John Gabriel Otvos from Cambridge

In 2010 I ordered 18 triple glazed windows, 3 triple-lite entry doors and 3 solid insulated doors from Fibertec Window & Door Mfg in Concord, ON. All of these units were specifically designed with a fibreglass frame surround, for this passive solar house, which faces due south on the North Mountain here in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Every unit was very sturdily crated on skids with Aspenite/flake board protection, for the long journey from ON to NS. The quality control was spot on as the Brits say! When one of my construction crew accidentally punctured a small window, I was promptly sent a replacement, of course at my cost, with the installation being easy as per the supplied instructions. I chose awning ventilators since they can tuck up under the roof overhang and allow ventilation even on a slightly rainy day; which happens here, being stuck out in the North Atlantic Ocean. On the north face of the house, the awning window is at the bottom, for front to back ventilation at nightime, when it is cooler during summer months. Casements are de rigueur for bedrooms as that is building code for egress during a fire. The handle cranks, the twin side locks, the multiple seals have all functioned perfectly these past few years since installation. The painted finish on the exterior has continued to stand up to sun, wind and rain without any deterioration. Of course I realize these are early years. With the solar enhancing hard coating on the interior panes of these windows, one does have to become used to a very slight ‘bluish cast’ when looking outdoors. Over time I have forgotten that I noticed this in the first few months of living with them. Overall, I am very pleased with the workmanship, shipping and ease of installation of these windows from Fibertec. Their cost, while not the cheapest, was in my estimation at the time, the best value for money of the 4 fibreglass window manufacturers in Canada. If you have read down this far, I have a blog about this unusual house. You can follow the construction process in the Step by Step link . While there was no specific chapter devoted to the windows, I do write about them throughout the blog and there are many images thank become full size when you play the mouse cursor over the pictures.