Answers for Montrealers
Frequently asked questions about glass, windows and doors
Short answers on a foggy thermos, a cracked pane, borough permits, subsidies, and who handles what in a plex, a rental or a condo. We're a free referral service that connects you with independent local glass professionals, so no answer here is steering you toward one fix.
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Thermos units, glass and patio doors
Haze on the glass or a door that won't behave: work out what has failed before anyone quotes.
Is the haze inside the thermos or on the surface of the glass?
Wipe both faces with a dry cloth. If the haze stays, it's inside the thermos, the sealed glass unit between the panes, and its edge seal has let moist air in. If it wipes off, it's condensation from indoor air; keeping winter humidity moderate helps. See foggy thermos units.
How long should a thermos last before it fogs?
There's no reliable figure; the numbers in circulation come from sellers. A seal's life depends on how the unit was made and installed, the sun and wind it takes, and whether the frame drains water away from the glass edge.
Defogging, a new thermos or a whole new window: what suits which case?
Defogging cleans and vents the old unit; it can clear the view, though the seal isn't restored. A new thermos suits a sound frame; a new window, a soft or leaking one. The pro confirms on site, and the repair-or-replace guide compares all three.
There's a crack across my pane but the glass is holding. What should I do?
Keep people back, tape along the crack and photograph it in case you claim. A crack in a thermos means a new sealed unit; single glass in an older sash can be recut. See broken window glass.
My PVC patio door drags, sticks or won't latch. What can be fixed?
Often the door is fine. Worn rollers let the panel sink, so it drags and the barrure (the latch) misses its keeper. Rollers, latch, weatherstripping and an iced track are each fixable, as is a fogged thermos in the panel. See sliding door repair.
Borough permits and subsidies
Rules differ by borough, and subsidies depend on what you replace and when you apply. Check before ordering.
Will my borough ask for a permit to change windows?
Probably. Most boroughs require one even for identical windows, and a sliding patio door, a bay window or a new or larger opening needs one across the City of Montreal. Check the City's page for your borough before ordering, or read our borough permit guide.
What help exists for new windows in Montreal?
Two programs. The City's RénoPlex helps owners of eligible small plexes, but only if approval comes before the work. Quebec's Rénoclimat covers complete ENERGY STAR windows and doors, with energy evaluations before and after; a glass-only swap doesn't qualify. The federal grant has closed.
Plexes, rentals and condos
Most people here rent or share a building, so the first question is often who handles the glass.
Glass broke in a rented flat: how do tenant and landlord sort out who handles it?
Start with the lease, and tell the other side in writing, with photos, promptly. The Tribunal administratif du logement explains urgent and necessary repairs for tenants and landlords alike. Either can send us the request; the role you pick on the form doesn't decide who pays.
Is broken window glass worth a home insurance claim?
It depends on your policy, the cause and your deductible. If you plan to claim, call your insurer before the repair, photograph the damage and keep the pro's written quote. Whether the owner's, tenant's or syndicate's policy responds depends on the policy and the lease or declaration.
In a condo, can I change my own windows or does the syndicate decide?
Read the declaration of co-ownership first and ask the syndicate. For a condo building, the City's permit file asks for a letter from each co-owner or a syndicate resolution. Our condo page covers one unit or a whole building.
The referral service, and the words you'll hear
An independent pro quotes and does the work. And since pros here often use French trade words, a short glossary.
Once my request is sent, which business sees it?
An independent pro who covers your borough or town and does that kind of job receives your description, photos and contact details so they can quote. If they can't take it, another pro may. Ask us any time which business has it, or read how it works.
Which French trade words might a Montreal glazier use with me?
Even in English you'll hear thermos (the sealed glass unit), manivelle (the crank on a casement), barrure (the latch or lock), moustiquaire (the screen), porte-patio (the sliding patio door), porte de balcon (the door onto a plex balcony), vitrier (glazier) and soumission (the written quote).
A little more context helps
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