Windows and window glass in Oshawa: getting them weather-tight again
A window should pass one plain test: it opens, closes, locks and keeps the weather out. When it fails, the fix is usually one part: a foggy sealed unit, a cracked pane to reglaze, a stripped crank, a worn seal. Pick the problem below. Your request goes to an independent local pro who takes on that kind of job; they quote it and do the work. Shop windows are under commercial glass.
Start here
Start with the symptom: fogged, cracked, drafty, stuck, torn screen
Fog you can't wipe off
Haze that stays whichever side you wipe means the seal has failed. Moisture that wipes away is just room humidity.
A cracked or broken pane
A cracked bay pane, a ball through the storm window, a spreading corner crack. Most get new glass in the existing frame.
Stuck, drafty or won't lock
A crank that turns without moving the sash, a sash that slides shut on its own, a loose lock. Usually one worn part.
Torn or missing screen
Torn mesh, a bent frame or no screen at all. Oshawa's property standard wants one in each opening window of a home.
Glass only
Glass-only fixes: sealed units and single panes
Reglazing a single pane
Older wood sashes and storms hold one layer of glass in putty. A new pane is cut, bedded and sealed into the same sash.
Replacing a sealed unit
Double-pane glass is one sealed unit. When it fogs or cracks, a new one is built to size for your sash.
Glass in a door
Patio doors, storm doors and entry-door inserts take their own glass, often tempered by code. The door itself usually stays.
Parts and seals
Hardware and seal repairs that keep a window in service
Cranks, balances and locks
Operators, balances, tilt latches and locks wear out long before a sound frame does. Most swap for a matching part.
Weatherstripping and caulking
A draft with the window locked usually means flattened weatherstripping or cracked caulking outside. Both count toward the weather-tight standard.
Sliding and patio doors
Rollers, tracks and latches wear like window hardware. A patio door that drags or won't lock usually needs new parts.
Basement bedrooms
Basement bedrooms and egress windows
Egress windows
Every floor with a bedroom needs a window you can climb out of without tools. Enlarging one needs a permit; check with the City.
Ground-floor security
Bars, laminated glass and security film each suit a different window. Bars on a bedroom window must open from inside.
Basement suites in rentals
Egress, screens and weather-tight windows matter in a rented basement suite too. Landlords can send several units in one request.
Your house
What Oshawa's housing ages mean for your windows
The older homes
Oshawa has Durham's oldest housing; more than half the homes here went up before the 1980s. Wood sashes, storms and single panes are common.
The '80s to 2000s houses
Many Oshawa homes, and much of Whitby, Ajax and Courtice, date from then. Original sealed units and cranks are the usual complaints.
Rentals and apartments
More Oshawa households rent than anywhere else in Durham. Apartment windows that open well above ground need a working safety device.
Repair or replace
When full replacement makes more sense
Keep the window and fix it when
- The frame is solid and the sash closes tight
- One or two units have fogged or cracked
- A crank, lock or weatherstrip is the only complaint
- A rental has to be weather-tight before the next tenant
A new window makes sense when
- The frame is soft, split or leaking air
- Most of the house's sealed units are failing together
- Hardware parts are gone and nothing else fits
- You want ENERGY STAR certified windows, the kind the provincial rebate covers
Questions
Before you call about a window
Where pros work
Window help across Oshawa and Durham
Independent pros cover Oshawa and the Durham towns around it, from Whitby to Courtice and Bowmanville. Near the edges, we'll confirm a pro can reach your street.
Can't tell what's failing? Photograph the window
One wide shot and one close shot of the trouble spot is enough to start. A local pro will say whether it's the glass, a part or the whole unit, and price the fix.