Loyalist Township · west of Kingston
Amherstview and Odessa: window and glass help west of Kingston
Amherstview and Odessa are in Loyalist Township, west of Kingston, Ontario, outside the City's limits and its building department. Across the Township, most homes are detached houses lived in by their owners, and a large share went up between the 1960s and 1980. In houses of that age the windows have often been replaced once already, and it is the thermal units in those replacements, or a patio door's rollers, that give out before the frames do. We connect you with independent pros who work west of the city, and we check coverage by postal code before promising anything.
At a glance
- Municipality
- Loyalist Township, not the City of Kingston
- Housing
- Mostly owner-occupied detached houses; many from the 1960s and 70s (Township-wide)
- Usual jobs
- Fogged thermal units, sliding patio doors, window screens
- Coverage
- Checked by postal code
Loyalist Township homes: mostly owner-occupied houses
Loyalist Township was formed in 1998 from Amherst Island Township, Ernestown Township and Bath Village. Amherstview was first laid out in the 1950s; Odessa is older, a mill village that took its present name in 1855.
Because most houses are owned by the people living in them, window decisions are long ones: does a repair buy years or a season, and should the windows be done together or one at a time? Ask the pro to answer both on the quote.
Fogged units and full replacements
A fogged window is a failed seal in the thermal unit, the sealed double glass inside the frame. If the frame is sound, the sash closes and locks, and nothing is rotting, a new thermal unit in the old frame is usually the sensible fix.
Replacement windows make more sense when frames are cracked or warped, or several units have failed at once. If you replace, look at the provincial Home Renovation Savings Program: it covers ENERGY STAR replacements, generally after a home energy assessment, and a glass-only swap does not qualify. Check its current terms before you sign.
Patio doors and window screens
- Sliding patio doors: a door that won't slide, latch or lock usually needs new rollers, a cleaned track or a reset keeper, not a new door.
- Weatherstripping: a draft along the interlock is worn pile strip, replaced in place.
- Window screens: torn mesh is replaced in the existing frame; missing screens are made to size.
- Patio screen doors: frames straightened or rebuilt, and new rollers so they run again.
Permits: Loyalist Township's building department
Amherstview and Odessa are in Loyalist Township, so building permits come from the Township's building department, not the City of Kingston. We haven't confirmed the Township's rules for window and door work. Before you change the size of an opening or add a window, check with the Township; the pro can tell you what the job involves, but the Township decides what it needs.
For the older village houses in Bath, also in the Township, see our Bath page.
Getting a pro out west of the city
Not every Kingston pro drives past the city line, so we check coverage by postal code. Send it with photos and a line about what's wrong. If a pro who covers your street takes the job, they contact you. If we can't find one, we tell you rather than leave the request sitting.
The service areas page lists the other towns we check. Start a request when you're ready.
Amherstview and Odessa questions
Will a pro come out to Amherstview or Odessa?
Often, but we check before saying yes. Coverage outside the city depends on which pros take work in Loyalist Township, so we check by postal code. Include yours on the request with a photo of the problem. If a pro covers your street, they contact you directly. If none does, we tell you so, rather than letting the request go quiet.
Who issues permits for window work in Loyalist Township?
The Township's own building department, not the City of Kingston. We haven't confirmed its rules for window and door replacement, so ask the Township before any job that changes an opening's size or adds a new window. The pro can describe the work for you, but the Township decides whether a permit is needed.
Should decades-old windows in an Odessa house be repaired or replaced?
It depends on the frames, not the age. If the frames are sound and only the glass has fogged, a new thermal unit in each frame is usually enough. If the frames are cracked, warped or leaking air all round, or most windows are failing together, replacement is worth pricing. Ask for both options on the quote. See replacement windows.
The patio door in our Amherstview house won't latch. Is it the door or the lock?
Usually neither on its own. When a sliding door's rollers wear or drop, the door sits lower in its track and the latch no longer meets its keeper. Raising or replacing the rollers, and resetting the keeper, often cures it. If the latch itself is broken, it is replaced separately. See sliding door repair.
Can one fogged window be fixed without replacing the whole set?
Yes. Each thermal unit is separate, so one fogged unit can be replaced without touching the others. The new unit is made to measure, which means a measuring visit first and a second visit to fit it. If more units are starting to haze, it can be worth doing them together on one order.