Pickering · Durham Region
Pickering window, door and glass help for condos and houses
Pickering has a bigger share of condos than anywhere else in Durham, so the first question is what kind of building you're in. A balcony door in a condo may belong to the corporation; the same door on a house is yours to fix. We connect you with an independent local glass pro. Pickering is outside Oshawa, so we check by postal code that one covers your address before passing anything on.
At a glance
- Building type
- Durham's highest condo share, plus 1960s to 80s houses
- Condo first step
- Check your declaration and property manager
- Common jobs
- Balcony doors, sealed units, closet mirrors
- Coverage
- Checked by postal code
Condos and houses: two different kinds of jobs
In a house, you decide and a pro quotes. In a condo, the same door or window can be a common element, and then the corporation decides. Plenty of condo work is in-suite glass that's more likely the owner's: a closet mirror, a shower door, a balcony screen. House work leans to fogged sealed units, patio doors and screens. Ajax, next door, is mostly subdivision houses from the 1980s on; see our Ajax page.
Condo balcony doors and windows: who approves the work
Check your declaration and talk to your property manager before anyone measures. If the balcony door or window is a common element, an owner's change generally needs board approval before work starts, recorded in an agreement registered on title. If management confirms it's yours to arrange, we can pass the request on.
Repairs are simpler. A balcony slider that won't lock or drags usually needs a latch, rollers or a cleaned track; see sliding door repair. A balcony screen door with torn mesh or a wheel off its track is a small fix too. Ask management first either way.
Sealed units in 1960s–1990s houses
Much of Pickering's housing went up between the 1960s and 1990. In those houses:
- Foggy sealed units: a failed seal, fixed with a new unit in the existing frame, a defog service, or a new window if the frame is done too.
- Patio doors: rollers, latches and weatherstripping first; patio door replacement when the frame is bent.
- Screens and cranks: rescreened, or replaced on their own.
None of these needs a whole new window by default. The pro who takes your job confirms on site.
In-suite glass: closet mirrors and shower doors
Closet mirrors and shower doors sit inside your suite, so they're usually yours to arrange, though the building may have rules on trades and elevator bookings. A cracked mirror panel can often be replaced in its frame, and a door that jumps its track usually needs rollers or a bottom guide. When the whole set is tired, new doors are made to the opening. On a shower door, hinges, seals and sweeps are the usual faults, and replacement glass must be safety glass.
Permits: City of Pickering
Pickering issues its own building permits; Oshawa's rules don't apply. We haven't confirmed Pickering's rule on same-size swaps, so check with the City of Pickering before changing a window's size or cutting an opening. In a condo, the corporation's approval comes first.
For a quote, say condo or house, include your postal code and a photo, and for a condo, what management said. We pass it to a pro and follow up so it doesn't go quiet.
Pickering questions
Can a condo owner in Pickering replace their balcony door?
Sometimes, with approval. If the door is a common element under your declaration, the corporation normally decides, and an owner's change generally needs board approval before work starts. Start with your property manager and the declaration. If they confirm it's yours to arrange, send their answer and a photo with your request.
Can a sliding balcony door that won't lock be repaired?
Usually. A slider that won't lock is most often out of line: worn rollers let the panel drop so the latch misses its keeper, or the latch has worn out. Adjusting or replacing rollers and the latch fixes most of these. In a condo, check with management first, since the door may be theirs to repair.
Are fogged windows in 1980s Pickering homes repairable?
Usually. Fog between the panes means the seal has failed, but the frame may be sound, so a new sealed unit in the existing frame is the common fix. A defog service can clear the view. If frames are warped or several windows are going at once, price new windows alongside. See foggy window repair.
Who replaces a cracked mirrored closet door in a Pickering condo suite?
Usually you do, since closet doors sit inside the suite. A cracked mirror panel can often be replaced within the door frame, and doors that jump their track usually need new rollers or a guide rather than a new set. When the whole set is worn, new doors are made to the opening. Check building rules on trades first. See mirrored closet doors.