Laval · Off the island
Thermos, window glass and patio door repair in Laval
Laval is a city of houses more than flats. Detached homes are its most common type, most households own, and a large share of the housing dates from the 1960s and 70s. That puts the window questions in a different order from the island: fogged thermos units (the sealed glass inside the frame), sliders and patio doors come first, and the permit rules and subsidies are different too. We're a free referral service that connects Laval homeowners with independent local glass professionals, and we follow up so a request for a soumission doesn't go unanswered.
At a glance
- Housing
- Mostly houses, largely owner-occupied, many from the 1960s and 70s
- Language
- French is most residents' first official language
- Subsidies
- Rénoclimat applies; RénoPlex doesn't
- Permits
- Set by the Ville de Laval; check before replacing
A city of houses and homeowners
Laval was formed on 6 August 1965 by amalgamating fourteen municipalities, and a large share of today's homes date from 1961 to 1980. Detached houses are the most common type of home, low-rise apartment buildings the next, and most households own. French is the first official language for most residents.
With no landlord or syndicate to consult in most cases, the question is simply what the house needs, and whether fixing the part will do.
1960s and 70s houses: thermos units, sliders, patio doors
Houses of that era bring a familiar set of requests:
- Foggy thermos replacement: fog between the panes means the seal has gone. A new thermos in the existing frame is often enough when the frame is sound.
- Sliding patio door repair: a door that drags, won't lock or lets water in usually needs rollers, a latch or weatherstripping before it needs replacing.
- Patio door replacement: when the frame is warped or the door is past saving, a new one sized to the opening.
- Window screens: torn or bent screens on sliders and patio doors, best dealt with before summer.
If several windows are failing at once, ask the pro to price both routes, new units and new windows, so you can compare them on the same soumission.
Extreme rain: basement doors and windows
On 9 August 2024, the remnants of Hurricane Debby brought heavy rain across Montreal and Laval, including the rainiest single day ever measured in Montreal. Heavy rain finds a house's low points: basement windows, window wells and patio door sills.
A patio door that leaks only in a downpour often has a blocked drainage channel in its sill or worn weatherstripping rather than a failed door, and a pro can tell which. If you're thinking about watertight doors, Quebec's Rénoclimat is adding a flood-adaptation stream from 1 October 2026 (Rénoclimat).
Subsidies: Rénoclimat, but not RénoPlex
RénoPlex, which many Montrealers hear about, is a Ville de Montréal program for buildings on the city's own territory, so it doesn't apply in Laval. Quebec's Rénoclimat does: it supports replacing windows and doors with ENERGY STAR certified models, with an energy evaluation before the work and another after (Rénoclimat doors and windows).
Replacing only the glass or the sash doesn't qualify. That's worth knowing when a new thermos is all a window needs: the repair is still the sensible choice, it simply isn't subsidised. Our subsidies guide sets the two programs side by side.
Permits: check with the Ville de Laval
Permits in Laval are the city's business, not a borough's. We haven't reviewed its rules for window and door replacement, so check with the Ville de Laval before changing a window's size or style, and ask the pro to note on the soumission what the city requires.
We connect you with independent pros who take jobs across Laval. Farther along the North Shore, Terrebonne and Repentigny have their own pages; send the address, and we'll check whether a pro covers it.
Laval questions
Can you find a pro to replace a thermos in Laval?
Yes. We connect Laval homeowners with independent local glass professionals who replace fogged thermos units in existing frames. Send a photo of the whole window and a close-up of the fog, and say how many units are affected, since several at once can change the approach. The pro measures, quotes in writing and does the work. Start with the quote request.
Why doesn't RénoPlex apply in Laval?
Because RénoPlex is a Ville de Montréal program for buildings on the city's own territory, so Laval properties aren't eligible. Laval homeowners can look at Quebec's Rénoclimat instead, which supports replacing whole windows and doors with ENERGY STAR certified models after an energy evaluation. Our subsidies guide compares the two.
Who sets the window permit rules in Laval?
The Ville de Laval. Permit rules there are set by the city, not by Montreal's boroughs, and we haven't reviewed them, so we won't guess. Ask before changing a window's size, adding an opening or switching style, and tell the pro what the city said so the soumission matches. Even for an identical replacement, a quick call is worth making.
Is Rénoclimat available to Laval homeowners?
Yes. Rénoclimat is a province-wide program. For windows and doors, it supports replacing an existing unit with an ENERGY STAR certified model in the same opening, with an energy evaluation before the work and another after. Replacing only the glass, the sash, or a door without its frame doesn't qualify. The conditions are on Québec.ca; check them before booking.
Patio door leaking after heavy rain: the sill or the door?
Often the sill. A sliding door's sill has channels that drain water outward, and when they clog or the weatherstripping wears, a downpour pushes water inside while the door itself is fine. A cracked frame, or a sill that slopes the wrong way, is more serious. A pro can usually tell which on a visit. Our sliding door repair page covers the fixes.