North Oshawa · Windfields, Taunton
North Oshawa window and glass services
If you rent out rooms near Durham College or Ontario Tech, the window questions up here are about standards: a screen on every window that opens, no cracked glass, locks that catch at turnover. In a newer north-end home, they're about adjustments, patio doors and upgrades. We connect landlords and homeowners with independent local pros for home window glass, screens, doors and shower glass; the pro measures, quotes and does the work.
At a glance
- Housing
- The newer end of the city, plus rentals near the campuses
- Rental licensing
- Mapped areas near Durham College and Ontario Tech
- Common jobs
- Screens, patio doors, window adjustments, shower and mirror upgrades
- New homes
- Check the builder's warranty first
From Windfields Farm to new subdivisions
Parts of north Oshawa were farmland not long ago. R.S. McLaughlin's Parkwood Stables became Windfields Farm in 1950, the home of Northern Dancer, and Ontario Tech took over part of the old farm lands in 2013. Highway 407 East reached Harmony Road in 2016, and new subdivisions have grown up around it.
So the work here is different from downtown: fewer soft sills and single panes, more windows that need adjusting, doors that need tuning and screens that were never supplied.
Rentals near Durham College and Ontario Tech: licensing and screens
Oshawa licenses rental housing in mapped areas around Durham College and Ontario Tech, plus the Simcoe Street corridor. Not all of north Oshawa is inside the lines; check the map and the City's rental housing page.
The window standard is the same across the city, licensed or not. Under the property standards by-law, windows must be weather-tight and in good repair, cracked glass gets reglazed, and every window that opens in a dwelling needs a screen. Turnover is the easy time to put it right, and several units can go in one request; see the property managers page.
Newer homes: adjustments, screens and patio doors
In a new home, check your builder's warranty before calling anyone else. A window that leaks, won't lock or arrived with a scratched pane may be the builder's to fix. Once a job is clearly yours, most are small:
- A casement that doesn't close tight usually needs an adjustment, not a new window.
- A sliding patio door that drags or won't latch often needs its rollers set or its keeper moved. Sliding door repair covers it.
- Windows that came without screens can have them made. Custom window screens are measured to the opening.
One screen is a perfectly good reason to send a request.
Upgrading builder-grade shower, mirror and closet glass
Once a newer house is lived in, the bathroom and bedroom glass is often the first thing owners want to change.
- Shower glass doors: a framed builder door swapped for heavier, made-to-measure glass, or a door that drips at the sweep fixed.
- Mirrored closet doors: a cracked mirror panel replaced, or sliding doors that jump their track put right.
- Vanity mirrors: a plain builder mirror replaced, cut down or reshaped to suit a new vanity.
Heritage spots in the north end
New as it is, the north end has a few properties on the City's heritage register, including the Windfields Stone House on Simcoe Street North and Camp Samac. On a designated property, changes to heritage features go to Council, while routine repairs don't.
For everything else up here, a same-size, same-type window or door on a house usually needs no permit; condos and apartment buildings should check with the City first. The former villages of Columbus, Raglan and Kedron, farther north, are listed separately under service areas.
North Oshawa questions
Does the licensing area near Durham College and Ontario Tech cover all of north Oshawa?
No. Oshawa's rental licensing covers set areas around Durham College and Ontario Tech, plus the Simcoe Street corridor, not the whole north end; the City's rental map shows the lines. Licensed or not, every rented home still has to meet the property standards for windows and screens. The property managers page covers keeping several units in order.
What should a landlord check on the windows at student turnover?
Go room by room. Every window that opens needs an intact screen, cracked panes should be reglazed, and each lock should catch. In a bedroom, the window must open without tools, since it's the way out. Upper-floor apartment windows need a working safety stop. Send the list as one request, with a photo of each problem. Window screen repair covers the most common item.
Who fixes a window in a new home that's still under the builder's warranty?
Start with the builder. Defects covered by a new-home warranty are theirs to put right, and bringing someone else in first can make a claim harder. Report the problem in writing, with photos and dates. Once the builder has answered, or for anything the warranty doesn't cover, such as a torn screen or an upgrade, we can connect you with a local pro who takes that job.
Can screens be made for a window that came without one?
Yes. A pro can measure the opening and have a screen made to fit, including for casements, awnings and odd shapes, as long as the frame gives it something to mount to. Include a photo of the frame edge in your request. In a rental it's worth doing, since the City expects a screen on each window that opens. Custom window screens explains the options.
Can builder-grade shower doors be upgraded to frameless glass?
Often, if the walls and curb can take it. Frameless glass is heavier and needs solid backing for the hinges, a level curb and careful measuring, so the pro checks those before quoting. If a full change isn't needed, a framed door can be refreshed with new seals, a sweep or a new panel. Shower glass doors covers the choices.