Frequently Asked Questions

A thermal break is a strip of low-conductivity material — usually polyamide — set inside the aluminum profile so the interior and exterior metal never touch. Without it an aluminum frame behaves like a cooling fin: it pulls heat out of the house in winter, and the cold interior surface drops below the dew point and condenses moisture.

How it is built: • The frame is extruded in two halves • A polyamide strip is mechanically locked in, or poured and debridged, between them • The two halves then connect only through that low-conductivity strip • Better systems use wider strips and several internal air chambers, the same principle as the trapped gas layers in a sealed glass unit

Why it decides the window. Thermal break quality varies a great deal between manufacturers, and it is the main lever they have to differentiate performance. Treat the words thermally broken as the start of the conversation, not a checkbox.

What to ask for: how wide the polyamide strip is, how it is joined, and the certified whole-window U-value or ER rating for the exact configuration you are being quoted — not a generic brand figure.

Tilt-turn is a European operating type with two modes from one handle: tilt the sash inward at the top for secure background ventilation, or swing it fully inward like a door for cleaning and egress.

Where tilt-turn is strong: • Two ventilation modes without unlocking the whole sash • Both faces of the glass reachable from inside, which matters above a ground floor • Multi-point hardware compresses the seal the whole way around the frame • The sash and its hardware sit inboard, sheltered from the weather

Where North American types are strong: • A casement cranks outward, so nothing intrudes into the room — easier to live with over a sink or a desk • Sliders need no swing clearance at all and suit wide openings • Insect screens sit on the outside, where most Canadian buyers expect them

Neither type is automatically warmer. Air-tightness and U-value come from the frame, the glass package and how hard the seal is compressed, not from the operating style. Compare the certified numbers for the specific unit, and ask which operating types are available for each of your openings.

Frame material is one input among several, and a well-built example of any of them can land in a similar energy range. What really differs is sightline, span and ownership.

Thermally broken aluminum: the strongest material per unit of frame area, so the frame can be slimmer and carry more glass in the same rough opening — a real advantage in a country where winter daylight is scarce. Powder-coated finish, never repainted.

Vinyl (multi-chamber PVC): the budget line, and excellent value on standard-size replacements. Frames are bulkier for the same strength, so a large opening gives up glass area, and colour choice is narrower.

Wood: warm inside and often the right answer for a heritage restoration, but the exterior needs ongoing paint or stain in Canadian weather.

Fibreglass: dimensionally stable and a solid performer, with a narrower product range here.

ArcView supplies thermally broken aluminum and vinyl. Start from your climate zone, the size of each opening and how the room is used, then have the same opening quoted in two materials so the trade-off is concrete rather than theoretical.

It refers to a different test and declaration system, not a quality grade. European windows are declared under EN 14351-1, which covers air permeability, watertightness, wind load resistance, thermal transmittance, acoustics and burglar resistance — each reported as a class rather than a pass or a fail.

What carries weight in Canada is the North American system: NAFS (AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440) for structural, air and water performance, and the Canadian energy rating for thermal. A European declaration is a real document, but it is not a substitute for the Canadian one and the two are not directly interchangeable.

So when you compare quotes: • Ask which standard each performance figure was measured under • Ask for the report covering the size, glazing and operating type you are actually buying — performance changes with configuration • Check whether the figure is whole-window or centre-of-glass

If a performance claim has no report behind it for your configuration, treat it as marketing rather than data.

Triple glazing adds a third lite and a second sealed cavity. Industry-wide it generally outperforms an otherwise comparable double-glazed unit on insulation and on sound, at the cost of weight and light.

Double-pane, low-E with argon: • Lighter units, so hardware and hinges stay simpler on a large sash • Higher visible light transmission and more solar gain — noticeable on a south wall • The standard package on most Canadian replacements

Triple-pane, low-E with argon or krypton: • Typically a warmer interior glass surface, which is what actually removes the draft sensation and the condensation at the edge of the glass • Typically better attenuation of low-frequency traffic noise • Heavier — check that the frame depth and the hardware are rated for it • Slightly less light and solar gain, which matters on a shaded or north elevation

How to decide: work room by room rather than buying one package for the whole house, and ask for the certified U-value of each option on your own configuration before choosing. Both options appear on the same quote, so you can see the difference on your actual openings.

Low-emissivity coating is a microscopically thin metallic layer on the glass that passes visible light but reflects long-wave heat back toward its source. It is the single biggest lever on the glass side of the U-value.

Soft-coat (sputtered): • Applied in a vacuum chamber after the glass is made • Better thermal performance and a more neutral colour • Must be sealed inside the unit; it is not durable on an exposed surface

Hard-coat (pyrolytic): • Fused on during manufacture • More robust and usable on an exposed surface, but less effective thermally

Which surface. Glass surfaces are numbered from the outside in. A coating on surface 2 — the inboard face of the outer lite — holds interior heat in, the usual choice for heating-dominated Canadian climates. A coating on surface 3 favours rejecting summer solar gain, which suits a heavily glazed west or south exposure.

Ask which coating and which surface are on your quote, together with the resulting solar heat gain coefficient. A coating tuned for one orientation is the wrong choice on another.

Argon is an inert gas used in place of air between the panes of a sealed unit. It is denser and less conductive than air, so it slows movement of heat across the cavity. Industry-wide it is a routine, inexpensive improvement and is standard in most quality insulating glass.

What it does: • Typically reduces conductive and convective heat transfer through the cavity • Typically raises the interior glass surface temperature a little, which reduces condensation risk • Is inert and non-toxic, and does not degrade over time

Argon or krypton? Krypton performs better in a narrow cavity, which is why it turns up in triple-glazed units where overall thickness is constrained. It costs considerably more, so it is normally specified only where the cavity cannot simply be made wider. Argon is the usual choice at standard cavity widths.

The catch is the seal, not the gas. Fill leaks out slowly over the life of the unit, and the rate depends on the edge seal. Ask what the initial fill percentage is and what the warranty says about seal failure — that is what protects the performance you paid for.

The spacer is the bar that holds the two panes of a sealed unit apart and carries the seal around the perimeter. Traditional aluminum spacers conduct heat well, which creates a thermal bridge exactly where the glass meets the frame.

Why the edge is the problem. The centre of the glass is the warmest part of a modern unit; the perimeter is the coldest. That is where condensation, frost and ice appear first. Improving the centre of the glass while leaving an aluminum spacer in place leaves the actual failure point untouched.

Warm-edge spacers use stainless steel, structural foam or composite materials with much lower conductivity. Industry-wide they raise the edge-of-glass temperature, cut edge condensation and improve the whole-window U-value — which is measured with the spacer in place, so the benefit is already inside a certified number rather than an extra claim on top of it.

What to ask: which spacer type is in the unit, and what the glass warranty covers for seal failure. A better spacer also tends to reduce stress on the seal, and the seal is what decides how long the rated performance lasts.

Frame depth — the front-to-back dimension of the profile — decides two things: how many insulating air chambers fit inside the frame, and how thick a sealed glass unit it can hold.

Why depth matters: • A deeper profile has room for a wider thermal break and more chambers, both of which slow heat transfer through the frame • A triple-glazed unit is substantially thicker than a double-glazed one, so a shallow profile simply cannot accept it • Deeper profiles carry more glass weight, which is what governs large sashes and wide spans • Depth also changes how the unit meets the wall, so it interacts with the rough opening and the exterior detailing

The trade-off: a deeper frame is heavier, more visible from both sides and generally more expensive. Slim sightlines and maximum thermal performance pull in opposite directions, so the right depth depends on what the opening is for.

What to ask: the profile depth quoted, the maximum glass thickness it accepts, and the certified whole-window U-value for that combination. Depth on its own is not a performance number — it only tells you what the frame is capable of holding.

A multi-point lock drives several locking points into the frame at once when you turn the handle, instead of catching in one place. ArcView's thermally broken aluminum entrance doors use multi-point hardware.

Security: • Force applied at one place is resisted at several, so prying is far harder • The points engage at different heights, so a corner cannot be levered away • Hooks or mushroom cams pull the leaf into the frame rather than merely blocking it

Performance, which is the underrated half: • The seal is compressed evenly all the way around, which is what actually produces low air leakage — a single latch leaves the head and sill under-compressed • Even pressure reduces rattling in wind and helps a tall leaf stay straight over time • Smoother, more even operation puts less strain on the hardware

What to ask for: how many locking points there are and what type, whether the cylinder is drill and pick resistant, and — if security is the driver — which resistance class the hardware set was tested to and whether a report exists for the door size you are actually buying.

Nobody can give you a credible dollar figure without knowing your house, and a company quoting one from a brochure is guessing. What can be explained honestly is what the saving is made of.

What drives it: • What you have now. Replacing single glazing or a failed sealed unit changes far more than replacing a sound modern double-glazed window. • How much glass, and on which elevations. A wall of north-facing glass loses far more than a few small punched openings. • Air leakage. Drafts around and through old units are often a bigger share of the loss than the glass itself — which is why installation quality matters as much as the unit. • Your fuel and your rate. The same heat saved is worth very different amounts on gas, on electric resistance and on a heat pump. • How you run the house — setpoint, humidity, and whether rooms are zoned.

What changes immediately, regardless of the bill: a warmer interior glass surface removes the cold-radiation feeling near the window, and condensation and frost usually stop. Our energy calculator models the R-value gap from your own inputs.

U-value measures how fast heat passes through the window. Lower is better. Before you compare any two figures, check three things about them.

1. Whole-window or centre-of-glass? Centre-of-glass numbers always look better because they exclude the frame and the edge of the glass, which is where most of the loss happens. Only whole-window figures are comparable.

2. Which configuration? U-value changes with size, operating type and glazing. A number measured on one unit does not transfer to a different one.

3. Which rating system? Canada also uses ER (Energy Rating), a single combined score folding in heat loss, solar heat gain and air leakage. ER can favour a different window than U-value alone, particularly on a sunny elevation. Air leakage rate is worth asking for separately.

Setting a target. NRCan's ENERGY STAR program sets thresholds by climate zone, and Canada spans several of them. Look up the threshold for your own zone and treat it as the floor rather than the goal — then ask for the certified report covering the exact window you are being quoted.

Passive House is a voluntary building-performance standard. The Passive House Institute separately certifies window components against criteria set for a specified climate zone, and those criteria are stricter than building code and stricter than most energy-label programs.

What it looks at, and why each part exists: • Whole-window heat loss, frame and glass together — never centre-of-glass • The installed condition, including the thermal bridge where the frame meets the wall, because a certified window fitted badly gives the benefit straight back • Air-tightness of the unit itself • Solar heat gain, which in a cold climate is wanted rather than rejected — so the glass is tuned in the opposite direction from a cooling climate • Interior surface temperature, so no surface is cold enough to produce a draft sensation

If you are chasing certification, the window is one component inside a whole-building calculation and your Passive House consultant sets the target. Ask any supplier for the component certificate, or the test report for the exact configuration you are quoted, together with the installation detail it was assessed with.

Extreme cold stresses four different parts of a window, and they fail in different ways.

• Hardware. Ordinary greases stiffen as they cool, so locks and hinges become heavy to operate. Hardware intended for a cold climate uses low-temperature lubricants. • Gaskets. A seal has to stay elastic to keep compressing. An elastomer that goes glassy in deep cold stops sealing and can crack, which is why EPDM and similar compounds are used instead of cheaper alternatives. • Frame and glass surfaces. How cold the interior frame and the edge of the glass get is what decides whether you see condensation and frost. This is exactly what the thermal break, the warm-edge spacer and the glass package are all working on. • Thermal shock. Deep cold outside against warm air inside loads the edge seal, and on some glass types the glass itself.

What to ask for: the rated operating temperature range for the hardware and the gaskets, and the condensation resistance figure from the test report for the configuration you are quoted. Ask for the report rather than the brochure claim.

A window is not one product with one lifespan. It is several components ageing at different rates, which is exactly why warranties are written part by part rather than as a single number.

• The aluminum frame is the longest-lived part. It does not rot, warp or degrade in UV, and a powder-coated finish never needs repainting. • The sealed glass unit is normally first to go. When the edge seal eventually fails, moisture gets between the panes and the unit fogs. Importantly, on a quality frame the glass unit can be replaced without replacing the window — frame and hardware carry on. • Hardware is mechanical and wears with use. Hinges and locks are adjustable and replaceable. • Gaskets take a compression set over time and are a replaceable consumable.

What actually protects you is the warranty behind each of those parts. ArcView's limited warranty runs 20 years on the aluminum frame, the insulated glass units and the powder-coated finish, and 10 years on hardware. See the warranty answer below, or arcview.ca/warranty, for the full terms and exclusions.

Sound reduction is rated as STC in North America and Rw in Europe. They are not interchangeable, so compare like with like. Several things drive the result, and glass thickness alone is not the main one.

• Asymmetric glazing. Two panes of different thickness resonate at different frequencies, so they stop reinforcing each other. Industry-wide this does more than simply adding thickness. • Laminated glass. The interlayer damps vibration and is typically the single most effective acoustic upgrade, especially against traffic. • Cavity width. A wider air space generally helps at low frequencies, which is where road, rail and aircraft noise sits. • Air-tightness. Any path that leaks air leaks sound, so a well-compressed seal matters as much as the glass build-up. • The rest of the wall. Once the window outperforms the wall around it, the wall becomes the limit and further glass upgrades stop paying.

What to ask for: an acoustic test report for the exact glass build-up and unit size you are quoted — and tell us which noise you are fighting, because the right glass differs by source.

Condensation on the room side of the glass is not a defect. It is the interior surface sitting below the dew point of the air in the room — and both halves of that sentence can be changed.

The window side. A warmer interior surface holds condensation off for longer, and that comes from the glass package, the warm-edge spacer and the thermal break. The perimeter of the glass is always the coldest point, so frost starts there.

The house side, which people underestimate. Indoor relative humidity sets the dew point. In deep cold, a humidity level that felt comfortable in autumn will condense on almost any window. Lowering winter humidity, running the bath and kitchen exhausts and keeping air moving across the glass all help. Heavy drapes and deep blinds make it worse by trapping the glass in cold, still air.

Worth knowing before you buy: condensation on glass surfaces caused by humidity or temperature differentials is excluded from the warranty, as it is a room-air condition rather than a product fault. Fog between the panes is a different thing entirely — that is seal failure, and it is covered.

Ask for documents, not adjectives. These are the ones that mean something here.

• NAFS (AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440) — the North American Fenestration Standard. It produces a performance grade covering structural load, air leakage and resistance to water penetration. This is what a specifier or a building official looks for. • CSA A440.2 / NFRC 100 — thermal simulation and rating: whole-window U-value, solar heat gain coefficient, visible transmittance and condensation resistance. • ENERGY STAR Canada — a program threshold applied by climate zone and built on those rated numbers. Check it against your own zone, not a generic label. • The glass unit's durability test — separate from the window, and the thing that predicts seal life.

The part usually skipped: a report applies only to the size, operating type and glazing it was tested with. Ask for the report covering the configuration you are being quoted, and check its date and the lab. ArcView supplies product specifications and documentation for whatever is on your quote.

Yes. Aluminum frames are powder coated — a baked-on finish rather than a paint film — so the colour range is wide and it never needs repainting.

Exterior: • Powder coating across the RAL range, in matte, satin or gloss • Textured and metallic finishes where a deeper surface is wanted • Wood-grain effect finishes for a timber look without timber maintenance

Inside and out. A dual-colour build lets the exterior match the cladding while the interior matches your trim — commonly a dark exterior with white or a neutral inside.

Hardware is specified to match or to contrast deliberately: stainless, matte black, bronze and white are the usual choices.

Two things worth knowing: • Colour matching between a new unit and an existing or weathered one is not guaranteed — powder coat batches differ and finishes age • The finish is warranted separately: 20 years against peeling, flaking, chipping, blistering and corrosion

Ask for physical samples of the frame colour and hardware finish before you commit. The finishes that apply to your order are confirmed on the quote.

Yes — units are made to your openings rather than picked from stock sizes.

Shapes: • Rectangles and squares, the bulk of any project • Arched heads, round-top and segmental • Trapezoids and rakes for gable ends and stairwells • Circles, ovals and polygons • Asymmetric and one-off shapes for heritage replication

What limits size is engineering, not a catalogue: • Glass weight, which drives hinge and hardware selection and, past a point, forces a fixed lite rather than an operable one • Wind load for your site and building height, which sets glass thickness and whether the unit needs reinforcement or a mullion • Operating type — a fixed panel can be far larger than the same opening as a casement • Access, because the unit still has to be carried to the opening and lifted in

Large walls of glass are usually resolved as big fixed lites combined with smaller operable units, or as a sliding or folding door. Send sizes, photos or drawings with your quote request and the achievable configuration is confirmed back to you.

Hardware deserves deliberate specification: it is the part you touch every day and the part that wears.

Handles: standard lever, slim-line for a minimal look, traditional profiles for period homes, and flush or recessed handles where nothing should project. Sliding and lift-slide doors use their own handle sets.

Finishes: stainless (brushed or polished), matte black, white, bronze and brass are the common choices. Matching or contrasting with the frame colour is a design decision, not a technical one.

Locking: multi-point locking is the norm on entrance doors. Where security is the driver, ask which resistance class the hardware set was tested to and whether the cylinder is drill and pick resistant.

Functional extras worth asking about: • Restrictor stays limiting how far a sash opens — the usual answer for upper-floor child safety • Keyed handles for ground-floor and accessible openings • Insect screens, fixed or retractable • Easy-grip lever hardware where low operating force is needed

Hardware carries a 10-year limited warranty against peeling, flaking, rusting, blistering and corrosion. Which options apply to your openings is confirmed on the quote.

Yes. There are three ways to divide a light, and they differ in appearance, cleaning and performance.

Simulated divided lite (SDL) — bars bonded to the outer and inner glass faces, usually with a matching spacer bar inside the sealed unit so the shadow line reads through. Close to authentic from the street, and the glass stays one sealed unit.

True divided lite (TDL) — individual small sealed units in a real muntin grid. The most authentic option, and sometimes the only one a heritage committee will accept. It adds frame area, so it gives back a little thermal performance, and it is the most expensive to build.

Between-glass grilles — bars sealed inside the cavity. Nothing to clean around and no maintenance, but flat, with no shadow line.

Patterns: colonial grids, prairie (perimeter bars with a clear centre), diamond for Tudor and Victorian work, or a pattern matched to your existing windows.

Bar width changes the character as much as the pattern does — wide bars read historic, narrow bars read contemporary. Decorative glass carries a 2-year limited warranty.

Match proportion first, then colour, then hardware. A correct grid pattern on the wrong proportion still looks wrong.

Modern and contemporary: slim sightlines, large uninterrupted lites, no grilles. Black, anthracite, bronze or white frames. Fixed panels combined with narrow operables, and sliding or folding doors to the outside.

Traditional and colonial: vertical proportions, white or heritage colours, SDL in a six- or nine-lite grid, lever handles in brass or bronze.

Craftsman and prairie: substantial frames, horizontal emphasis, a prairie grid with a clear centre, earth tones and bronze hardware.

Victorian and heritage: arched heads, narrower sightlines, period colours, often TDL. Check with the heritage committee before ordering — some districts specify division type and colour.

Mid-century: slim aluminum, large glass, corner conditions, bronze or anodized tones, minimal hardware.

Farmhouse: simple grids or none at all, white or black exteriors, matte black hardware.

Book a consultation and we will work through the elevation with you, or work directly from your architect's or designer's drawings.

The sequence is the same on most projects, residential or commercial.

1. Consultation. In person or virtual. We go through the openings, how each room is used, the style direction and what the project has to achieve.

2. Preliminary quote. Built from your sizes, photos or drawings. This is where configurations, glazing packages and finishes get settled.

3. Selections and site measure. Frame colour, hardware, glass and grilles are locked in and exact measurements are taken. Manufacturing works from the site measure, never from the preliminary figures.

4. Order and manufacture. Units are built to your sizes and finishes. Custom colours, shaped units and specialty glass take longer to produce than standard ones.

5. Installation, booked with you once the units are ready.

6. Handover. A walkthrough of every opening, a demonstration of the hardware, maintenance instructions and your warranty documents.

The manufacturing lead time and the installation dates are confirmed on your quote and at booking. They depend on configuration, finish and season, so we commit to them for your order rather than quoting an average.

Before the crew arrives: • Clear the window areas — furniture, curtains, blinds and anything on the sill • Leave clear access from the vehicle to each opening, inside and out • Keep pets confined away from the work area • Expect noise, and a temporary loss of climate control in the rooms being worked on

How the day runs: • Protective coverings go down over floors and remaining furniture • Interior trim is removed carefully and kept where it can be reused • The old unit comes out and the rough opening is inspected. Rot, damaged framing or an out-of-square opening is found at this point, and anything needing extra work is discussed and approved with you before it is done • The new unit is set level, plumb and square, fixed, insulated and sealed, and the exterior flashing and trim are completed • Operation and locking are tested and adjusted • Interior trim goes back, gaps are caulked, the site is cleaned and the old units are taken away for recycling where possible

At the end: a walkthrough opening by opening, a demonstration of the hardware, and your care and warranty documents. Each opening is exposed only briefly, and openings are sheeted if the weather turns.

We confirm what your project needs and prepare the documentation. The permit itself is issued to the property owner by the municipality.

Usually no permit needed: a like-for-like replacement into an existing opening, same size and same location, with no structural change. That covers most residential replacement work.

Usually a permit needed: • Enlarging, relocating or creating an opening — anything that changes the structure • Work bringing a bedroom or basement window into egress compliance • Properties in a heritage district, which need a separate heritage approval with drawings showing style, division and colour

What we provide: confirmation of whether a permit applies, product specifications and shop drawings for the application, the performance documentation an official may ask for, and attendance at inspection where that is required.

What to know: permit and heritage application fees are set by your municipality and paid to it — they are not ours to quote. Heritage approvals in particular should be started early, because the review runs on the committee's own calendar. Any effect on your schedule is confirmed with you once we know which approvals apply.

Yes, with the right precautions — winter installation is routine in Canada. The limits are about materials and safety, not about the windows.

When we will not install: heavy snow, freezing rain, high wind, or temperatures low enough that sealants cannot cure and footing is unsafe. Weather postponements are rescheduled.

How the crew works in the cold: • One opening at a time, sheeted between removal and installation, so the house is never broadly open • Units and sealants kept warm in the vehicle until the moment they are used — most sealants will not cure properly if applied cold • Low-temperature sealants used where conditions call for them • Snow and ice cleared from the work path before anything is carried through it

What helps on your side: raise the thermostat a little, close the doors to the rooms being worked on, and keep pets and children well away from the openings.

One genuine advantage: in cold weather an air leak is immediately obvious, so a sealing problem gets found and fixed on the spot instead of next winter. The warranty applies exactly the same either way.

ArcView's limited warranty is itemised by component, and every period runs from the date of substantial completion of the installation:

20 years • Aluminum frame — defects in materials and workmanship (void if the surface is altered, repainted or stained) • Insulated glass units — seal failure causing moisture or dust between the panes • Powder-coated finish (Tiger Coatings) — peeling, flaking, chipping, blistering, corrosion

10 years • Hardware — locks, hinges, handles, rollers, limiters and connecting bars, against peeling, flaking, rusting, blistering and corrosion • Screen frames • Laminated glass — delamination or obstruction of vision • Spontaneous glass breakage — replacement panel supplied; labour not included

5 years — built-in louver glass units 2 years — decorative glass 1 year — installation workmanship, when ArcView performs the installation

What it provides: repair or replacement of the defective part at ArcView's discretion, with replacement parts supplied free of charge when a claim is validated. Colour matching is not guaranteed. Repairs do not extend the original term.

Not covered: damage from misuse, alterations or improper installation; condensation on glass surfaces caused by humidity or temperature differentials; exposure to extreme temperatures or corrosive environments; installation or labour costs on glass-breakage replacements; products compromised by non-ArcView components.

Supply-only orders: the warranty starts on delivery, products must be installed by qualified professionals, and the one-year labour warranty does not apply.

Claims: submit in writing with the order number or project address, a description of the defect and photos if possible. Coverage is contingent on payment in full.

Full terms: arcview.ca/warranty

Maintenance is light, but the few tasks that exist are the ones that protect both the performance and the warranty.

Clean the frames, spring and fall. Mild soap and water, a soft cloth or sponge, then rinse and dry. Never abrasive pads, never solvents, and never a pressure washer — pressure washing can drive water past the seals and damage them.

Lubricate the hardware once a year. A silicone-based spray on the locking gear, hinges and pivots, then work the window a few times to distribute it. Do not use oil-based products or penetrating sprays: they attract grit and can attack the gaskets.

Clear the weep holes once a year. These are the small slots along the bottom of the exterior frame that let water drain out. Blocked with dirt or insects, water backs up inside the frame. A soft brush is enough; check by pouring a little water into the track.

Inspect the gaskets. Look for cracks, tears or permanent flattening, clean them, and contact us if a section needs replacing.

In winter: clear ice gently, never force a cold sash, and never leave a window tilted open in snow.

Contact us. Most post-installation issues turn out to be adjustments rather than defects.

Common and easily fixed: a sash that binds or closes unevenly, a lock point needing realignment, a draft at one corner, or a handle that has worked loose. Hinges and locking gear are adjustable by design, and some settling in the first season is normal.

How to reach us: • Phone: 437-937-4234 • Email: info@arcview.ca • Online: arcview.ca/warranty

What to send with it: the project address or order number, which opening is affected, what the problem is and when it started, plus photos if you can. A photo of the symptom usually tells us whether it is an adjustment, a part or a glass unit — which means we arrive with the right thing rather than coming twice.

Urgent conditions — water getting in, broken glass, or a door or window that will not secure — should be phoned rather than emailed so they can be prioritised.

For warranty claims, submit in writing as set out in the warranty answer above. Anything not covered by the warranty is quoted to you for approval before work begins.

Windows are made to your openings, so there is no list price — and a per-window average would mislead you, because two units of the same size can differ substantially. Pricing comes with your quote. What moves it:

• Size and quantity. Larger units need thicker glass and heavier hardware, not just more material. Quantity affects the per-opening figure too. • Operating type. A fixed lite is the least expensive way to fill an opening; operable, sliding and folding units each add hardware and sealing. • Glass package. Double or triple glazing, the low-E coating, gas fill, laminated or tempered lites, and any acoustic or privacy glass. • Frame and finish. Aluminum or vinyl, profile depth, standard or custom colour, dual-colour inside and out. • Hardware and extras. Handle sets, security level, restrictors, screens, grilles. • Site conditions. Floor level and access, whether openings are being altered, the condition of what is being removed, exterior finishing, and whether the work is supply-only or supply and install.

Send sizes, photos or drawings through the quote page and you get a figure for your actual project rather than a range.

Sometimes — but programs open, change and close, and they differ by province and by utility, so anything written on this page would be out of date before you read it.

Check the source, not a sales page. Look at the current federal program pages and your own province's and local utility's pages before counting a rebate into your budget. Confirm the eligibility rules, the performance threshold and whether steps have to happen in a particular order — some programs require an assessment before any work starts.

What we can do: supply the product specifications, performance documentation and invoices you need for an application. We cannot tell you whether a program will accept your project, and rebate eligibility is never part of a quote.

Each quote states its own validity period and the terms that go with it. Read the quote itself rather than a general rule — those terms are part of the contract, and this page is not.

Why a quote carries a validity at all: aluminum, glass and hardware are commodity-priced inputs with real currency exposure, so a figure prepared some time ago may no longer reflect what the units cost to build.

What is worth checking on your own quote before you sign: • The validity date, and what happens after it • Exactly which openings, configurations, glass package and finish are included — a quote is only comparable to another quote when the scope matches • Whether it is supply-only or supply and install, and what installation includes • How changes are handled once the order is placed, since units are built to your sizes • Deposit and payment terms • What is excluded — permits, interior finishing, exterior repairs, disposal • How site conditions found during installation, such as rot or an out-of-square opening, get priced and approved

If anything on the quote is unclear, ask before signing. We would rather answer the question now than have you discover the answer later.