfect, he missed one thing that is extremely important, you have to check the squarness of the opening. you have to measure the window diagonally. Generaly when u measure the window outside between the bricks pros deduct about 1/2" in order to centre the window in the opening. if your opening is out of wack u gotta deduct little bit more. When u install windows by urself u have to remember that plum level and square is ur best friend. Beyond that u should never put a screw in ur sill of the window. When ur finished shimming windows u have to (its not a choice) seal the shimms with caulking form the exterior as well as the interior. wood is great but if not sealed it will suck the water from outside like a sponge. Next remember when ur installing windows the expandable foam is not a water barrier, its always better to use more caulking than less. All pros will tell you that combination of Hilti foam (about $15 per can and a gun another $50) will be ur best choice for foam and a Supra or Beta for caulking. Its life span is about 7 years, that means that u will have to resurface the sealant every 5 years (its not covered by just about every window company)......... but thats how u take the measurements, unless u live in etobicoke where in most of the cases, brick mould is not needed. i know of couple of companies that do offer to come and help you take the measurements for a fee about $100-$150...... if this is the first time ur doing it its worth spending that money.

[windowguy]

Slow down with the Condo unit, there is a lot of limitations as to what can u do.
First talk to ur condo board before u begin interviewing contractors for the job.........


Now the best part of the answer........

is there a sealed unit available that would fog up on demand, yes there is. Rough price for it would be about $20`000.00 (no i did not make a mistake with zeros). In Sweden i believe there is a company that makes them, waiting time is around 10 months. Basically the way it works (as far as i understand) there is a electrical current introduced onto the glass which comes into a chemical reaction with the innert glass inside of the sealed unit that makes it fog up........

Dont forgett that Europe is way ahead of us here........ North American mrket is price driven not the quality....... it is common in Europe to see the Krypton Gas filled units, they are just finishing on vcummed sealed units, not to mention the xenon gas. Well maybe finally North American costumers will understand that energy market is going bananas and every tenth of R makes a difference over next years.......


Yet again, check with your condo board before anything........

[windowguy]

WINMAX and CANADIAN CHOICE WINDOWS and DOORS please move on, nothing to c there. Those two companies are best examples what i hate about this industry.....................................
Trying to pass for somebody else, hoping for stupidity of their costumers, do urself a huge favour use google.ca. u have great companies to choose from inur neck of woods.

[windowguy]

To sourtain point it does.
For example there is a great vinyl extrusion manufacturer called Plastmo Ltd. they actually have the thickest exterior walls in the industry, they guarantee a minimum of 2mm where ur industry standard is around 1.63mm. They have the largest amount of interior chambers and extra what we call cooling finns inside of the frame that are design to absorb the expansion and contraction of the frames. the more material u have in the walls more energy gets absorb before it gets transfered. But here we walk into probably comments like what about the inulated frames....... in reality reason behind foam filling the frames is not to give more insulation to it but to give it more strenght so the manufacturer can be cheap on vinyl (that a comodity these days as its price is derived from oil --- so brace urselfs there are price increases coming across the industry over next couple of months), next once u dont use any foam fillers and the comapny has to go to thin vinyl walls they have to reinforce their frames with metal inserts in order to achieve any kind of good ratings.

I will give u an example of performance window......... I know Stealth will say - this guy works for Baltic.

but look at the ratings, they have two lines of window certified with CSA.
1.is the 5000 series windows with no reinforcement
2. 4000 with steel reinforcement .

what the best thing is that the ratings do not differ one from another, very long story short is that they use Plastmo Ltd. vinyl that is the purest and the strongest on the market today.

just to be fare, right after Plastmo there is

Ostaco
Strassburger
PH Tech
and Oran.
(please for all the people that want to say Reahu - i know that Atlantic still uses its shpeal that Rehau makes part for mercedes - unless u wanna buy a washer under the windshield of your 500 series, do not waste my time and rather be concern becouse there is a comapny in Kitchener that sells knock of extrusion, that on the outside looks like Rehau but its not. Rehau here is made by Royal Plastics)..........

Good luck on research.........

[windowguy]

Hey give me a break i am answering them in bulk.....

yes the thicker the frame is there is less vibration coming thru it, so less noise.....

but ur glass is about 85% of you window frame thats where the sound is coming from...........

u want a sound control google heat mirror glazing system, best version is offered in quad config....... I have actually used that system on the house in Etobicoke (rathburn and Kipling area), u could not here another person sitting on the deck across the table from u, while the planes were flying above ur head, but once u go inside of the home u could not hear a thing (its a great thing if u wish not to hear the birds in the morning as well), besides that, this costumer is a senior engineer for hydro, the insulation value of those windows is unsurpassed by anything else.

two companies certified for this product are :

Oran
Roberge
Baltic ( i know again them )

[letitbe1973]

WINMAX and CANADIAN CHOICE WINDOWS and DOORS please move on, nothing to c there. Those two companies are best examples what i hate about this industry.....................................
Trying to pass for somebody else, hoping for stupidity of their costumers, do urself a huge favour use google.ca. u have great companies to choose from inur neck of woods.

Got it. Are their price cheaper than the company you recommended? If yes, how much cheaper? Thanks again.

[windowguy]

its not the price........

i am telling you to move on becouse of their business practices, ask both of companies what were their companies names 3 years ago..........

[windowguy]

If u r looking for cheap price not a quality, look into new construction windows,

Casabela is one of them, if you tell them u will pay for windows in cash they will drull, drop their pant (i wont finish what i wish to say), then call a local handy man to install it. u wont get it cheaper than that. but dont come crying for warranty help....

[letitbe1973]

its not the price........

i am telling you to move on becouse of their business practices, ask both of companies what were their companies names 3 years ago..........

I think WINMAX was WINMAX 3 years ago (www.winmax.ca). My two friends had WINMAX replace all windows in their houses. They are happy with WINMAX.

From my experience, the sales person from these two companies are quite pushy. They want me to sign the contact right after the estimation.