Windows shape how a heritage home looks from the street, and on most restoration projects they are also the longest wait. On a heritage Craftsman we recently assessed and priced in Vancouver, custom wood windows set the critical path for a 13-month rebuild. Getting them right started long before anyone chose a product.
Price from the latest drawings
The first window schedule for this house was built from the building permit drawings. A later tender set replaced those drawings and carried the status tags that governed pricing. A schedule built from superseded drawings prices the wrong windows, so we rebuilt ours against the tender set and kept the room numbers and window IDs that made it easy to follow.
Give every opening a status
Each opening on the tender drawings carried one of four tags:
- EX: existing window, kept
- NEW: new window or door
- S.G. EX: existing stained glass
- REMOVED: opening boarded in and permanently infilled, with the exterior appearance maintained
Stained glass went to its own schedule and to an art glass studio, not a window maker (see our article on leaded and stained glass). Removed openings came off the window count and went on a separate infill list. One bedroom window came back as a new, smaller window, priced as part of the code and bylaw work. The tender set also added new doors the first schedule had missed: a rear porch door, a French balcony door and a basement suite entry door.
Replace only what the fire damaged
On an insurance rebuild, the scope often limits replacement to damaged units. The tender for this house did exactly that: windows damaged by the fire were to be replaced, and existing windows tagged EX stayed. That makes a site walk essential. The window supplier and the contractor walk the house together with the numbered schedule and agree, opening by opening, which units are damaged. Without that walk, two bidders can price two different houses.
Know your energy target
New windows on this house had to meet a thermal performance of USI 1.22, set in the tender documents. USI is the metric measure of heat loss through the whole window, in watts per square metre per degree (W/m²K). Lower is better. Ask every supplier for the value for your actual window sizes, not a brochure figure, because the number changes with size and configuration.
Settle the wall before the window
This house was re-clad with a rainscreen, which made every exterior wall thicker, so each window needed deeper sills and trim projections. One side of the house sat close to the property line and needed a fire-rated wall, which limits the openings allowed on that side. Settle the wall assembly first, then order windows to fit it.
Order early
Custom wood windows were the longest-lead item on this rebuild and set the critical path. When you ask for quotes, ask for three things beyond the price: the lead time from shop drawing approval, the deposit terms, and the performance value for your sizes.
Choosing the windows
For heritage and custom homes, one of the window makers we work with is Baltic Windows, which makes solid wood and wood/aluminum-clad windows. Two of its solid wood lines suit traditional homes:
- SCA58: laminated solid wood frame and sash, outswing casement and awning. Baltic describes it as a replacement for old traditional wood windows during renovation. Baltic lists it with double glazing at a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K.
- IV78: laminated solid wood tilt-turn window, an updated version of a classic German wood window design. Double or triple glazing, with a U-value listed at up to 0.9 W/m²K.
For owners who want wood inside and low-maintenance aluminum outside, Baltic’s MD78 is a wood/aluminum-clad tilt-turn window. Independent thermal modelling by Layton Consulting in Vancouver gave the triple-glazed MD78 a U-value of 0.94 W/m²K.
Compare every figure with your project's target. Against the USI 1.22 required on the house above, a window listed at 1.4 would need a different glazing or a different line, while the triple-glazed figures above sit below the target. Baltic generally recommends triple glazing for new work in Vancouver. On a heritage home, also confirm with your designer and the City that the profile, sightlines and divisions of any new window are acceptable before you order.
Talk to us
If your character home needs new or restored wood windows, Eurohouse can schedule every opening, get comparable prices and keep the windows off your critical path.
See our custom homes and renovations work, or ask about your project. Your first meetings are free.
Call 604-728-5682 or email info@eurohouse.ca.