Gananoque · east of Kingston
Gananoque: help for the region's oldest housing stock
Gananoque, east of Kingston, Ontario, has the oldest housing in the area: about half its homes were built in 1960 or earlier. The town took Loyalist land grants in 1784 and incorporated in 1890, and much of what needs attention now is wood sash, storm windows and old single panes. We connect you with independent pros who work this far along the river. Not all of them do, so we check by postal code and tell you plainly what we find.
At a glance
- Housing
- The area's oldest; about half the town's homes date from 1960 or earlier
- Town
- Loyalist grants in 1784; incorporated as a town in 1890; gateway to the Thousand Islands
- Usual jobs
- Sash repair and reglazing, storm windows, storefront glass
- Permits
- Town of Gananoque
Gananoque's older houses and what their windows need
With so much of the town built before 1961, the common window problems here belong to old wood: sash that won't stay up because a cord has broken, putty that has dried and let a pane loosen, sash painted shut, and storm windows that went missing years ago. A good share of households rent, so landlords ask about the same work.
None of that means the window is finished. Old sash was built to be taken apart and mended, and most of it still can be.
Sash repair, reglazing and storm windows
- Wood sash repair: new sash cords, reglazing, loose joints re-glued and weatherstripping added, with the original frame kept.
- Single-pane reglazing: a cracked pane in an old sash is cut to size and set in fresh putty; the sash stays.
- Storm windows: wood or combination storms made for each opening, to keep river and lake weather off the sash.
- Window screens: rescreened in their frames, or new frames made for combination storms.
Fogged units in later homes
The rest of the town's houses were built after 1960, and many older ones have had replacement windows fitted since. Those windows use thermal units, sealed double glass, and when a seal fails the glass hazes between the panes. If the frame is sound, the unit can be replaced on its own; the foggy window page explains how.
Shops and seasonal businesses
As the gateway town for the Thousand Islands, Gananoque has shops and seasonal businesses whose windows need to be right before visitors arrive. Spring is the time to sort cracked display glass, sticking entrance doors and worn closers.
If a shop window breaks overnight, the order is steady and simple: keep people clear, photograph the damage for the insurer, then have the opening boarded or secured. New storefront glass is cut or made to size afterwards. See storefront glass repair.
Permits: the Town's own building department
Gananoque issues its own building permits; the City of Kingston's rules don't apply here. We haven't confirmed the Town's requirements for window work, so check with the Town before changing an opening's size, and ask whether your house has any heritage designation before replacing original windows. Repairs that keep the existing sash usually raise fewer questions. Other towns we check are on the service areas page.
Gananoque questions
Is there a pro who covers Gananoque?
Sometimes, and we check before saying so. Gananoque is east of Kingston, and not every pro who works the city goes that far. Send your postal code and photos with the request. If a pro who covers the town takes it, they contact you. If none does, we tell you plainly. Start a request.
Can a single cracked pane in an old Gananoque sash be reglazed?
Yes. A single pane in a wood sash can be replaced without replacing the sash. The pro removes the old putty and glass, cuts a new pane to fit, sets it with glazing points and fresh putty, and leaves it to cure before painting. It's a small job that keeps the original window. If several panes and the putty are failing, ask about reglazing the whole sash.
A shop window in Gananoque was smashed overnight. What happens tonight, and what waits?
Tonight: keep people away from the glass, photograph everything before it's cleaned up, and have the opening boarded or otherwise secured. What waits is the new glass. Storefront panes are usually cut or made to size, so they follow a measuring visit. Call your insurer early. See storefront glass repair.
Are storm windows worth putting back on an older Gananoque house?
On most older houses, yes. A storm cuts drafts through old sash, keeps rain off the putty and wood, and is a much smaller job than replacing sound windows. Wood storms suit older houses and come down in spring; combination storms stay up and include a window screen. Each opening is measured separately. See storm windows.
Who issues permits for window work in Gananoque?
The Town of Gananoque's building department. The City of Kingston's rules don't apply there. We haven't confirmed the Town's requirements for window replacement, so ask before any job that enlarges or moves an opening, and before replacing original windows on an older house. The pro can describe the work, but the Town decides what it needs.