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The District of Saanich is moving resolutions to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities in support of home renovation tax credits similar to the Province of Quebec.  Councillor Haynes Final – Home Renovation Tax Credits

Another stunning custom home in Nanoose Bay built by Camelot Homes and designed by Ryan Hoyt Designs Inc.  The signature cut Windsor shingles are striking and the exterior cladding package, Smartside from LP Products turned out beautiful.

Good windows are key to energy efficiency.  Period.  Until the day we all get smart and actually concede that performance trumps appearance, we will continue building houses that push the limits on glazing area.  When we build walls with an approximate thermal resistance of R20, roofs and ceilings with values between R28 and R40, the R1 value of a low end window really stands out.  Especially when glazing areas are 15% and upwards.  Moving to a high performance window with a thermal resistance around R6 coupled with the various performance enhancing coatings and glazing units can result in a staggering difference in energy efficiency.

The trouble with buying windows is that for most people they look relatively the same. And ‘pretty’ doesn’t necessarily translate into quality or performance.  Even more challenging is that shopping for windows is much like buying a car.  Every dealer has their own brands with their own specs, and each one is happy to tell you why their product is superior vs. the next guy.

If you aren’t a building science nerd, the hard line comparisons can be daunting.

One valuable resource I can recommend is Complete Windows in Parksville.  These guys are one of the only places around with a full showroom of windows you can touch and feel, and with multiple different manufacturer’s available.  Complete Windows are dealers of Vinyltek, Milgard, Marvin, Innotech and Western Windows amongst others. These are all quality windows that are worth a look for your next project.

Next time you are driving through Parksville, stop in and see Eric.