South Oshawa · Lakefront
Window and glass help in Lakeview and south Oshawa
This is Lakeview, Oshawa: the south end of the city by Lakeview Park, not the Mississauga neighbourhood of the same name. Most window work here is upkeep on older houses. A torn screen before summer, a cracked storm pane, a sash that won't stay up. We pass your request to an independent local glass professional, who measures, quotes and does the work. One screen is worth asking about.
At a glance
- Where
- South Oshawa, around Lakeview Park and the lakefront
- Housing
- The older city; Oshawa has Durham's oldest homes
- Common jobs
- Window screens, storm windows, cracked panes
- Permits
- Same-size swap on a house: usually none
Living near the lake: parks, marsh and older streets
South Oshawa runs down to the water, with Lakeview Park at the foot of Simcoe Street South and the Second Marsh and McLaughlin Bay wildlife areas along the same shore. The park's historic houses, Henry House, Guy House and Robinson House, are on the City's heritage register, as is the old Robson Leather Factory on Whiting Avenue. If your own house is designated, changes to its heritage features go to Council; routine repairs don't. Few private homes are.
The streets behind the park are part of the older city. Oshawa has Durham's oldest housing, well over half of it built before the 1980s, so storms, original sashes and early sealed units are ordinary finds.
Screens for summer by the water
The City's property standards by-law expects every window that opens in a home to have an insect screen in good repair. For a landlord with a south-end rental, that's a standard to meet, not a nice extra.
Most screens are fixed in their own frames with new mesh and spline. A window that never had one can have a screen built to measure.
Wind and storm damage
Hail is rare here, so storm damage usually means wind: a branch through a pane, a storm window torn loose. The 2022 derecho across Durham is the one people remember.
- Keep everyone clear of the broken pane.
- Photograph it inside and out for your insurer.
- Get the opening covered; see emergency glass and board-up.
- Then have the glass or sealed unit replaced properly.
Older windows: repair, reglaze or replace
Older storms and single panes are where most south-end jobs start. The frame decides what's worth doing.
- Reglazing: a cracked single pane cut and set in fresh putty. The City counts this as keeping a window in good repair.
- Storm windows: a cracked pane, torn insert or sticking track fixed on its own.
- Sashes and hardware: balances, weatherstripping and cranks are parts, not whole windows.
- Foggy sealed units: the glass unit, which older owners call a thermopane, replaced in the existing frame.
When the wood is soft right through or most windows are failing, price replacement too. Our repair or replace guide sets out the signs.
Getting a quote in south Oshawa
Send your street, a photo of the whole window and a close-up. For a rental, say who can let the pro in. We pass it to a pro who does that work and check back so it doesn't go quiet. For an apartment building, check with the City on permits first.
South Oshawa window questions
My south Oshawa rental has older windows with no screens. Do I have to add them?
If the windows open, yes. The City's property standards by-law expects an insect screen on every openable window in a home, rentals included; fixed panes are exempt. Older or odd-sized windows can have screens built to measure, and doing a whole unit at turnover saves a second visit. Our property standards guide covers the other rules landlords are held to.
Can a window broken in a storm be reglazed rather than replaced?
Usually, if the frame came through intact. A cracked single pane is cut and set in new glazing; a broken sealed unit is made to fit the same frame. If the sash split or the frame pulled loose, the pro will say whether it can be saved. Photos of the frame corners help. See window repair for what else can be fixed.
What should I keep for my insurer after wind breaks a window?
Photos first: the broken pane from inside and out, the branch or debris, and the frame, all before cleanup. Keep receipts for any board-up and ask the pro for a written, itemised quote. Whether wind damage is covered, and whether a claim beats your deductible for one pane, depends on your policy, so call your insurer before the permanent fix.
Can storm windows be repaired rather than replaced?
Often. A cracked pane, a torn screen insert, a sticking track or a loose corner can each be fixed without a new storm. Bent aluminium frames and wood storms gone soft are the ones to replace. If the window behind is sound, a working storm is worth keeping. Send a photo of both with your request.