Drafts, rebates and break-ins: what Toronto homeowners are asking about windows and doors before winter.
With heating season under way and Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program scheduled to wind down on Nov. 30, a Concord manufacturer answers the questions it hears most at this time of year.
Every November, the calls coming into Vinyl Light Windows & Doors start to sound alike: a back bedroom that never warms up, frost inside a window frame, a front door that whistles in the wind.
“The cold doesn’t create problems with windows and doors. It reveals the ones that were there all along,” says Roman Semryk, founder of Vinyl Light.
The company has manufactured and installed windows and doors for Toronto-area homes since 2007. It builds them at its own production facility in Concord and installs them with its own WSIB-covered crews, so there is no retail markup and no subcontractors in the chain.
Is it too late to replace windows this year?
Not if the order goes in soon. Because Vinyl Light makes its own product, it controls its schedule: standard orders take three to four weeks, with a one-week rush option for urgent jobs such as a failed sealed unit. A measurement booked in November can mean new windows before the holidays.
Installation continues through the winter, one opening at a time, so the house is never open to the weather for long.
What happens to the rebate after Nov. 30?
Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program, delivered by Enbridge Gas and Save on Energy, pays $100 per rough opening for ENERGY STAR certified windows and doors, so a house replacing 10 windows gets $1,000 back. It is scheduled to run until Nov. 30, 2026, and can be changed or ended sooner.
Windows and doors fall under the bundled path, which requires a pre-retrofit home energy assessment and at least one other eligible upgrade, such as insulation or air sealing. Anyone starting now should confirm the deadline with the program before booking work. Vinyl Light’s estimators can check which of its ENERGY STAR certified models qualify.
Condensation, frost or a draft: does the window need replacing?
Not always. Condensation on the inside of the glass usually points to high indoor humidity, which better ventilation can fix. Fog between the panes means the seal has failed, and the sealed unit can often be replaced on its own for a fraction of the cost of a new window.
Full replacement makes sense when the frame is the problem: sashes that no longer close tightly, frost on the frame, rot in older wood windows or cold air around the unit. Every Vinyl Light window comes standard with Low-E 272 glass, argon fill and 100 percent virgin uPVC frames.
Double or triple pane for a Toronto winter?
It depends on the room. In Vinyl Light’s experience, double pane with argon fill suits most rooms in most Toronto houses. Triple pane adds insulation and cuts outside noise, so it makes sense in north-facing rooms and bedrooms on busy streets rather than throughout the house.
Is the front door keeping out more than the cold?
Toronto police recorded 6,092 break-and-enters in 2025, 11 percent fewer than the year before, but in March 2026 city council adopted a motion calling for urgent action on violent residential break-ins.
Vinyl Light’s fibreglass entry doors have a polyurethane foam core rated at R-15, compared with about R-10 for a typical steel door. The company recommends multipoint locks, which secure the door at several points along the frame and resist forced entry. Laminated glass and security film are available for patio doors and basement windows.
Planning a basement suite? Start with the window.
Since 2023, Toronto has allowed up to four units on residential lots citywide, and many of those projects include basement units. Any basement bedroom needs an egress window that meets the Ontario Building Code.
Cutting a new opening into a concrete or block foundation is structural work. Vinyl Light’s in-house crews handle the cutting, reinforcement and window installation as one job. Planning over the winter leaves time to settle permits and design before spring construction.
For homeowners still deciding, Semryk’s advice is practical. “Walk through the house on the first really cold night and hold your hand near the windows and the front door. If you can feel the air moving, you have your answer.”
Vinyl Light Windows & Doors offers free in-home estimates across Toronto and the GTA, usually within 24 hours. To book, visit vinyllight.ca or call 647-557-8817.
About Vinyl Light Windows & Doors
Founded in 2007, Vinyl Light Windows & Doors manufactures and installs ENERGY STAR certified vinyl windows, entry doors and patio doors for homeowners across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The company operates its own production facility and showroom in Concord, Ontario, and installs with in-house crews.