Fenestration Conversations Fenestration Review

Terry Adamson, technical director for Fenestration Canada, joins The Conversation to preview the proposed changes to the National Building Code related to window and doors. Wider door openings for accessibility…tighter air tightness…solar heat gain requirements…upper storey window fall protection…glazing guard loads…it’s all here in an information-dense download.

Cornerstone, owner of Ply Gem and Northstar, has made some significant investments to double capacity in several key manufacturing areas including insulating glass and extrusions. Marketing manager Richard Hill joins the Conversation to tell us what they did, why they did it and where they hope it takes the company in the future.

As executive director of the Canadian Association of Consulting Energy Advisors, Cindy Gareau has been intimately involved with the federal Greener Homes Initiative rebate program for energy-efficient home upgrades and other rebate programs across the country. She joins Fenestration Conversations to update us on the status of the program and what led to its sooner-than-expected demise at the start of this year. She also has many valuable perspectives on rebate programs in general and the role of energy advisors in Canada’s ongoing project to upgrade the energy performance of housing. Plus some breaking news about the possibility of a Greener Homes 2.0!
Note: A correction has been added to this podcast at the end. Please note the deadline for energy advisor pre-audit submissions to Greener Homes Grants through Enbridge in Ontario was Feb. 5. Fenestration Review regrets the error.

Our fast-changing world of tightening energy standards and embodied carbon is challenging us all to look at different design approaches and different materials. Enter a true Canadian glass innovator – Advanced Glazings in Sydney, N.S., and their Solera and SoleraWall products that use an aerogel fill to make translucent architectural glass products with energy performance similar to vacuum insulated glass. CEO Satterwhite and founder and president Milburn join the podcast to explain aerogel; discuss the performance characteristics; talk about how daylighting can meet esthetic, health and energy conservation needs; and reveal how they have found success with a product few glass companies in the world have the expertise to make.

Another year has gone by and it’s time for a high-level view of our business conditions and results in 2023. Marvin Cruz, research director, and Christina Santini, national affairs director, for the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses join Fenestration Conversations to tell us what they are hearing from small and medium-sized businesses across the country. We hit inflation, labour shortages, regulations and red tape, credit card fees, housing and more. Happy holidays to everyone and all the best for 2024!

Fenestration Review columnist Anton Van Dyk – The Window Geek – has recently left window manufacturer Centra to join Layton Consulting, a Surrey, B.C,-based building engineering firm. He joins the Conversation to give us the view on the consulting business and the issues he’ll be addressing from the perspective of a guy who has had to design and sell the products that architects, governments and project owners specify. The big topic: how fast things are changing and the challenges and opportunities that are popping up for us all.