HOUSE OWNER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA

Windows
Perhaps, nowadays for most people the word “windows” would bring to mind the association with the operating system of their computers rather than the image of a house window. In our contemporary world where progress enters our everyday life so fast that we sometimes don’t even notice it, “regular” windows have also undergone significant changes and one can probably say that ordinary windows have managed to become unordinary.

There is surely one correlative between users of the computer operating system Windows and homeowners. Without basic knowledge of how things work it is not going to be easy to maintain both the Windows system and house windows. That is why it is important to be aware of certain elements.

Such factors as time and climate may not be friendly at all to your windows. And sooner or later you will have to make a decision of changing your old windows to the new ones. But how to make sure your choice is right and you will be satisfied after all? In today’s market there are a lot of windows manufacturers (only in the province of Ontario there are more than 300 of them!) which would provide you with various products and… various quality.

If your are buying a new house be prepared that your building contractor might not do his best in installing the windows and doors even if on the superficial level everything looks nice. In this case if something goes wrong in a year or so it is you who would have to deal with the problem.

I had a chance to see some new houses where the owners had to patch up window and door slots with a scotch tape and plastic. Yes, they opened a lawsuit against the builder but this is something you would rather prefer to avoid, isn’t it? And you will definitely save your time, money and nerves if you yourself choose the installer for the windows and outside doors while the construction is still going on. That means that you can order windows and doors not through the contractor but directly from the company which manufacturers and installs them.

House windows are just like person’s eyes – that’s what we first pay attention to. Perfect windows have to be in harmony with both the exterior and the interior of the house and by all means they have to be functional which means they have to give us protection from a  bad weather, be handy and add some value to the house.

Probably one may ask: “What is so special about windows? There is just a frame and glass”. Well, both frame and glass of a modern window differ drastically from their “ancestors”.

For the last few decades a window frame has gone through a prompt process of evolution. Its Wooden Age was followed by the Iron Age and now it has reached the present day Vinyl Age. The latest stage is performed by Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (UPVC). This material is characterized by combining the warmth of natural wood and durability of iron.

However the first vinyl products were not expensive to manufacture but at the same time they were not of a high quality either. Similar materials were used to produce cheap garden furniture. It is well known that when being exposed to a bright sunlight such furniture starts loosing its luster turns yellow and gets deformed. The same thing used to happen to window frames.

And also you have to be careful with this issue because some plastic window manufacturers are still using PVC where the vinyl contents do not exceed 64%. Such frames cost cheap and at first sight do not differ from their more expensive analogues. But it is just a matter of time. In a few years the Canadian climate with its parching summer sun, severe winter frosts and sudden temperature fluctuations will do its job.

UPVC (Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride) is unadulterated vinyl of the highest quality Window frames made of UPVC keep their form, colour and luster practically forever. Thus this material is more advantageous than both wood and
metal.

At present wooden frames are the most expensive. Nevertheless not just those who are looking for cheap prices are taking a risk to lose, but also those who think that high prices stand for the top quality may find out that their presumptions were erroneous. Wood still keeps its prestigious image but the wood technology has changed.

Do you know how long it took to dry out wood before its actual processing? Seven years! Just like vintage wine! Today the wood is being dried out on a straight line in special industrial furnaces. A frame made of such wood has to dry up when being already in a window opening. Inevitable deformation, even a small one, is a loophole for moisture and wind. Then the wood starts to get rotten and the paint cracks.

As for window frames made of UPVC, there is no need to paint them. They are molded of undiluted colour material. And if you want the frames to be white outside and brown inside, then the outside profile will be molded of snow-white vinyl and the inside one – of  brown, thus imitating the “precious wood”. It is impossible to achieve such an effect with usual PVC; it would have to be painted.

However, it is not all about the material. Today many design offices work to improve window profiles. Germany remains the world leader in this field. It is from there Canada received patent for “Tilt & Turn” – the window type where the leaf can be open both upright and aflat. By the way, there are only two companies in Canada which manufacture “Tilt & Turn” and we are one of them! Besides we brought some additional improvements to the original design.

“Tilt & Turn” is a striking example of what a “hi-tech” our old good window has turned into. If you open the leaf inside during the rain, the water won’t get inside because the frame has a special drainage system. Washing the pane is not difficult with such a construction – the leaf has a 100° inside opening. To manage the mechanism which changes the leaf plane you just have to slightly turn a tiny handle.

In spite of the fact there are lots of moving parts in the construction of the windows, it does close absolutely hermetically. Tubular rubber compressors between the leaf and the frame have special oil. They keep elasticity longer than usual rubber and they will not let moisture get in.

Our company produces more than 20 different kinds of windows and each of them has its own special “know-how”. As for the technology of glass manufacturing, it has become so advanced that even manufacturers of fashionable sunglasses can be envious.

There is a type of glass which we jokingly call “glass for an idler”. It is a self-cleaning glass. This glass has an extremely smooth surface so that even water drops or dust particles just slide off it. Usually such a pane is installed for those windows which are hard to reach from the inside.

There is another kind of glass which has Low-E quality. Its surface is covered with a special mixture which lets in or reflects sunrays angled at a certain degree. Thus, in winter time when the sun is low, the sunrays can get in and bring some warmth to your place. During summer your house will stay chill and fresh because the low-E glass will reflect the sunrays of a high summer sun.

A special glass pack (hermetically fastened glass) with argon gas inside is a perfect protection from both ultra-violet rays and noise. Argon is a high density gas with a high level of acoustic capacity.

High quality materials and progressive design should be combined with a perfect manufacturing method. There are some Canadian manufacturers who still do fasten the frame with screws. Parts soldered with each other turn the frame into a monolith. Such a frame will never come loose!

However, we never solder glass pack with a frame tightly though lots of companies do. We use removable glazing stoppers – special straps which fasten glass in the frame. Changing glass in case it gets broken will be quick and easy with such stoppers. But if the construction is monolith it will be impossible to change the broken glass. One clumsy hit of a ball will make you have the cause to change the whole window.

Some people might wonder why we are so much concerned about our customers not having to change windows often and might ask if we are not supposed to be interested in the opposite.

Each company has its code and philosophy. Some believe that they have to provide their customers with a cheap disposable product. When something goes wrong with it, it will be thrown away and its owner will buy a new one.

Our company is guided by the principle that products have to serve as long and as good as possible. Our windows have one of the highest indexes of heat and cold resistance (R-Value) in Canada.

At the same time being one of the top companies that provide quality – beauty, reliability and durability – we offer prices affordable for any family with an average income.

It is important to keep in mind that good windows can save you money. First, the higher cold resistance of the windows is, the less you will have to run your heaters. Second, the Canadian government encourages people to save energy. Third, a well-heated house will find its buyer sooner, especially when you have an ongoing warranty from the company which produced and installed your windows or/and doors.

Definitely one article cannot cover all the aspects and describe all the important details. Specialists who work in our company will be glad to visit your place and give you a professional consultation as well as help you to make the optimal choice.

Andrey Naryzhniy
Company Manager of
Northview Windows and Doors