Windows in Markham: fix the glass, the hardware or the whole unit
Start with the house. A 1980s two-storey with casements and a bay, a 2000s home with a half-round over the foyer, a village house with wood sash: each wears differently, and usually in one part, not the whole window. Pick the problem below, and we'll connect you with an independent local pro who does that work.
Three levels
Three levels of fix: glass only, parts and hardware, full replacement
Glass only
Frame, trim and hardware stay. A new sealed unit or pane is made to size for fog or a crack in a sound window.
Parts and hardware
A stripped crank, a sash that won't stay up, flattened weatherstrip. Replace the worn piece and the window carries on.
Full replacement
When the frame is soft or leaking, or most units are failing together, a new window is the honest answer.
Your windows
Window styles you'll find in Markham homes
Casement and awning
Crank-out windows, common in houses built since the 1980s. Operators and hinges wear before frames, and the glass changes alone.
Picture, bay and bow
Big family-room glass, and the bays on many 1980s two-storeys. One fogged unit in a bay rarely means a whole new bay.
Arched and transom shapes
Half-rounds over the door, eyebrow transoms and tall foyer windows in 1990s and 2000s homes. Shaped units are built from a template.
Wood sash in the heritage villages
Double-hung sash in Unionville, Markham Village, Thornhill and Buttonville. The district plans ask owners to repair first, so start with the sash.
Glass problems
Glass problems: fogged, cracked, broken
Fog between the panes
Haze that won't wipe off either side means the seal has let go. A new unit with matching grilles clears it.
Cracked or broken glass
A branch, a ball, a crack creeping from a corner. Make it safe, photograph it, cover the opening, then replace the pane or unit.
Large picture windows
Big fixed units show fog plainly because there's so much glass. Size, weight and access decide how the new unit goes in.
Hardware and seals
Hardware problems: cranks, locks, balances and seals
Cranks, balances and locks
A handle that spins, a double-hung that slides down, a lock that won't catch. Each is a bolt-on part that can usually be matched.
Awning window hinges
Awnings over kitchen sinks, in bathrooms and in basements lean on their hinges. Stiff or sagging ones can be replaced on their own.
Screens
Casement and awning screens sit on the room side. Torn mesh can be replaced, and a missing screen made to size.
Lower level
Basements and egress windows
Egress for a basement bedroom
A basement bedroom needs a window big enough to climb out of. Enlarging an opening changes the wall, so check with Building Standards first.
Vinyl for the lower level
Original basement sliders are often the draftiest windows in the house. A same-size vinyl replacement leaves the opening as it is.
Not sure what you have?
Send a photo of the whole window and a lower corner. The pro we match you with can usually tell the type and fix.
Replace or not
When replacement is the right call
Keep the window and fix the part when
- The frame is solid and dry
- One or two units have fogged or cracked
- The fault is a crank, hinge, lock or balance
- It's original sash in a heritage district
Replace the window when
- The frame is soft, split or leaking
- Most units are failing together
- No part fits the hardware, even after a search
- You want a new size or style of opening
Questions
Before you choose a window fix
Where we help
Window help across Markham
Independent pros work across Markham, from the heritage villages to the newest subdivisions. If you're near the edge of the city, we'll check whether a pro covers your address.
Tell us which window and what it's doing
A photo of the whole window and one close-up are enough to start. A local pro will suggest the smallest fix that works.