Questions Winnipeg homeowners ask about windows and glass

Not usually. Room-side frost forms when warm, humid indoor air meets glass chilled by a cold snap, and it scrapes or wipes off. Treat it as a humidity and air-flow problem first. The frost versus fog guide covers what to change indoors.

Wipe both sides with a dry cloth. If the haze stays, it's between the panes and the edge seal has let air in. Fog that comes and goes with the weather, or a white film that never clears, means the same. A sealed unit won't dry out on its own.

Often not. If the frame and sash are sound, a new sealed unit can be made to size for the window you have. Defogging can tidy the look of a unit you'd like to keep. A new window suits a soft frame or several failing units. Compare the options for foggy sealed units.

Yes. Better glass keeps the inner pane warmer, so frost forms less often, but no window stops it when indoor humidity is high and it's deep cold outside. Tight, newer houses hold moisture from cooking and showers. Run the fans and leave blinds open a little.

Keep people and pets clear and put on shoes. If it's safe, photograph the damage for your insurer. Then cover the opening: plastic and tape for a small break, a board-up for anything large or at ground level. See emergency glass and board-up for what can happen tonight.

When the house is left open, the window can't be locked, someone could fall against it, or winter is getting in. In January an open pane needs covering the same day. A crack in one pane of a sealed unit, with the other intact, can usually wait for a proper quote.

It can. A hailstone can chip a pane's edge or knock the frame hard enough to start a leak, and the fog may show a season later. Screens tear easily too. Plenty of homes in North and East Kildonan found this out after the August 2023 storm.

No. MPI insures vehicles, so hail on the car and hail on the house are separate claims. House windows, screens and frames fall under your home insurance. Check your policy and deductible, and photograph the damage first. The pro we connect you with can write up a quote for your insurer.

Usually, yes. Operators strip, often when someone forces a window that has frozen shut. The crank may be the only tired part, and it can be swapped without touching the glass. Finding parts for older windows is the pro's job. See window repair for cranks, locks and balances.

Often they are. Sound old wood can be reglazed, weatherstripped and paired with a good storm window. In Armstrong's Point and Crescentwood, both heritage conservation districts, changing windows can need a heritage permit, so repair is often simpler. Rot through the sill or frame is when replacement starts to win.

Yes, that's ordinary glass work. A pro cuts a new pane to fit and beds it in fresh glazing. Wood storms are worth keeping in good order: over a sound inner window they cut drafts and keep the inside glass warmer, which helps with room-side frost.

Yes. Houses here settle on clay, and openings drift out of square over the decades. Allowing for that is the pro's job. A sealed unit is made to fit the sash, not the wall, so it's rarely affected. A new window may need extra shimming, so ask how they'll handle it.

Not necessarily. Worn rollers, a dirty or bent track and a latch that has drifted out of line cause most sliding-door trouble, and all three can be fixed. Price a new door when the frame is rotting, the glass has fogged and it's drafty as well.

Usually. Closers, sweeps, handles and the glass or screen panel are replaceable parts, often swapped in one visit. Replacement is worth pricing when the frame is bent or the door no longer closes tight. A working storm door takes the worst of the wind off your front door.

Yes. Mirrors, shower panels and shelves are cut to your measurements, and a pro can template around sloped ceilings and out-of-plumb tile, common in older bathrooms. Shower glass is tempered for safety, so it's made to size first and can't be trimmed afterwards. Careful measuring comes first.

Complete windows and doors, not glass. It pays for ENERGY STAR triple-pane windows and doors replacing existing openings, and excludes glass inserts without a full frame and NRCan number. A new sealed unit or a defog won't qualify. Check Efficiency Manitoba's rules and our rebate guide.

The window and door rebate is run by Efficiency Manitoba, not Manitoba Hydro. Efficiency Manitoba also lists Hydro's on-bill Home Energy Efficiency Loan and higher offers for income-qualified, First Nation and Red River Métis households. The general federal grant has closed. See Efficiency Manitoba's windows and doors page.

The City of Winnipeg lists same-size window and door replacement as work that doesn't need a building permit, though it still has to meet code and zoning. Heritage districts and listed buildings can need a heritage permit. Confirm on the City's home improvement page before work starts.

That's a different job. A new or bigger opening changes the wall, so the same-size exemption doesn't describe it. Check with the City about permits before anything is cut, and ask the pro what similar jobs have needed. New openings also fall outside the rebate, which covers replacements only.

The installer pays provincial sales tax on materials when buying them. For installation or repair work on your home, the province says contractors shouldn't charge that tax on the bill, so an installed quote normally shows GST only. See Manitoba's bulletin for contractors.

Size, glass type, double or triple pane, coatings or tempering, and shape. Access counts: a second-storey picture window isn't a basement slider. A glass-only price assumes the frame is sound. Travel past the Perimeter can add to it. Ask for everything in writing.

Up front it usually costs less, since you keep the frame, trim and hardware. It isn't always better value. If the frame is failing or several units are going, you may pay for glass now and a window later, with no rebate. See the repair or replace guide.

Someone who calls back and gives an itemized quote in writing before work starts. Ask who installs, what the warranty covers and who answers warranty calls. Be wary of same-day signing pressure, and of anyone who says every window needs replacing without checking the glass.

Nothing. You describe the job, add photos if you have them, and we pass it to an independent local pro who does that work. They contact you, measure and quote, and any contract is between you and them. If it goes quiet, we follow up. See how it works.