Windows, doors and skylights account for up to 25 per cent of energy loss in the home. When it comes to choosing energy-efficient windows in particular, it’s not just the glass that matters. Proper installation is key, but so is the frame in which the window sits.
That’s where one Canadian company is changing the game.
As of 2022, Nordik Windows and Doors now offers its trademark RevoCell technology across all of its window products. Not only are the windows Energy Star certified, but they come with the highest possible energy rating in their class.
In partnership with Nordik as it celebrates 40 years in business, we take a look at the company’s innovation and expansion.
Building a better window
Most window frames were made of wood until aluminum windows were pioneered in the U.S. in 1926. Canadian builders adopted the material on a large scale by the ’70s. PVC window frames were introduced in Germany in 1952, becoming the norm in Canadian homes by the ’80s.
Fast-forward decades later, and in 2017, Nordik Windows tried a newer form of the material: microcellular polyvinyl chloride (mPVC).
The new technology, which the company dubbed RevoCell, has the potential to save homeowners hundreds of dollars in energy costs, according to Nordik sales coordinator Joseph Witts.
“It’s a solid piece,” he explains. “That’s what provides us with a higher efficiency value for the framing material. Because there’s no air penetration, there’s less expansion and contraction.” That means that not only is there less heat loss due to drafts, the window is also more durable, he adds.
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In Canada, the energy rating of a window is calculated based on three key factors: the insulation level, passive heat gain potential from sunlight and airtightness.
By maintaining a higher insulation value in the framing, Witts says, Nordik is able to achieve higher performance standards while also maintaining higher levels of natural lighting. That means the company doesn’t need to alter the glass components of its windows to make them more energy efficient, although it still offers both double- and triple-glazed glass options.
Choosing the triple-glazed option increases the energy rating significantly, but Nordik’s standard double-pane option meets the same efficiency standards as many upgraded triple-pane options from competitors, Witts notes.
When Paul and Anna Ross of Guelph, Ont., realized they needed to replace the windows in their home last year, they shopped around at three different places. In the end, they selected Nordik because the quality was unmatched, and the company was willing to negotiate.
“They were the better windows. Even though they were a little more expensive, it was a much better product,” Paul says.
“The energy rating was also higher than the other companies’, so we were able to apply for government rebates” such as the Canada Greener Homes Grant, Anna adds.
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From Ottawa roots to a Toronto expansion
Nordik Windows and Doors started as a small family company in Ottawa in 1982. Today, it has expanded to also serve the GTA and Hamilton, from the Niagara Region well into Muskoka, and from Kitchener-Waterloo to Oshawa.
Legal counsel and COO Catherine Walsh has been a big part of that expansion. She joined the company five years ago to help oversee its foray into the GTA market and new acquisitions, and has since led the brand consolidation of Nordik Windows. Today, she estimates, there are nearly 500 employees across the province, including service techs, sales reps, office employees, management and manufacturing staff.
“We’ve been able to vertically integrate the entire supply chain,” she says. “We make our own windows. It’s our sales reps who show up at your house when you call us for a quote. And then we install the windows as well.” Once the windows are in place, Nordik also provides after-sale warranty service.
This kind of expansion mentality is a first in the window and door industry, Walsh notes, comparing it to a tech-industry mindset. That growth benefits the consumer as well, she adds. By streamlining the process, Nordik doesn’t just ensure a quality and economical product from start to finish, it also offers peace of mind.
“It’s our product and our installation, so our warranty covers everything for 25 years,” she explains.
With the company celebrating 40 years in business in 2022, incorporating the RevoCell technology across all of its window lines has been a huge milestone, according to Witts.
“We’re definitely ahead of the curve,” he says. “We’re the only company using this material to manufacture residential windows in Canada. And we have no indication that anybody else is planning on trying to use this material now or in the future.”
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For more information or to see if Nordik is available in your area, visit Nordik.com.