Buying new windows for your home is a big investment and often for consumers it can be a difficult decision to know where to begin looking to buy them.
Maureen Whalen, a CTV viewer, bought new windows five years ago from a company that called her out of the blue. They said they were having a sale and she paid more then $5,000 to replace most of the windows in her home. Now, after one of the coldest Canadian winters we've had in recent memory, she wishes she just would have kept the 40 year old windows she already had. When we visited her home she had plastic over almost every window.
"If I didn't have plastic on these windows I would be freezing. It would be like there is no window there at all," said Whalen.
Her furnace runs non-stop and she has to wear two sweaters and sometimes a jacket while in her house.
Whalen bought the windows from a company called Novoplex Windows Inc. in North York. The company has since gone out of business. A lifetime warranty came with the windows but that is useless to her now.
"Now I have all these windows with the wind blowing in and I don't know what to do. I can't afford new ones and I can't spend another winter like this," she said.
We asked Don More, a window expert at Stone River Windows & Doors, a company that has been in business almost 25 years, to give Whalen some advice. After reviewing CTV film footage More instantly recognized that the windows were poorly installed.
"Window installation is very important. If new windows are not installed correctly you may as well just keep the windows you already have," said More.
According to More, it appears the windows were installed quickly without proper insulation.
"It looks like the installation is not even finished. I would say that they probably did not use insulation and low expanding foam inside the wall and this is why she is having problems with drafts and cold air," he said.
When buying widows three areas are key.
"You want to go with a well know company that has been in business a long time that will stand behind its work and products. You also want to choose a good window that is energy efficient. Lastly you want to be sure that a window is installed correctly," said More.
While it may be cheaper and faster to do a window "retrofit," More said a "brick to brick" or total installation is best to make sure the window and frame are airtight and energy efficient.
More agreed to inspect Whalen's windows to see if anything can be done to improve her situation. He said even if the windows are not of the highest quality pulling off the trim and using insulation, low expanding foam, weather stripping and caulking may be an option.
"It won't be perfect, but it could help," said More.
Key Points:
- Read reviews and look for consumer ratings for replacement windows online before making a decision
- Consumers looking for more information can also visit , the Siding and Window Dealers Association of Canada
- Information from Stone River Windows & Doors can be found at .
