The Best Windows for Ontario Homes: Six Canadian Manufacturers Compared on Frame, Glass, Warranty and Service, Not on the Brochure

Windows & Doors

The Best Windows for Ontario Are Made in Ontario, and the Brand Matters Less Than the Series

Southern Ontario has more window factories per capita than almost anywhere, which is good news: the window is local, the parts are local, and the warranty is a drive away. The bad news is that every one of them makes a builder-grade series and a good series, both with the same name on the sticker. Here is how to tell them apart, and what I have learned buying packages from most of them.

Opinions from a builder who buys windows, not a window company. No brand pays to be here; the ones named are named because they are what you will actually be quoted.

The numbers

1.22W/m2K U-factor or better: ENERGY STAR for Canada
3 1/4 in.minimum frame depth worth buying in vinyl
20 yrssealed-unit warranty on a good series; 10 on builder grade
6 to 8weeks lead time, most Ontario makers, in season

What separates a good series from a builder-grade one, from the same plant

  • Frame depth and chambers. 3 1/4 to 4 1/2 in. deep with four or more chambers, against 2 7/8 in. and two. The deep frame is stiffer, warmer, and takes jamb extensions properly.
  • Reinforcement. Steel or composite in the meeting rails of sliders over 36 in. and in the sashes of big casements. Ask.
  • Hardware. Multipoint locks on casements, metal operators (Truth, Roto), not plastic. Hinges rated for the sash weight with triple glass.
  • Spacer. Warm-edge (foam, stainless or composite) rather than aluminum box spacer. The aluminum one is the cold line of condensation at the bottom of the glass.
  • Glass options. A good series offers two or three Low-E coatings by orientation, triple, laminated, and tempered where needed. A builder series offers “Low-E”.
  • Colour. A laminated or co-extruded exterior colour with a stated colour warranty, against spray paint with none.
  • Warranty. Lifetime on the frame to the original owner, 20 years on the sealed unit, 10 on hardware, transferable once. Builder series: 10, 10, 1, not transferable. Reading one.

The makers you will be quoted

ManufacturerWhereWhat they are known forMy note
North StarSt. CatharinesVinyl casements and sliders, wide dealer network, good hardwareConsistent. The series matters; ask for the 4 1/2 in. frame.
VinylbiltVaughanBig range of vinyl series, builder and retailFine product; the builder series is in a lot of subdivisions and it shows which one you have.
OstacoVaughanVinyl, strong on triple glazing and ER numbersGood certified ratings; check the hardware spec on big casements.
NordikOntario and Quebec plantsVinyl and their own Revocell composite frameThe composite is a real step up for dark colours and big units. Retail-heavy; get a second quote.
StrassburgerKitchenerVinyl, long history, builder and retailI have bought a lot of these. Sound, unglamorous, parts available twenty years on.
Euro Vinyl, Pollard, GreenFox, Magic and othersGTA and regionEach with a niche: tilt-and-turn, retail sales model, hybrid framesJudge the series by the list above, not the name on the truck.
Fibreglass: Cascadia, Fibertec, Inline, DuxtonBC, Ontario, ManitobaPultruded fibreglass frames, high ratings, paintableWhere the 30% goes. Longer lead times.
Clad wood: Loewen, Marvin, Andersen, Kolbe, PellaManitoba and USWood inside, aluminum or fibreglass outside, the architectural endBeautiful, 60% over vinyl, and the install has to be right because the warranty assumes it was.

Every maker above sells through dealers and some sell direct with their own crews. The same window installed by two dealers can be two different jobs; the installation page is the thing to hold them to.

Three questions that sort any brand in five minutes

  1. “What is the certified whole-window U-factor and Energy Rating for the exact series and glass you are quoting?” If the answer is a brochure page, ask for the NRCan listing. If they cannot find it, next company.
  2. “Can I get a replacement sealed unit and a casement operator for this series in 15 years, from you?” The answer tells you about the factory and the dealer at once.
  3. “Show me the warranty document, not the summary.” Look for the words prorated, labour, transferable, and the colour term. What they mean.

Where homeowners go wrong

  1. Choosing a brand from a TV ad. The ad is paid for by the commission on your windows. The factory down the road makes the same window without the ad.
  2. Assuming the big name means the good series. Every big name has a builder series. Ask which one is on your quote.
  3. Buying a US window for a Canadian rebate. Certification is by unit, for Canada. Rebates.
  4. Picking the window and letting the installer pick himself. The window is half of it. The other half.

Questions people ask

What is the best window brand in Ontario?

There is no single best. There are six or eight Ontario makers whose good series are all good windows, and the dealer who installs them matters as much. Sort by the three questions above.

Are Canadian-made windows better than imported?

For Ontario winters, usually. They are built and certified for this climate, the parts and the warranty are nearby, and the lead times are shorter. A good imported window is still a good window; a cheap imported one is harder to get fixed.

Is ENERGY STAR enough?

It is the floor, and almost everything mid-grade clears it. Use the actual U-factor and ER to compare two windows that both have the sticker.

Then price the package

The calculator uses mid-grade rates from these makers. Get the quotes with the series named, and $99 gets them read against this page.

Price my windowsReview my quotes

Sources and further reading