A Thornhill project can sit on the Vaughan side or the Markham side of Yonge Street, and that distinction can change which municipal and heritage questions must be settled. Falcon WD measures the actual opening, confirms the requested window or door configuration and records the installation and finishing scope before a custom order moves forward.
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Yonge Street separates the Vaughan and Markham sides of Thornhill, and Vaughan and Markham each identify a Thornhill Heritage Conservation District. A postal label therefore does not settle the approval path. The measured plan begins by confirming the municipality, property status and whether the requested exterior change requires heritage or building review.
A brick house near the historic Yonge Street corridor, a Thornhill Woods elevation with stone accents and a German Mills home with earlier alterations do not present the same installation conditions. Jamb depth, sill geometry, exterior return, interior casing, drainage and safe access are recorded at the property instead of inferred from the neighbourhood name.
Fog between panes indicates a failed sealed unit; a sash that drags can point to hardware or geometry; staining beside casing may involve the frame-to-wall connection. The Thornhill assessment distinguishes those conditions and checks the sill and water path so the proposed work addresses the opening, not just the easiest symptom to describe.
For each proposed vinyl unit, Falcon WD identifies an ENERGY STAR certified configuration and explains its tested U-factor and Energy Rating. Glass construction, coatings, inert-gas fill and spacer are considered after the room’s compass direction, shading and ventilation need are known. Screens, operator hardware and exterior finish complete the room-specific selection.
With retrofit work, the old frame remains part of the finished assembly, so it must be structurally sound, dry, square enough to receive the insert and compatible with the desired daylight area. Removing the frame exposes the construction opening and allows a different perimeter treatment. The site findings—not a default sales package—determine the method.
For an entrance, we document the full prehung assembly: panel material, jamb depth, threshold, weather seals, hinge location, opening direction and prepared lock set. Optional glass, sidelites and transoms are coordinated with the façade. Patio-door planning instead starts with the route to the yard, which panel should move and how the screen, sill and running gear will function.
Markham identifies window and door removal or replacement as an example of work that can require a Minor Heritage Permit on protected properties. Vaughan requires a building permit for a new exterior opening or an increase to an existing opening’s width and notes Cultural Heritage approval when applicable. Falcon WD records the proposed scope, but the appropriate City makes the approval decision.
NOT SURE WHICH THORNHILL RULES OR INSTALLATION METHOD APPLY?
Arrange an in-home review of the openings you are considering. The visit will produce a clear list of measurements, unresolved approval questions and the site details needed for an accurate quotation.
The address jurisdiction, opening schedule, product order and installation scope must describe the same project. Aligning those records prevents a selection made at the kitchen table from conflicting later with the measured wall, heritage direction or the work expected from the installation crew.
Thornhill residents share a community name but not one municipal office. We first establish whether the property belongs to Vaughan or Markham and whether it appears on a protected-property map or register. Falcon WD has completed Ontario residential projects since 2010, and this address check becomes part of the project notes.
Every proposed unit receives a room or doorway code. That code connects the site notes to final dimensions and to the selected sash, glass, finish, grille, insect screen and hardware. For independent reputation checks, Falcon WD’s customer history is available on Google, HomeStars and BBB, where the company holds accreditation.
Laboratory ratings belong to the manufactured unit. On-site labour belongs to another section of the proposal. Demolition, cavity treatment, interior and exterior sealant, metal finishing, trim, protection of the work area and debris handling are stated individually, making omissions visible when quotations are compared.
The product schedule cites the warranty document that applies to the exact series and options purchased. A separate contract section defines Falcon WD’s installation responsibilities and the completion inspection. This distinction keeps manufacturer coverage, workmanship commitments and homeowner maintenance from being blended into one vague promise.
The best operator for a window above a counter may be unsuitable beside a narrow walk or at a stair landing. We assess reach, ventilation and any applicable egress need by room. Across the outside face, colour, bar pattern, visible frame proportions and metalwork are reviewed together, subject to any approved heritage design.
The lower sash travels vertically while the upper section stays fixed. Because nothing swings beyond the wall, this layout can suit an opening beside a path or tight side yard; selected-series cleaning access and screen coverage are confirmed separately.
Upper and lower sashes both move, allowing airflow to be managed at either level without exterior projection. Tilt or removal features, meeting-rail position, locks and the clear opening are checked against the chosen model and room requirement.
A fixed picture unit reserves more of the opening for glass because it has no operating hardware. For a broad Thornhill view, it can occupy the centre while smaller venting units are placed where handles remain reachable.
An awning sash pivots from the top and projects at its lower edge. It can provide controlled ventilation in a wider or elevated opening after crank reach, interior screen position and clearance outside the wall are measured.
A casement crank moves the sash from one vertical side and draws it back against compression weather seals. Left or right handing is chosen after considering breeze, operator reach, screen location and nearby shrubs, walks or rooflines.
This non-operating unit uses proportions intended to align with neighbouring casements. It provides a consistent frame rhythm where another opening handles ventilation, without adding a crank, hinge track or movable sash.
One horizontal sash moves past a stationary section and stays within the wall plane. That contained travel can work beside a deck, walkway or planting bed where an outward-opening window would interfere with use of the space.
A double slider lets either horizontal panel travel toward the centre. Before selection, we verify which surfaces can be reached from indoors, where the insect screen sits and how the two locks engage; these details vary among manufacturers.
A wide fixed centre is flanked by sliding vents. This three-part arrangement keeps the central sightline open and permits airflow at both ends while all moving panels remain inside the frame footprint.
Bay and bow work extends beyond the wall plane. The review includes the platform, anchorage, top cover, junctions with cladding and the finished interior ledge as well as the glazed units. Altering angles, depth or support is treated as a different scope from renewing an existing projection.
Furniture placement and the natural route outdoors determine the active side of a patio slider. We note the passage width, insect-screen location, condition beneath the threshold, insulating glass, wheel system, handle and latch so the factory configuration matches daily use.
For a steel entrance, the insulated panel and prehung frame are selected together. Threshold height, weatherstrip contact, hinges, opening direction and bore preparation have to agree; decorative glazing, side panels, overhead glass, paint colour and trim are layered onto that technical base.
Fiberglass panels may have a paintable smooth skin or a textured grain, with multiple embossing and glass layouts. The system is completed by a compatible frame, threshold, weather seals, adjacent or overhead glazing and prepared hardware. At a protected property, municipal design approval comes before these choices.
A rated window or door cannot compensate for an incompatible opening or incomplete perimeter. Dimensions, support, glass, hardware, insulation, air sealing, drainage and visible finishing are reviewed as one connection between the new product and the existing Thornhill wall.
Locate the air-control line: The clearance around the unit must accept the specified insulating material without distorting the frame. Interior and exterior seal locations are then established so the rated product is not surrounded by an uncontrolled air gap.
Keep water moving outward: Sill support, weep routes, flashing where required, capping and exterior sealant are arranged to preserve a drainage path that can be inspected and maintained.
Select glazing after measuring exposure: We interpret the published performance numbers alongside dimensions, opening style and total glazing area. Only then do we settle the insulating-glass build, solar-control coating and spacer needed for that room.
Test the full travel path: Cranks, sliding sashes, entrance panels, patio rollers and screens must move without colliding with blinds, furniture, steps or exterior obstacles.
Make hardware part of the factory order: Lock bodies, strikes, keepers and any multi-point mechanism are ordered for the exact sash or door panel and its factory machining. At completion, they should engage smoothly while maintaining even contact with the weather seals.
Confirm accessible controls: Handle height, crank reach, screen removal and lock operation are reviewed for the people using the room, not just for the opening dimensions.
Check heritage status before changing appearance: Both Vaughan and Markham identify Thornhill heritage districts. Exterior material, profile, proportion, colour or glazing changes may need municipal review before product approval.
Coordinate the street-facing elevation: We view the proposed frames, connecting bars, grille pattern, exterior colour and entrance glazing alongside windows that are staying. This elevation review follows the municipality’s accepted heritage treatment wherever the address is protected.
Define the room-side finish: The interior notes specify how the new frame meets the wall, which extensions or trim pieces are included and where caulking ends. Any patching or painting left to the homeowner is identified before installation is scheduled.
The workflow uses four deliberate gates. Address responsibility and constraints come first, field information becomes a written schedule second, the custom order is audited third, and the installed operation is reviewed last. Non-standard shapes, colours or structural proposals remain on hold until their details are resolved.
1
We establish the responsible municipality, screen the address for potential heritage controls and label every requested opening. The field sheet captures the reported problem, approximate size, frame and sill condition, surrounding wall finish, room-side trim and safe approach for installers.
2
Final measurements are paired with a coded selection sheet covering window action or door swing, insulating glass, surface colour, decorative bars, insect screens and hardware. A companion labour sheet states demolition, gap treatment, exterior metal, indoor trim, jobsite protection and waste handling.
3
The signed proposal, final site sheet and factory configuration are cross-checked. An item affected by City review, a structural revision or an unresolved design choice is not sent to manufacturing until the responsible approval is documented.
4
Installation follows the approved labour sheet. During close-out, the homeowner can see each operating sash or door panel move, latch and lock; screens and visible joints are checked; protected areas are tidied; and removed products leave the site when waste service forms part of the contract.
READY TO TURN YOUR THORNHILL OPENINGS INTO A VERIFIED PLAN?
Tell us which rooms or exterior doorways you want reviewed, and we will arrange the measurement visit needed to prepare the opening schedule.
The answers below address the issues that arise when one community is governed by two cities. For an individual home, current City direction, the executed contract, the approved factory schedule and the warranty supplied for the purchased products take precedence.
Confirm the municipal address through your property records or the relevant city service before planning exterior work. Thornhill extends across Vaughan and Markham, and the correct city determines where permit or heritage questions must be directed.
Yes. Both municipalities identify Thornhill Heritage Conservation Districts, and Markham specifically lists removal and replacement of windows or doors among examples requiring a Minor Heritage Permit. Confirm the property status and proposed exterior change with the appropriate heritage staff before ordering.
Retrofit keeps a suitable existing frame and installs a new unit within it. Full-frame work removes that frame to reach the rough opening. Condition, dimensions, drainage, glass-area goals, finishing and any heritage direction determine which method is appropriate.
Not automatically. A two-pane or three-pane insulating unit may each be sensible depending on the complete window’s published ratings, dimensions and operating format. Sun exposure, shade, amount of glass, comfort target and budget should be evaluated for each room before the glazing build is chosen.
Yes. A single contract may coordinate several product categories, while the schedule preserves a separate record for every room and doorway. A City or heritage condition attached to one exterior change does not automatically become the specification for all other units.
Look for an opening-by-opening schedule, named product selections and an explicit method of installation. The labour section should disclose demolition, treatment of the frame-to-wall space, outside metalwork, indoor trim, protection and debris service. Municipal, masonry or structural responsibilities need their own lines.
Unit count leaves out most cost drivers. Manufacturing varies with size, sash or panel design, insulating glass, finishes and hardware. Labour varies with what remains in the wall, removal depth, storey, access, exterior metal, room-side trim and approval-related preparation. Measuring reveals those differences.
For qualifying Falcon WD window selections, the manufacturer’s term may reach 25 years. The exact duration depends on the purchased series and on which glass or hardware component is involved. We provide the controlling warranty so exclusions and service procedure are known; contractual workmanship commitments are documented separately.
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I wanted to highly recommend the services of Falcon Windows and Doors. They installed my new windows last week, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. The windows are beautiful, high-quality, and have made our home noticeably warmer and quieter — we now hear much less noise from the street.
From start to finish, Andriy’s service was impeccable. I sent an email early on a Saturday morning, and he reached out the same day to schedule a visit and provide a quote. We placed the order, and within just five weeks, the windows were ready for installation.
On installation day, three very polite and professional gentlemen arrived early. They carefully covered all the floors to prevent any damage and worked efficiently and nonstop until everything was completed. They also cleaned up thoroughly afterward.
Andriy personally came on the day of installation to ensure everything was in perfect order.
I truly recommend Falcon Windows and Doors for your next project — you’ll be as impressed as I am!
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
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For property-specific direction, start with Markham’s Heritage Permit page, Vaughan’s conservation-district page and Vaughan’s exterior-opening permit page. The Falcon WD articles shown below support the later comparison of energy labels, insulating glass and entrance hardware.
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