Montreal windows: find the right fix
Start with what the window is doing. Fog between the panes points to the thermos, a crank that spins or a guillotine that drops points to the hardware, and a soft, leaking frame points to replacement. Pick the problem below, and we connect you with an independent local window professional who handles that kind of job.
Glass, part or window
The glass, the mechanism or the whole window?
Foggy thermos
Fog or a white film between the panes that won't wipe off. A new thermos usually goes into the existing frame.
Cracked or broken glass
A cracked pane, a broken thermos or door glass. The window usually stays; only the glass is cut or made to measure.
Crank, latch or balance
A crank that spins, a barrure that won't catch, a guillotine that drops. The worn part may be all that's wrong.
A window at the end of its life
Rotten frame, leaks around the edges, several failures at once. Replacement here starts with your borough's permit rules.
Fog and moisture
Fog between the panes, or moisture on the room side?
Fog that won't wipe off
Moisture inside the thermos means its edge seal has opened. It won't dry out; défogging or a new unit are the options.
Condensation on the room side
Water or frost on the inside of the glass on winter mornings, often in bedrooms. That's humidity in the flat, not a failed window.
A window that leaks in the rain
Water at the sill after a storm can come from the calfeutrage, blocked drainage or the thermos seal. Check all three first.
Montreal windows
Guillotine, casement, slider: the windows in Montreal homes
Guillotine windows
Hung windows, common in older plexes. A dropping sash, broken cords and worn balances are usually repaired, not replaced.
Casement windows (battant)
Crank-out windows found in plexes and suburbs alike. The operator, hinges and thermos can each be replaced alone.
Not sure what you have?
Window names differ between French and English. Our styles page sets guillotine, battant, auvent and fixed windows side by side.
Before July 1
Screens and small repairs before July 1
Urgent
Emergencies and broken glass
Emergency board-up
A window broken at night or after a break-in. Make the room safe, cover the opening, then have the glass measured.
A broken pane in winter
Tape the crack, keep the heat in and photograph it before cleaning up. Then the glass is replaced properly.
Door glass
A cracked pane in an entry or balcony door. Door glass is usually safety glass, ordered to exact size.
Repair or replace
When replacing becomes the right decision
Repair the part when
- The frame is sound and closes tight
- One or two thermos units have failed
- The trouble is a crank, latch or balance
- Your borough favours keeping original windows
Replace the window when
- The frame is rotten or leaks at the edges
- Several windows are failing at once
- No part fits and none can be adapted
- You are ready for a full, permitted replacement
Questions
Window questions from Montreal households
Where we help
Window help across Montreal and nearby
Independent pros work across the island, in Laval and on the South Shore. If you're farther out, we'll check whether a pro covers your address.
Not sure what's wrong? Send a photo
A photo and a line on what the window is doing are enough. We pass them to a local pro who quotes the fix.