West Coast Window Performance: Dealing with Our Climate

We may live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but strong storms that bring heavy rain and gusty winds are a reality of west coast living. Our latest segment with CTV explores tips on dealing with leaks and the effectiveness of windows during a winter cold snap.

How can homeowners be sure their windows are up for the storm?

In British Columbia, we’re all too familiar with that classic pineapple express that blows in during those cold winters. This can sometimes blow rain in at a 45-degree angle, jeopardizing our roof overhangs ability and as a result, our windows get soaked. The good news is that we can be prepared. Because our windows are locally manufactured, we can build our windows for the local climate, which is one of the wettest in the world. We put our Windows through simulation testing based on our local requirements and climate, ensuring their effectiveness during these tougher months.

On average, British Columbia experiences over 1200 millimetres of rain in a year as well as wind gusts of up to 120 km/hour along the coast and beyond. These numbers are the reason our testing is imperative.

Tell us more about the testing and the device that you use to simulate the climate?   

We are putting our Windows through a Category 1 hurricane-force wind rain test. It simulates 8 inches of rain per hour with a 120-kilometre wind speed.  This is forcing the window to manage the water. The goal is to keep the water on the outside of the window.

It’s important to understand that windows aren’t waterproof but they’re designed to manage water. With this test, water will fill up in the window system but will also drain out through a series of drainage holes.  A window that passes the test is one that will drain water faster. The results will verify that the windows will perform in our coastal environment. This test booth is running throughout the day and we are evaluating random samples that are produced daily.  

This test is fairly extreme, why so much water? 

We throw everything at the window during this simulation. The test we run is a standardized test and only lasts 25 minutes.  What we are trying to do is simulate 50 years of exposure into a 25-minute test.  

Windows don’t just go into single-family homes, they are in high-rises, exposed townhomes, condos and more. This test allows us to see how far we can go and as a result, install windows in a variety of homes. The windows we install in a high-rise building are the same we install in a single-family home. The results of this test allow our team to analyze and evaluate how a window will perform over the next 50 years. 

For homeowners with older leaky windows, what are some temporary solutions and how long can they stick with that before they see serious problems?

The first thing you need to determine is if the leaky window is leaking water into the wall below or not.  What you don’t want is water damaging the wall below the window.  If water is only leaking in through the joints to the inside, then resealing the glass to the frame with silicone will help. You can also replace the gaskets and weather stripping on the frame so they are air and watertight.  Most of these materials are available at your local hardware store.

Keep the drainage paths clean. These areas can fill up with junk and debris so flushing those out with a bottle of water will ensure the drainage path will do its job during the next rainfall.

During the cold weather, you can detect window inefficiencies by:

• Testing for drafts using wet hands by the window
• Inspect weather stripping for wear and tear
• Determine the type of glass installed

The envelope of the house is like a sweater on the house. With single-pane windows, you’re wearing a t-shirt out in the cold. With double pane, you’re wearing a sweater. With more advanced technology and windows with LoE coatings, that is like wearing thermal underwear under the sweater, which will keep the heat inside the home. At the end of the day, the goal of a window is to keep the outside out and the inside in.

Are your windows outdated, inefficient, and drafty? Do they leak in the fall and winter? It's time to boost your home comfort, and Centra is here to help! From Port Alberni to Sooke, Vancouver to Kelowna, and Edmonton to Calgary, we've been helping homeowners improve their energy efficiency and slash their energy bills for over 40 years. Set up your free consultation, and we'll help you find the perfect window and door solution for your home!

Centra: Western Canada’s Top Choice for Windows & Doors

Have an upcoming window and door project? Reach out to the experts for a free consultation! If you have any questions regarding this topic or anything else to do with windows, contact a local Centra Employee Owner at 1-888-534-3333 or drop us an email at info@centra.ca. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date, and test your window knowledge on LinkedIn.