Window Manufacturers in Ontario Give Tips on Outfitting Your Cottage with the Best Windows

When it comes to your cottage, whether you’re installing windows in a newly-built cottage or replacing the old ones when they wear out, there are different considerations to be made as compared to your home. Everything from using triple-glazed windows to what kind of frame suddenly comes under close scrutiny, as you have to make sure the choice you make can stand up to the elements. Window manufacturers in Ontario are particularly familiar with the challenge you face—they help countless cottage owners navigate this tricky issue every year. Here’s what they have to say:

Energy Efficiency: More Important than Usual

When it comes to installing energy-efficient windows in the city, it’s more of a suggestion than an actual requirement. But cottage country is very different from the city. Even in the summer, without the heat that a writhing mass of buildings, cars, and people creates, the nights are much colder than in the city. To keep cool during the day and sleep snug during the night—particularly if you’re the type to continue using your cottage well into autumn—opt for energy-efficient triple-glazed windows. The inert argon gas between each pane makes heat transfer more difficult, keeping you as cozy or as cool as you need, no matter what Mother Nature has in store.

Weather-Resistant

While we’re on the topic of Mother Nature, window manufacturers in Ontario strongly advise choosing windows that can stand up to the environmental beating that they will inevitably be subjected to. Out in the woods, your cottage might face more extreme changes in temperature than your house or condo will, both on a daily basis and year-round. Properly-sealed spacers can serve as a sort of buffer that keeps the pressure created by expanding and contracting materials from damaging the panes of glass in your window. This way, it can keep serving your cottage for many years to come without having its integrity compromised by temperature changes.

Low-Maintenance for the Off-Season

Very few people live in their cottage year-round. If you are one of the lucky few who gets that opportunity, this may be slightly less important to you. But for everyone else, making sure their new cottage windows are low-maintenance is a must so that they won’t have to worry about them when they’re away from their cottage for months at a time. Window manufacturers in Ontario recommend framing your triple-glazed windows with vinyl, as opposed to aluminum or wood. Vinyl requires very little care—a little cleaning with warm, soapy water is all that’s needed to keep them looking and working great.