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If you’re in the market for windows and doors, you’re probably inundated with more companies than you know what to do with. So, how do you choose the right window and door company? There are a few considerations to keep in mind when conducting your search:
- Level of experience
- Quality and Reputation
- Customer service
Level of Experience
Statistics say that many new window and door companies will “close their doors” after only a short five years. With that said, are they offering a lifetime warranty on their products? If they go out of business, your warranty won’t even be good enough to wash your windows with.
A window and door company that has been around for at least five years has a better level of experience and will likely stay in business for the foreseeable future. That’s not to say you shouldn’t go with any new window and door companies – just be wary when you are selecting them.
Quality and Reputation
Some believe that a man has only his reputation. The same notion is just as true – if not more so – for a window and door company. Based on what their customer population thinks of them, you can easily determine whether they are worth your time and money. They may have excellent quality products, but if their installation is sub-par, or their customer service, they may not be worth it. Find out what previous customers are saying about these companies, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of whether to continue your appraisal of the company.
Customer Service
Maybe a company’s installation is perfect, and their materials are high quality, but the whole team was a surly lot, and they broke three lamps and a table rampaging through your home. Doesn’t seem all that professional, does it? A company that knows how to stay in business knows how to provide top-notch customer and professional service. To evaluate a company’s work ethic and professionalism, be mindful of how they treat you. Are they courteous? Do they answer all your questions? Do they give you the time you deserve? If not, it may be time to move on.
As a side note, most companies will offer you an in-home consultation – often for free. If they aren’t willing to provide this, they are probably more concerned about taking your money than providing you with a quality service at an affordable price.
A company that provides a sub-par service and product can only survive for as long as they can fool people – which won’t be very long. To keep you far away from these companies, be sure to conduct a thorough examination of every one. Don’t take anything at face value, read about them online and ask every question that comes to your mind.
2013
Installing a window properly is more than just fitting it into the gaping hole in your wall and screwing it in. There are many installers out there, but someone who is a certified fenestration installation technician will serve you better than an independent contractor who doesn’t have much experience will.
Are They Certified?
Ask your installer if they have their F.I.T. certificate. If they won’t give you an answer, they may be avoiding the question. If you can’t get an answer, call the company. If you still can’t get an answer or the answer is ‘no,’ then it’s time to move on.
Why it Matters
An installer that has their certification is going to do a better job of installing windows – hands down. They will know more about the industry, technologies, practices and energy efficiency than someone who has simply been doing it for five years.
Rigorously Tested
The F.I.T certification program is an intense program that covers everything an installer needs to know about installing windows. These programs have multiple tests for each level of certification before a person can be considered certified. To ensure they have the proper skills to perform any installation they encounter, they are required to pass testing after each year.
What Do They Know?
By the time a fenestration installation technician has completed their testing, they should be knowledgeable in the various aspects of installation. This includes:
- Installing windows, doors and skylights
- Energy efficiency
- Health and safety
- Circumventing defective practices
- Consumer protection
- Understanding installation instructions
- Understand the latest technologies and construction practices
Experienced
The F.I.T. isn’t a certification where one can simply take a test and walk away with a paper. When an installer has the certificate, you can be sure they have at least 500 hours of on-the-job experience. This, along with a practical training program, is one of the prerequisites for taking the fenestration installation technician test. Other prerequisites for the certification include understanding basic math and geometry.
You Can Be Confident
Ensuring that a window and door company uses certified fenestration installation technicians means they have their own set of standards. These standards will determine how satisfied you will be with the installation when it has been completed – or not completed. Any window and door company worth their salt should use only certified installers, and if they don’t, you will likely get a substandard product and service.
All Clera Windows & Doors technicians are certified in fenestration installation. You can be absolutely confident that the product you get will be installed right the first time. We take full responsibility for our products and that transfers into a better product and a better service for you, the customer.
2013
Why should you choose a company that can both make the windows and install them? They have some distinct advantages over the competition. Streamlining, warranty and communication are just a few of the advantages that this manufacturing/installation process has over others.
The Streamlined Price
You may think you’d be getting a better price by shopping around and picking and choosing the most affordable options from a factory and then an installation company, but it’s not always the case.
Every time a product goes from business to business, it is marked up. Each business wants to make a cut of the profits, and by the time everyone gets their cut, you’re left paying for at least two businesses – one to manufacture, and one to install. This doesn’t happen with a company that both manufactures and installs the products. When there is only one company, there is only one price. This way, you’re going to get the whole process for a betterrate than you would if you had to go through two or three companies.
Effective Warranties
A warranty from a company that controls every part of the manufacturing and installation process means more than a warranty that can only cover the installation. This makes it easy – there’s just one company you will ever have to approach. No matter what concern you have, there will be no calling two different companies seven or eight times just to find out the answer to your question.
On the same side, you may have two warranties to deal with once the installation is complete. With two warranties, there is the possibility that each company will claim that the other one is responsible for fixing any problem you are having, making both warranties absolutely useless.
Communication
A window and door company that communicates directly with the factory can ensure that the window is built the way it should be. If something has gone wrong during the process, the installation portion goes right to the factory portion and sets it right. On the same token, a company that has to ship a window to an installation company may send it to the wrong address – more than once. This costs time and money, and by the time the window gets to the installation company, nobody can remember whom it was supposed to go out to in the first place.
Having a window factory separate from the installation company is tantamount to ‘too many cooks in the kitchen.’ It can get a bit crowded inside, and the result is more time taken to install windows and more money coming out of your pockets. With a window company that controls the process, you’ve got the advantage of price, warranties and communication.
These two terms get thrown around a good deal in many industries today, but what exactly does it mean to be bonded and insured? Being bonded and insured provides a level of safety for the customer and for the business.
Bonded
A bond is simply that – a bond between the company and the customer. In the event that any contractor stops working hallway through and does not complete the project, the bond states that the customer will be reimbursed for the incomplete work. If a company is bonded, you will likely find the information on their marketing materials: business cards, websites, etc. Being bonded does not provide full coverage against financial liability. Damages must be covered by the insurance policy.
Insured
If something goes wrong when an installation is taking place, you want to be sure that the company will make it right. If a company is insured and the contractor damages anything in the house, the customer will receive financial compensation.
At the same time, this insurance provides the employer with financial compensation if anything happens while performing an installation. The insurance will cover any lost hours because of an inability to work. This does not mean that you are protected if anything happens. It is important to read any insurance policy so you understand what happens when an injury occurs. Don’t just assume you’re safe.
Bonded and Insured
When a company is bonded and insured, they are providing full financial coverage in any event concerning damages, incomplete work or anything else that can crop up.
You will likely see companies out there that do not offer a bonded and insured service and/or product. Of course, their prices will be cheaper, because the premiums for being bonded and insured can be costly. They will pass these costs on to you, the customer. Before you jump at the opportunity, the costs that may occur after something goes wrong during the installation may be significantly higher than if you were to pay for a bonded and insured company in the first place.
Licensed
You may also hear this term thrown around with the previous two. If a company is licensed, it means they are licensed to perform in that city, country or province. It does not mean they are qualified to perform any job- it just means they have completed the required standards and paperwork to be licensed.
By letting a company into your home that isn’t bonded and insured means that you are taking a risk. Even if their services are cheaper, you may end up paying for much more than you bargained for if somebody gets injured somewhere along the way.
Vinyl windows have some big advantages over other materials. Not only are they more secure, but they have no maintenance, better energy efficiency, stylistic, quiet and are easy to install.
Security
Vinyl windows are steel reinforced, keeping your home more secure against unwanted visitors.
Low Maintenance
All you need to clean your windows is a bit of soap, water and elbow grease. Vinyl windows are nearly 100% scratch-free, they do not need to be painted, stained or scraped, so you can feel confident that your windows will look as good as the day you bought them for years to come.
Clera’s vinyl windows are made with 100% UPVC, providing complete protection from fading.
Efficient
Vinyl windows do an excellent job of keeping the cold out during the winter months, and keeping the heat out during the summer months. R-Value is the measurement by which windows’ insulation is gauged. Vinyl windows have a high R-Value, giving you some of the best insulation for your home.
The money that you spend on vinyl windows will be easily returned to you in the form of savings on energy bills over the course of a few years. Not only are they efficient for your home, but they are environmentally friendly as well. Vinyl windows can be recycled.
Clera’s windows are ENERGY STAR approved and Envirosealed. Most people who choose products approved by ENERGY STAR save an average of 7% on their energy bill. Envirosealed windows a cleaner space for your home, helping you to create less Co2 emissions.
Style and Value
Vinyl windows are one of the most cost-efficient ways to increase the aesthetic value of your home. Many styles available can be customized to you desires. You can choose the number of panes, the type of finish you want, the width of the trim or sill and more. Whether you need big or small, each window can be made to fit to your home’s specifications. You can be as meticulous as you like choosing your vinyl windows.
Noise Cancellation
Because of the way vinyl windows are made, they keep the outside noise where it belongs – outside.
Installation
If you are a DIY guru, vinyl windows can be installed with relative ease. If you would rather sit back with a glass of lemonade, Clera offers an installation program that can help with the process.
Clera ensures that all of your windows will be installed professionally and properly. Clera maintains a high quality of standards to ensure that every window installation meets or exceeds your expectations.
If you are considering new vinyl windows, Clera has excellent options available to you. Just browse our site, and Clera will have you seeing clearly!
The search for quality window and door replacement can be tough. That’s why at Clera Windows &Doors, we’ve made it easy. Our Value Detective Check List outlines the most important questions you should be asking and provides a quick and easy way to compare. Just to give you a head start – we’ve filled out our own information for you.
Value Detective Check List
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Even after investigating our competitors, we are confident you’ll find the best value with Clera Windows & Doors. Our complete product line and service is centered around you – our customer. We provide only high-quality materials, installations, technicians and customer service. Do you still have questions?
Visit us at www.clerawindows.com today or call 1-888-738-0738!
Fenestration Installation is a certification program for qualified individuals to install windows. For a person to become certified, they must demonstrate understanding and ability at using manufacturer instructions, building principles and industry standards, like the CSA A440.4 window installation standard. There are three levels of certification that can be obtained in fenestration installation. The previous level must be acquired in order to obtain the next one.
Level 1 Certification
For the first level of certification, a candidate must have at least 2000 hours of work experience within the past five years or one year of relevant training along with 500 hours of work experience. Basic math, geometry and communication skills will also be required to complete this level of certification successfully.
The first level of certification tests a person’s ability to:
- Understand current building and construction technology
- Understand and use the current standards
- Use and maintain proper tools
- Use appropriate methods and material
The candidate must show understanding of the following components of window installation:
- Combustible residential buildings; three stories or less
- New constructions
- Replacement items
- Factory assembled windows, doors and skylights
Level 2 Certification
Window installers who wish to obtain their level 2 certification should require minimal supervision on the job and should be able to deal with the everyday assignments that come up. Candidates are required to pass 3 required units and 4 optional units.
The required units are:
- Maintaining health and safety requirements on the job
- Contributing to the work of others
- Material handling
Level 3 Certification
The highest level of certification is level 3. This level prepares window and door installers to take on a supervisory role within a company. The focus becomes on assessing products or work procedures and identifying possible improvements. To take this test, candidates should have a high understanding of the procedures, industry, regulations and legislation that applies to fenestration installation. The workload is significantly higher in this level. One group of mandatory units must be completed, along with four groups of optional units.
The mandatory units in level 3 are:
- Maintaining health and safety in working environment
- Identifying and rectifying technical problems in a glass or glass related environment
- Improving the work of the organization
- Identifying and confirming the installation requirements
With the complexity of today’s fenestration, the need for a comprehensive program that provides the necessary information and understanding on the process is great. Fenestration can include many different aspects, such as glazing materials, fixtures, opaque door slabs and many more. If you are thinking about taking these certifications, you can find out more here.
Toronto has a rich history, and its windows certainly have not escaped that. Using the TTC and a few dollars, you can see every window worth seeing in town. These are some of the windows you will not want to miss on your adventures around Toronto.
Osgoode Hall
The Law Society of Upper Canada acquired this building in 1829. Since then it has been a focal point for Torontonians. It has since been declared a heritage site and is protected by the government. The Convocation Hall contains ten beautiful stained glass windows, each of which illustrate 4,000 years of law, making this building one of the most gorgeous set of windows in the city, but not the only one.
Flatiron Building
Costing only $18,000 when it was initially built, this Gothic-Romaesque structure was erected as a testament to the success of the Godenham family. The building has caught much attention over the years, both positive and negative. Its large number of windows fell upon criticism, but they are a distinct and individual part of the heritage building.
Union Station
In 1975,the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada heralded Union Station as one of the finest designs for a station. The building contains fourteen three-story bay windows, with delineated fenestration. The massive windows give the space an even more massive look to it, and were designed with a heavy sense of symmetry in mind. Extensive thought and planning were used to create these massive windows.
St. Michael’s Cathedral
Unlike the jagged and hard lines that make the church seem uninviting from the outside, the inside retains a construction that was very uncommon for cathedrals constructed during the Gothic Revival Period – vibrant, colourful stained glass windows. Every inch of the stained glass within the church is ‘antique,’ which means it has been hand blown in a medieval style. This process gives richer colours. The creator of the largest stained-glass window in the building, Etienne Thevenot, is also credited with creating the stained glass in the fame Notre Dame church in Paris. The picture shown is the window created by Etienne.
Royal Ontario Museum
The sheer design and classical architecture of this building make its windows one of Toronto’s most beautiful. The windows are designed to allow large amounts of light into it, making it an ideal space for some of the museums best kept artifacts. In 2007, The Crystal was built as a main entrance. It is a gorgeous 25% glass, 75% aluminum on a steel frame crystal shape that creates a modern look to the classical architecture of the building. The designer used the glass to create the illusion of having no boundary between the street and the inner museum.
Are you having trouble matching your blinds to your new windows? It can be a tough job installing blinds that compliment and accent your windows. There are a few things to consider before you buy.
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| By sticking with colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel, you can create a complimentary window/blind combination. |
Colour
The easiest way to create a fluid, cohesive look to your windows is to match the colour of the trim to the blinds. This will help the blinds become a quiet feature in the room, blending into the windows. If you would rather have multiple colours on your windows, keep the number of colours that you use to a minimum. Too many colours can make a window or room seem too busy and distracting.
By using colours that contrast one another, the windows jump out and become a focal point for the room. If you have artwork or furniture in your room that has vibrant, lively colours, you may want to keep the same style for your blinds. This will help keep the effect consistent on every wall of your home.
If you are unsure of which colours go with which, you can visit this link for a crash course on colour matching.
Window Type
Blinds are commonly found in four types: wooden, Venetian, vinyl and perforated blinds. Each option is highly customizable, and varies in price.
Your choice of blinds may depend on the size of your window. Smaller windows will allow less light to enter a room than a larger one, but Venetian, roman or wooden blinds can easily allow more light into the room with the pull of a cord or the twist of a stick.
If the windows in your home are tall, you might consider using the vertical lines on roman or Venetian blinds as an accent. Vertical lines on your windows will compliment the windows as well as make them seem even larger than they actually are, giving the room an open feel to it.
When you have windows that are not easily reached, such as those on staircases, it would be wise to select blinds that enable you to open and close them with ease. You can lift roman blinds with the pull of a cord, while Venetian blinds, if the stick is long enough, can be turned.
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| White is a neutral colour, adding the element of relaxation and comfort to the already neutral colours in the room. |
Window Location
The colour of a can affect the way a person feels when they are in that room. Knowing this, by using different colours, you can accent the idea of the room by using different colours. Kitchen blinds can often be vibrant, energeticcolours, since it is a room that should inspire motion and energy. Alternatively, a living room is made for comfort, so more neutral, subdued blinds will help create a relaxing atmosphere.
You Like What you Like
When choosing a style and colour for blinds, choosing blinds that you genuinely like will more often than not help to create a consistent style around your home. Some homes have antique styles mixed with modern styles, and some stick with one or the other. You can be as creative or subdued as you like, as long as it is consistent with your own preferences.
2013
Fastest Growing Communities in the GTA
Toronto, commonly shortened to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) is considered the seventh largest metropolitan area in North America. When you’re competing with the United States, it’s quite an impressive feat. Being seventh in the list, it’s not hard to see why the GTA has some of the most growth Canada has seen in a long time.
Milton, Ontario
If you live in or around the GTA, you’ve probably heard of Milton, but maybe you’ve never been there. If you don’t know much about it, the population at the 2011 census was 84,362, but don’t let the modest numbers fool you -this growth is certainly nothing new. From 2001-2006, Milton experienced a growth of 71.4%. Although that number has slowed, the newest growth numbers are 56.5%. It’s growing so fast, in fact, some institutions like schools and hospitals are having a hard time keeping up. Milton’s director of planning, Bill Mann, has stated that the biggest draws are the more affordable housing and the increased amount of green space compared to a place like Toronto.
Whitchurch-Stouffville
The second biggest boom to sound across Canada is happening in Whitchurch-Stouffville. Unlike Milton’s history of growth, Whitchurch-Stouffville has only recently begun to experience this exponential community expansion. The area has expanded by 54.3%, but the growth is limited, because much of the area is surrounded by greenbelt – one of the biggest draws for the community.
So, what’s bringing such a huge amount of growth to these communities? It’s excruciatingly apparent that Toronto faces a huge space crisis. Most of the new buildings being constructed are condominiums around the waterfront and downtown. For those who commute, the area is the perfect compromise between the bustle of the big city and the slow pace of the country – and ideal to raise a family.
Careful Expansion
The growth isn’t met with cheers and acceptance by all Milton/Stouffville-Whitchurch residents. Some are concerned that this growth will spread out of control and may go unchecked, turning the tight-knit community into a brother or sister of Toronto – just what the residents try to get away from.
Being the province where most commerce happens, Ontario would be hard pressed to curb the rate of growth that has happened recently and is bound to increase in the future. At a rate of 5.9% between 2006 and 2011, Canada itself is the smallest G8 nation, but it is experiencing the fastest growth. The result will inevitably ripple like a wave to the smaller communities around the country.