Cold weather can play havoc on many building materials. Cold temperatures can warp, crack, split, fade, and otherwise destroy many things. In addition, doors and windows that aren’t suited to cold climates can cost hundreds of dollars annually in heating bills. So what are the best cold climate windows and doors for your home in British Columbia? Let’s take a look.
Cold Climate Doors
There are many options when it comes to choosing doors. When considering doors for a cold climate, however, you need to narrow it down to those with great weather sealing and even better insulating properties.
Steel and fiberglass will resist the destructive nature of severe cold and are an ideal building material for the bulk of the door. A thermal efficient insulating material should also be used to fill out the interior of the door.
A great example of this is ProVia doors. They have steel or fiberglass frames packed with excellent insulating material. Their weather seals are the best on the market—they won’t peel or crack after a couple of cold snaps like many other weather seals do. They come in a wide range of styles and colours and can even feature large glass sections without compromising insulation or quality.
On top of their cold weather application, these doors are an excellent, sturdy, and secure option to keep your family safe at home.
Cold Climate Windows
Regular windows are typically made out of a single sheet of glass with either wood or vinyl for a frame. When it comes to cold climates like you encounter in B.C., these are not the best option.
Firstly, single-pane windows are very poor insulators. They let out a lot of heat in the winter and let in a lot of heat in the summer. This drives hydro bills sky high as you try to combat the forces of nature outside.
Instead, you should go for double-pane windows. These use two sheets of glass with a layer of gas between them. This layer of air traps cold air in winter and hot air in summer, preventing your home from freezing or overheating.
Secondly, the glass and its coating is also important. Uncoated glass lets in full light, full heat, and full UV radiation. Special coating like Low-E4 SunSmart glass adds additional insulating properties to the glass. This is particularly important in the winter; double-pane SunSmart glass can cut electricity bills by up to 25%.
And lastly, the frames. Vinyl is cheap and easy to clean, but will crack and deteriorate when exposed to extreme weather. Wood is sturdy and aesthetically pleasing, but also does poorly over time in cold environments. Your best option is a material like our exclusive Fibrex; it combines the ease of vinyl with the strength of wood. Even better, it insulates 700x better than aluminum!
Did you know that our windows are also ENERGY-STAR® certified? If it’s time to replace your windows or doors, give us a call or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation and see how we can help you get the best cold climate windows and doors for these chilly winter months. We offer window replacement services in the Greater Vancouver Area, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Nanaimo, and Campbell River.
