Primary Seal Windows and Doors

Well, you probably won’t get one. You see, most window and door companies say that they are giving you a professional installer but the truth is, only one in five installers is really a pro and even then, they may cheap out on product such as caulking or insulation, which you will only be able to tell years later but by then, they are long gone.

Some people even make the mistake to hire a separate contractor to put in the windows, and often not only does that contractor not install windows regularly enough to be a real pro, but if they do a poor job, the window company may no longer give you the same warranty on their windows if they deem that the reason the windows are having problems is largely due to a improper installation which was not done by them.

So how do you get a professional installation? The answer is… by asking questions. The first question should be, is the installer a contractor or is he employed directly by your company? If the installer is not employed by the company, should anything go wrong the company will blame the installer, the installer will blame the company and you will be left in the middle with little legal recourse. The second question should be, do you or your company have a licence to perform renovations (which window installation is under)? If they don’t have a licence then you should steer clear. Finally, ask if the installer uses his own truck and supplies or if the company provides him with a truck and supplies. This may not be a deal breaker either way but it will tell you a lot about whether they were telling the truth on the first question. Often if an installer uses his own truck and supplies he is just under contract but does not actually work full time for the company. There are exceptions, but you should poke and probe to look for inconsistencies. Companies that are professional and have good quality products and good installers are proud of it and will advertise it, while fly-by-night operations will try to avoid those type of questions. If the sales guy raves about installation and is quick to offer you a tour of the factory or referrals of their installer’s work, you can rest assured they are at least selling windows for a reputable company.

Remember this one idea: when getting estimates for a job, be less concerned with price and more concerned with who is doing the job, as a few thousand dollars when compared to the cost of a home or a period of twenty years are almost meaningless, but, the cost of a poor product and installation, no matter how cheap it was to start, will far outweigh what you would pay for a proper job and a high quality product.

If you have any questions about windows and doors feel free to contact us via our website, call us or even just walk in to our showroom.

Harry Doors, Energy Efficiency, Windows gta windows and doors, installation, professional installation, renovation, toronto windows and doors, Windows

While windows are important to the appearance and energy efficiency of your home, front, side and back doors are often neglected by consumers. A new door will not only enhance the appearance of your home, but it may save you a surprising amount of energy in both winter and summer.

Many of the high-end custom homes that you see have at the very core of their look a large and attractive set of doors. Take that away, and the entire home would look unfinished and awkward. A new door can significantly improve the appearance of any home, large or small, by creating a visual focal point. Sure, you say, the look is nice but is it worthwhile to pay for a new door just for the sake of vanity? Well of course not.

A new door is more than a visual improvement, it works in many ways to save you energy, make you more comfortable and keep you safer. All new steel entry doors come filled with highly insulating polyurethane. Also, most decorative or clear glass units are available in ‘Low-E’ energy saving glass. Finally, new steel doors also come with a raised sweep and magnetic weather seals.

For many homeowners safety is a primary concern. That is why new steel doors are available with a multipoint locking system which is far superior to a single deadbolt. We also provide traditional deadbolt doors with a steel insert in the door frame which significantly inrcreases the strength of the deadbolt mechanism.

Ask any of our trained staff or customer representatives and you will find a number of benefits to replacing an old, leaky, drafty door with a secure, attractive and functional steel door.

If you have any additional comments or concerns, please contact us.

Harry Doors, Energy Efficiency air sealing, Doors, energy savings, entrance doors, low-e

Here at Primary Seal we get a lot of customers that come in and ask about replacing their doors. Many people, we’ve noticed, wish to have a beautiful front door with elegant glass and classy paneling. Often the doors they currently own are not terrible from an energy standpoint but they have become an eyesore. However, we rarely hear customers asking to replace their patio doors unless they feel there is something wrong with the door. Because these doors are located at the back of the house they seem to also find themselves in the back of the minds of consumers when they are planning home improvement renovations. This is unfortunate, as replacing a patio door is for the most part less expensive than a front door and can offer significant energy savings and a noticeable increase in ease of use and appearance.

The first problem with old patio doors is the frame. The majority of older patio doors are made with an aluminum or wood frame. The wood frame is prone to warping and rotting, while the aluminum frame conducts the heat and cold with little resistance. Also, the majority of older patio doors are made with several pieces of single tempered glass that offers little protection from the elements though is fairly resistant to impact. The track or sliding system of the doors is somewhat crude, making for difficult operation of the door. However, one of the biggest weaknesses of older patio doors is their lack of security. Most of the doors are equipped with primitive locking systems and were it not for the old cut off hockey stick at the bottom of the door the level of safety the older doors provide would be limited at best.

Newer patio doors have several advantages. First, a steel-reinforced vinyl frame allows for a good amount of rigidity while insulating your home from the elements. All new patio doors that Primary Seal carries are Energy Star rated for all four climate zones in North America and come standard with double pane thermal Low-E glass. The glass is also tempered for safety. Door operation is made easy by a raised track with a four-roller system that allows the door to glide effortlessly even though its weight is substantially greater than its single pane ancestors. Last but not least, security comes in several forms including a decent standard lock and options for a externally keyed lock (great for people who want to leave through the back door like those who live downtown and have their garage in the back of the house) as well as a multi-point locking system. Also, several “night-time” safety systems exist which are both elegant (no hockey sticks) and extremely resilient, not to mention inexpensive.

Often, for half the price of a front door, you can improve your energy efficiency, comfort and safety. A new sliding patio door will leave you feeling great while still leaving something in your pocket. Feel free to ask us any questions you may have about patio doors or check out our website for more information.

Harry Doors, Energy Efficiency, Windows energy savings, Home Security, Low-E Glass, Patio Door, Sliding Door, Tempered Glass

Mid-March means a change from standard time (ST) to daylight savings time (DST). As we remember to adjust our clocks one hour ahead, don’t forget to think about these seasonal home maintenance tips:

1. Clean out the medicine cabinet: Remove items that are past their expiry date. They might be dangerous to keep in the house so be sure to dispose of them in a responsible way – many drugstores will dispose of old medicine for you. Also, make note of prescriptions or products that need to be refilled.

2. Check your filters: Often, there’s no outward sign that your fridge water filter needs to be changed because the contaminants and other chemicals are imperceptible. Leading brands like Whirlpool, Maytag and KitchenAid recommend changing your filters every six months to ensure that your water and ice remains fresh and great tasting. More information can be found online at www.whirlpoolparts.ca.

3. Check the First Aid kit: Changing the clock is great time to remember to stock up your First Aid kit. Ensure all of your emergency supplies are replaced and up to date.

4. Check the batteries: Your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are the most important battery powered devices in your home and need a reliable power source. Replace these batteries, but don’t throw them out, save them for remote controls and other battery devices in your home.

www.newscanada.com

admin Energy Efficiency carbon monoxide, spring forward

(NC) - If the purchase of a new home is in your near future, consider buying an energy-efficient home. Buying energy-efficient means buying smart. Energy efficiency is being incorporated into the building codes across Canada, and builders are following up with offering more energy-efficient upgrades in new homes. Why not stay ahead of the game and purchase an energy-efficient home for the future? This adds a higher resale value to your home and allows you to have a positive impact on the environment.

An energy-efficient home offers savings in energy use, lower energy bills, and increased comfort. Options in buying energy-efficient homes are many in today’s market - from having your new home EnerGuide-rated, to buying best in class ENERGY STAR® qualified homes and R-2000* homes. To find out more about these initiatives and energy efficient new homes, visit www.newhomes.nrcan.gc.ca or call 1-800-387-2000 to order publications.

*R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada

www.newscanada.com

admin Energy Efficiency EnerGuide, energy efficent homes, energy star

While we are enjoying a run of great weather, and it still feels more like summer than fall, we all know (but refuse to admit for the moment) that the cooler weather is just around the corner.

A window which may seem perfectly fine during the summer may soon turn into a drafty, leaky, frosted mess when the temperatures dip. In fact, it is common during the fall to have mild days and freezing nights.

Now, most people will argue that changing the windows and doors in a house costs a bundle, and it does. Also they will argue that the money they save in heating and cooling costs will take years if not decades to pay for the cost of the windows. Again, they are right. However, there is one small but important flaw in that line of thinking: the idea that changing the windows and doors in a house is a one-time, all or nothing project.

What if it were possible to pay half of the money you have been or will be quoted for the entire house and enjoy energy savings and increased comfort in most of your home? Funny enough, consumers will approach their window and door job from the most expensive items to the least expensive almost without exception, while if they started from the other end, they would find that their money would go a much longer way.

Let me give you an example:

An average house with three bedrooms usually has the following window and door items: front door, side or patio door, three bedroom windows, a window in the bathroom, one in the kitchen, one living room and one dining room window, as well as four basement windows. Let’s say the homeowner of this imaginary home decides to replace his windows and doors. Which two window and door items will make up the better part of the cost of this job? The answer is the front door and the living room window or the window which usually faces the front of the house. Why you ask? Well because the decorative glass in the front door as well as because the window facing the front of the house is usually tall and wide. Windows are priced according to surface area, and a very large and complex window will cost far more than a small bedroom window.
Read more…

Harry Doors, Energy Efficiency, Windows energy savings, energy-efficient home, replacement windows, Windows

(NC)—With the holidays and colder months just around the corner, now is the time to find easy ways to save money. Performing a simple home energy audit can help cut costs by pinpointing the places where a house is losing energy, identifying ways to conserve hot water and electricity, and evaluating the efficiency of the home’s appliances and heating and cooling systems.

Sue Rainville, director of marketing for Hunter Douglas, Canada’s leading manufacturer of custom window fashions, offers the following steps for consumers to conduct a home energy audit:

Locate that leak

Window frames and doors are obvious sources of drafts. Check electrical outlets, switch plates, baseboards, fireplace dampers and wall or window-mounted air conditioners for spaces. Look for gaps around pipes, faucets and mail slots. Apply caulking and weather stripping where needed.

Look to your furnishings

“Windows are rightly called the ‘eyes’ of a home, yet they are also energy holes through which heat can escape,” said Rainville. Help protect your home with shades such as Duette Architella honeycomb shades from Hunter Douglas that can reduce heat loss at the window by up to 50 percent when properly installed.

Attics and basements

In cold weather, air leaks in the attic act like a chimney, drafting expensive heated air upwards and sucking cold air into the rest of the home. Large gaps are also often found around plumbing pipes, light fixtures, chimneys and soffits. Ensure openings for items such as pipes, ductwork and chimneys are sealed with expanding foam caulk.

Step outside

Insulation needs to work both inside and out. Check areas where two different construction materials meet, such as the foundation and the exterior brick or siding. Look for cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation and siding, and seal them with the appropriate material.

Using these tips, consumers can learn how to conduct a home energy audit on their own, just in time for those cold winter months.

More information is available online at www.hunterdouglas.ca or toll-free at 1-800-265-8000.

- News Canada

Harry Energy Efficiency do it yourself, energy savings, Home energy audits

If you step in any window dealer or manufacturer showroom, including Primary Seal,  you would hear about high efficiency windows with glass units that have Low-E + Argon. However, if you begin asking about the details of how this technology works, you may hear a variety of explanations followed by pictographic attempts at illustrating how this technology works. In my experience, both salespersons and clients alike use these terms often but understand little about the inner workings of Low-E technology.

So, let us shed some light on this magical Low-E glass.

As usual, something that appears magical either involves a trick or can be eventually described using physics. Since Low-E glass is no trick, we move on to the physics. Now, I will keep the detail to a minimum but try and stick with me for a moment. Low-E stands for low emissivity or emittance. Low Emittance glass radiates or emits low levels of radiant energy. Any object that has been heated either by the sun or another heat source will radiate heat. Radiated heat is also known as long-wave radiation, and, it is this type of radiation that the Low-E glass is designed to repel. Direct sunlight provides a different type of energy known as short-wave radiation which the Low-E glass allows to pass through in a certain proportion depending on the climate for which it was designed. When short-wave radiation hits an object, that object becomes heated and then proceeds to radiate heat in the form of long-wave radiation.

Keeping the above in mind, let’s look at a couple of examples:

The Winter - It is cold outside and hot inside. Your entire home is heated by your furnace and all the objects in your home are radiating heat. Heat hits the pane of Low-E glass as it tries to escape from your home, but only a part of it escapes while a part of it is reflected back into your home. Along with this, during the day, the sun’s radiation will pass through the windows in some amount and heat the objects in your house which then radiate heat … and this becomes a repetitive cycle.

The Summer - It is hot outside and cold inside. Your air conditioner is working overtime to cool off your home but the heat from the outside keeps wanting to come in. As pavement, sidewalks, and the earth itself radiate the heat of the sun, the Low-E glass reflects a significant portion of this radiation back outside. The sun does penetrate the windows somewhat, and it will slightly heat the objects in your home. However, less short-wave solar radiation enters your home when compared with clear glass and the winter heat gains are more important in our climate.

A bonus feature of Low-E glass is that it repels harmful UV radiation which damages furniture, hardwood floors, and carpet.

Low-E glass is described generally by two variables: solar heat gain (SHG in percent) and light transmission. For example, the glass that Weather Seal Windows uses is called ClimaGuard 75/68, meaning it has 75% light transmission and 68% solar heat gain. A high solar heat gain is ideal for our climate as we spend more money on heating and much less on cooling as we have a short summer. To give you a comparison, a hot climate like New Mexico or Arizona would use ClimaGuard 55/27. It is also important to see that windows designed for cooler climates allow more light to pass through, making for a brighter home and an acceptable decrease in lighting when compared to clear glass.

So how is Low-E glass made you ask?

Well that part is mostly due to high-tech manufacturing and sadly not very magical. Low-E glass is made by applying a thin, almost invisible layer of a metallic compound (usually tin or silver) to the surface of the glass. There are two ways to apply this coat. The first is called a “hard” coat and is a process which is performed while the glass sheet is still hot. While this process is very resilient because the metal is virtually fused with the glass - hence, the term “hard” -  it is not as energy efficient as the “soft” coat, a process which is applied after the glass is cooled. The way in which they apply the “soft” coat involves splattering little metallic droplets in a vacuum on a sheet of glass in an electrically charged chamber. The “soft” coat process is very delicate however, and Low-E glass made with this process must be sealed in a glass unit, as the metal particles cannot be exposed to moisture, abrasion, or air. Weather Seal Windows only uses “soft” coat Low-E glass as the energy performance is far superior to the “hard” coat Low-E.

What about the Argon?

The argon gas inside most insulated glass units today is there for two reasons: to increase energy efficiency and protect the Low-E coating from oxidation. Argon gas does increase the energy efficiency of the glass unit by a small percentage, however its main purpose is to protect the Low-E coating. Oxidation or rusting of any metal will occur if air and moisture are present. It is for that reason that an inert (unreactive) gas like argon is pumped into insulated glass units in order to prevent unwanted oxidation.

Low-E glass is becoming an industry standard as more and more companies - including Weather Seal Windows - are certified as part of the Energy Star program. This program tests the energy efficiency of windows to meet certain baseline standards in order that consumers are able to identify a window as highly efficient when it bears the Energy Star logo sticker.

If you have any questions or comments we would love to hear from you.

Harry Energy Efficiency, Windows argon gas, energy star, hard coat low-e, low-e, lowe glass, replacement windows, soft coat low-e, solar heat gain, Windows

(NC)—There are selling points and then there are selling points. Energy efficiency continues to be one of the most sought after features among home buyers in Canada today; in fact a recent survey of homebuyers in Ottawa and Toronto showed that 94 per cent of respondents agreed that energy efficiency reduces operating costs even if they are perceived to cost more upfront.

Why? Because, according to industry experts, energy-efficient homes are less expensive to operate, more comfortable to live in and more environmentally-friendly, especially ones that carry the federal government’s highly recognizable R-2000 or ENERGY STAR label. The R-2000 standard and many regional initiatives for energy-efficient homes across Canada such as ENERGY STAR for New Homes, Built Green, Yukon GreenHome, and PowerSmart use Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide rating service as the quality assurance tool for the energy efficiency of the home. The ERS determines the home’s level of energy efficiency on a scale from 0-100.

Homeowners can save hundreds of dollars every year in heating and fuel costs and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by two to three tonnes just by buying or upgrading to an energy-efficient home.

More information is available on this topic at www.newhomes.nrcan.gc.ca.

www.newscanada.com

admin Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency, energy star

Building a home takes money no matter how you cut it. Natural Resources Canada, the federal government department that administers the EnerGuide Rating System in Canada, is reminding Canadians to do their homework this summer when it comes to building a new home. Even though many Canadians perceive energy efficiency costs more, upgrades and features can save you money in the long run and reduce your environmental footprint. More information is available on this topic at www.newhomes.nrcan.gc.ca.

www.newscanada.com

admin Energy Efficiency Energy Efficiency