Blinds

Beautiful and functional Maxxmar blinds are available with two-inch slats and can be custom made for specialty situations such as arched windows, slopes and A-frames.

Natural wood blinds come in a variety of paint and stain finishes. High humidity areas such as kitchens and bathrooms benefit from a wood and resin blend, available in a wide variety of colours, finishes and textures. A distressed wood finish offers a rustic sophistication that complements old world and modern décor.

All blinds can be paired with decorative tapes, available in solid, tone-on-tone and embossed textures for a subtle design touch.

Blinds can be installed with motors to allow for easy operation in hard-to-reach places.

Supplier: Nana Wall

In 1986, Nana Wall Systems’ founders delivered their first opening glass wall, and tree years later, Nana Wall Systems, Inc. was born. Nana Wall’s mission is to find, create, and deliver an ever-evolving array of flexible design solutions that allow a seamless transition between outdoors and in.

Ten years after their first delivery, Nana Wall partnered with the German company Solarlux, in 1996. Solarlux is the only ISO 9001-certified framed operable glass wall system manufacturer in the world.

Between Nana Wall and Solarlux, the two companies have now installed over a million glass panels worldwide, winning hundreds of awards, and earning the status as the must-have product for any serious high-end home renovation or new build.

#gemwindows&doors #doors #glasswindows #glasswalls #flexibleglass

Storm & Screen Doors

The traditional aluminum storm door gets a makeover from Everlast. Choose from 12 different models, ranging from a full view pane of glass to Victorian, colonial and traditional self-storing models. Triple rubber sweeps, tempered safety glass, durable baked enamel finish, self-lubricating hinges and diecast internal miter corners are standard. Patterned glass, pet mesh screens, decorative metal box sweeps and a variety of hardware options are also available.

Everlast’s aluminum-reinforced vinyl screen door is sophisticated and subtle—the perfect choice when you want to highlight your entry door, not your screen door. It features a hidden retractable screen, decorative horizontal bar and both standard paint finishes and custom colours.

AluminArt offers a range of styles and colours to suit all budgets. Premium models offer lifetime nickel or brass hardware, reinforced hinges, interior deadbolts and a limited lifetime warranty. A unique “view and vent” system means screens roll into place only when the glass is lowered—keeping your view unobstructed when ventilation isn’t required.

Retractable screens are the clear choice for customers craving visibility and ventilation. Aira, by Eclipse Technologies, offers a safe, reliable, UV-proof retractable screen in 11 standard colours. Specialty options include pet-safe screens, gold and bronze sill adaptors, custom colour matching and more. Aira can be installed in virtually any size opening, from patio doors to garage doors, and comes with a limited lifetime warranty on all parts (excluding the screen).

 Features

• extras like premium hardware and pet-proofed screens
• variety of styles and colours
• vinyl aluminum and retractable

Apples-to-apples price match guarantee

GEM’s prices are very competitive. We might not always be the cheapest, but we are always the best value (price vs quality). In fact, we’re so confident that our pricing is competitive, we offer an apples-to-apples price match guarantee. If you receive a lower quotation on your job—provided the products and installation quality are equivalent—we’ll match the lower price and beat it by 10% of the difference.

Windows Security Essentials Not Just a Software Program

If you have a Windows-based PC, you might have seen Microsoft’s Windows Security Essentials anti-virus and anti-malware program. In the real world, there are some “windows security essentials” that are now becoming more common in glass windows.

Many homeowners go to great lengths to ensure that their family home has the best security available. While panic rooms are still relatively rare, there are less severe security measures that many homes now rely on. Doors and windows with multipoint locking have become commonplace on high-end residential window and door installations. Features like impact-proof security glass, and reinforced window and door frames make it much harder for a burglar to force entry into a home.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of home burglaries aren’t violent home invasions, but rather, crimes of opportunity, where a homeowner has left a window or a door ajar, and someone simply walks or climbs in.

Home alarm systems can help prevent these types of break-ins by letting a homeowner know when a window or door is open, but they have traditionally relied on wired connections to complex alarm ‘brains’ that require professional, and sometimes costly installation.

Now, thanks to modern battery technology, efficient and compact sensor electronics, and Wi-Fi, newer alarm systems are easier to install, and offer remote monitoring and control for a much lower price point. Some new windows even have ‘smart’ technology integrated into them from the factory, so without a complex alarm system, they can still connect to the outside world. You may have heard or read about ‘the Internet of things.’ Windows are one such product that can be linked to each other and the outside world through wireless technology.

This means that homeowners can now receive an alert whenever a window or door opens – or is left open – on their home, wherever they are. The best locks and strongest glass in the world don’t matter at all if the window is left wide open.

If you’re interested in learning about the latest window security features, visit our Queensway showroom, or email us your questions at info@gemwindows.com

When Life Gives You a Window, Consider Turning it into a Door

As you might already know, most windows are not load bearing structures in residential construction. Regardless of how strong and durable a set of fiberglass, aluminum, or vinyl window frames might be, you can rest assured that they’re not supporting your walk-in closet and second-floor laundry. The load-bearing, structural elements of a wall are always located adjacent to the windows themselves. This means that wherever you have a large-enough window opening in your home, you could probably also have a door.

Typically, the structural support members surrounding a window in a wood-framed house – which represents the majority of single-family homes built since the 1950s – are sistered 2x4s or 2x6s, holding up a header overtop of the window opening. We always advise obtaining the appropriate permits, architectural drawings, and engineering signoff prior to commencing any structural modifications to your home. Nevertheless, for homeowners contemplating the installation of a door in a space once occupied by a window, it is usually a pretty straightforward process that can be done cost effectively and quickly.

When Sirius XM radio host Todd Shaprio wanted a way to more easily access his bedroom’s small pseudo-balcony, he called GEM Windows & Doors. We turned two smaller windows into a big, sliding glass door, making it easier to access a previously useless balcony space, and letting in more light.

Now, Todd can access his balcony, where we also installed a beautiful glass railing to keep him, and his family, safe.

In Window Fashions, the “New” Black is…

Fashion is always evolving; from the wool pea coats of the 1880s to the tie-dyed t-shirts of the ‘60s to today’s quasi-military outfits. Since black seems to always be in style in the fashion industry, saying something is “the new black” means that it’s the hottest new thing. Like clothing, home fashion is cyclical and continues to evolve too. In the 1960s, when modern post-war bungalows were in vogue, windows were typically unpainted aluminum or wood, which was then painted or stained. In the 1980s, as futurism and technology started to influence home design, white vinyl windows became de rigueur on most homes, while higher-end installations still called for well-crafted wooden windows, or commercial-grade aluminum.

Today, white vinyl windows have become the go-to product for most residential window installations, but fashion-forward consumers have started demanding a more modern look from these utilitarian windows. The easiest way to achieve a modern, stylish appearance with moderately priced windows is simply by changing the color. Unlike in the fashion world where (insert stylish color here) “is the new black” in the world of windows and doors, the new black is… black!

Black windows and doors instantly create a more premium look and feel to a home, and can work equally well in contemporary, modern, or traditional home designs. While changing the color of new vinyl windows from white to black does carry a cost premium, the extra cost is still significantly lower than either premium wood or commercial-grade aluminum. With black, or other dark on-trend colors like iron ore, charcoal grey, slate, etc, consumers can achieve that high-end premium look without spending high-end, premium money. In windows today, black is the new black.

If you’re in the market for windows and doors, visit our Queensway showroom to see our selection of windows in white, black, and every color in between, or email us at info@gemwindows.com Stay tuned for some great upcoming deals as we move into the winter season.

Awnings Make The Most of a Short Season

It’s fair to say that the weather in Toronto is perfect for but a fleeting moment. When you shuffle out of bed on a January morning to enjoy a frigid and dangerous commute at -35 C, it’s hard to think of the summer heat as unpleasant. Nevertheless, the temperature in Toronto this morning was slightly warmer than it was in Mumbai, which for most people, is quite unpleasant. The humidity might make you sticky, but the beating sun is what takes a toll on your energy levels and your dermal health, leaving you sweaty and sunburnt.

Thankfully, there is a way to enjoy those too-hot or too-rainy Toronto days that make up the bulk of our summer weather, by installing an awning. Awnings keep the sun off your head and rain off of your face, allowing you to enjoy our too-short summer in relative comfort. We recently installed an awning for a customer here in Toronto, and wanted to share with you how an awning can not only provide the aforementioned comfort, but also create an intimate backyard space for relaxing or entertaining.

The motorized retractable awnings offered by GEM Windows & Doors are manufactured from high-quality aluminum with heavy-duty hardware and highly durable fabric to provide instant relief from the summer sun, and smooth operation for years to come. If you’re looking for a way to enjoy your outdoor space more often, an awning is perfect.

Check out this recent installation we completed in the GTA, and if you’d like to know more about our awnings, contact us at info@gemwindows.com

Need Windows? Make Sure You’re Getting the Right Installation.

There are no shortage of places in the GTA at which to buy windows, but getting the right hardware is only half the battle; the quality of a window installation is just as important as the brand of windows you select for your home. How do you pick the right installer? Start by doing some basic homework to answer some important questions.

How long has your installer been in the business? If you haven’t been referred by one of their existing customers, do they at least have good reviews on sites like Yelp, HomeStars, or Houzz? If you Google them, what comes up?

Once you’ve done some basic due diligence and are comfortable that the company you’re looking at is not a fly-by-night operation that won’t be there to stand behind their work, call them and have a phone conversation with an actual person. Ask them the following questions;

1. Do they have their own crew, or do they subcontract?
2. How do they handle services issues after an installation is compete?
3. How much time will an installation take, and how many people will be on site?
4. How do they finish out the interior and exterior of the windows after the installation?
5. Do they guarantee their work, and for how long?
6. Can they show you any recent projects, or provide any references with whom you can speak?
7. Do they charge for an estimate?

Getting the answers to these questions will help give you a much clearer understanding of how your window installer operates, and how satisfied other clients have been with their work. Just about anybody can put a window into a frame, but a high-quality installation demands more. Great window installations require that the installer have a thorough understanding of the thermal expansion characteristics of a window frame, that they account for drainage pathways, and that they have the artistic skill and craftsmanship to properly finish the interior and exterior trim.

If you’re not sure about the pedigree of your window installation team, call GEM Windows and Doors. GEM has been earning our excellent reputation as Toronto’s best window installation team for over 55 years, but don’t take our word for it. Check us out on HomeStars, or ask to see some of our work. We’ll be happy to answer all of your questions. Email us at info@gemwindows.com

Selling Your Home? Make Sure Your Front Door Helps

Even in a competitive real estate market like Toronto, buying temperature still matters. While general listing scarcity may help most properties sell quickly, it’s a buyer’s emotional connection to your home that will help you net the maximum dollar amount at offering.

As with Breitling watches, Louis Vitton bags, and Callaway golf clubs, most people appreciate finely made goods, and are willing to pay a premium for the good stuff. When it comes to your home, often one of the few things prospective buyers will actually touch is your front entry door. A solid-feeling, precisely-installed door conveys a plethora of information to our reptilian brains, kindling our desires for quality, comfort, security, and even belongingness and permanence.

Imagine the difference in feel between a big box store’s foam-core steel door, tinny and light, and the solidity and heft of a solid-core wooden door. Which one suggests a property is worth a million dollars or more? Which one reminds us of hallowed institutions of education, religion, or government? The solid, heavy one suggests permanence and longevity, both things that visitors to a home will appreciate, and that buyers are willing to pay for.

There’s a line from the movie Jurassic Park where the park’s lawyer asks a kid holding some state-of-the-art night vision goggles “Are they heavy?” to which the kid replies “Yeah!” The lawyer – later eaten by a T-Rex – then says “Well, then, they’re expensive, put them back!” If you want your home to feel expensive, make sure your front door is up to the task.

Thankfully, expensive-feeling doors don’t have to cost a fortune, with GEM Windows & Doors’ modern fiberglass composite offerings that offer the heft and look of wood, with the lower cost and precision construction of modern fiberglass. If you’re selling your home, or you just want it to feel like a high-quality, custom-made house, come visit our Queensway showroom and see for yourself what a difference a great door can make.