West Island · Ouest-de-l'Île
West Island homes: thermos units, sliders, patio doors and screens
The West Island isn't plex country. Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Beaconsfield and Kirkland are towns of detached, owner-occupied houses, built mostly between the 1960s and the 1980s, and English is the first official language for most residents. So the window questions here belong to the house you own: an original thermos gone cloudy, a sliding window that no longer glides, a patio door onto the deck, a screen that faces the backyard. We connect West Island homeowners with independent local pros. You describe the job, and the pro quotes and does the work.
At a glance
- Towns
- Pointe-Claire, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Beaconsfield, Kirkland and neighbours
- Housing
- Mostly detached, owner-occupied, 1960s to 80s
- Language
- Request in English or French; say which the pro should use
- Rules
- Independent cities: permits and programs vary
Suburbs built from the 1960s to the 1980s
Each town had its own start. Beaconsfield developed quickly as a residential suburb in the 1950s and 60s. Dollard-des-Ormeaux, incorporated in 1960, began as a bedroom community, and most of its homes date from 1961 to 1980. Kirkland became a town in 1961 and kept building into the 1980s. In Beaconsfield and Kirkland, detached houses are the great majority, and across these towns owners far outnumber renters.
That changes the conversation compared with the plex boroughs to the east. There is rarely a syndicate or a landlord involved, and one owner decides. The windows, though, have reached the age where several questions arrive at once: an original thermos in one room, a replacement from a later decade in another, and a patio door that has been adjusted before.
Original sliding windows and thermos units
Sliding windows turn up often in houses of this era. When one stops gliding, the fault is usually a small part: worn rollers or guides, a track that is clogged or bent, a latch that no longer lines up. Those can be replaced, and the hardware repair page covers rollers, latches and cranks.
Fog between the panes is the thermos, the sealed glass unit, and in a sound frame it can be replaced on its own. Older units are not always standard sizes, so the pro measures each one. A new window makes sense when the frame is cracked, the sash no longer seals against it, or several units in the house are failing together. Our thermos page sets defogging, a new thermos and a new window side by side, without favouring one.
Patio doors and backyard screens
- Patio door screens: a screen door that jumps its track or has torn mesh at the bottom corner is rescreened or refitted with new rollers.
- Window screens: bent frames and torn mesh, including the odd sizes found on older sliding windows.
- Sliding door repair: rollers, track and lock come first; a door that glides and locks again is often all that was needed.
- Patio door replacement: when the frame is out of square or the door leaks at the sill, a new door, after checking what your city requires.
Pointe-Claire: an older core
Pointe-Claire is the exception to the 1960s story. Its parish was formed in 1713, its first church built in 1714, and the Grand Trunk Railway arrived in 1855. A sizeable share of its homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and detached houses are a smaller part of the mix than in Beaconsfield or Kirkland.
So a Pointe-Claire request may involve an older house with wood windows, where restoring the sash or renewing the hardware deserves a look before replacement, or a townhouse or flat, where the building's owner or syndicate has a say. Tell us which on the request, and the pro will arrive expecting the right job.
Permits: each city has its own rules
Pointe-Claire, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Beaconsfield and Kirkland are independent cities, each with its own permit office. Montréal's borough rules don't apply, and we haven't verified what each West Island city requires for window or door replacement. Ask your city before you sign, particularly for a patio door or any change to an opening.
The same independence affects subsidies. RénoPlex is a Ville de Montréal program for buildings on its territory, so check with your city before counting on it. Rénoclimat is provincial and applies anywhere in Quebec when whole windows or doors are replaced with ENERGY STAR models in the existing openings, with energy evaluations before and after. A thermos alone doesn't qualify. Whoever does the work, ask for their RBQ licence number; Quebec requires one for window and door contractors.
West Island questions
Can I be matched with a pro who speaks English in the West Island?
You can ask, and it's a reasonable request here. Write to us in English, say that you'd like the pro to work in English, and we pass that preference on with the job. We won't promise it, because it depends on which pros are taking that kind of work at the time. If French also suits you, mention it; it widens the choice.
Do I need a permit to change windows in Pointe-Claire or DDO?
Ask your city before you order. Pointe-Claire and Dollard-des-Ormeaux are independent cities with their own permit offices, not Montréal boroughs, and we haven't verified their rules for same-size windows. Be especially careful with patio doors, bay windows and changes to an opening, which always need a permit in Montréal. The pro can give you a detailed quote to show the city.
Can the original thermos units in a 1970s house be replaced?
Usually, yes, if the frames are still sound. The pro measures each unit, since older sizes aren't always standard, and orders thermos units made to fit the existing sashes. Frames that are cracked, or sashes that no longer seal, point toward a new window instead. Photos of the whole window and a corner close-up help the first estimate; request a thermos quote to start.
Does RénoPlex apply in the West Island?
Check with your city, but don't plan around it. RénoPlex is a Ville de Montréal program for buildings on the City's territory, and the West Island towns on this page are independent cities. Rénoclimat, the provincial program, applies anywhere in Quebec when whole windows or doors are replaced with ENERGY STAR models. Our subsidy guide explains both.
Original 1970s sliding windows: repair or replace?
Repair when the problem is a part, replace when it's the frame. Worn rollers, a bent track or a loose latch can be fixed in a sound window, and a fogged thermos can be replaced alone. A cracked frame, a sash that no longer seals, or several windows failing at once make replacement the better plan. Our guide to repairing or replacing windows goes further.
Do you cover Dorval and Kirkland as well as Pointe-Claire?
Generally, yes, across the West Island, though coverage depends on the kind of job. Give us your town and street, the age of the house if you know it, and a photo of the problem. We pass the request to an independent pro who does that work and follow up so it gets an answer. If no one can take it, we tell you plainly.