Meadowvale · Mississauga
Meadowvale homes around the lakes: sealed units, sliders and screens
Meadowvale was built in the 1970s as subdivisions around two man-made lakes, west of the old Meadowvale Village. Its homes have reached the stage where the glass, the patio sliders and the screens need regular attention, and much of that is repair rather than new windows. We're a free referral service. We connect you with an independent local glass professional who does your kind of job, and they measure, quote and do the work.
At a glance
- Built
- 1970s subdivisions around Lake Aquitaine and Lake Wabukayne
- Not the same as
- Meadowvale Village, the heritage district to the east
- Common jobs
- Fogged sealed units, patio sliders, patio screen doors
- Permits
- Same-size windows and doors need no City permit
A 1970s new town built around two lakes
In the 1970s, farmland west of Meadowvale Village became a series of subdivisions laid out around Lake Aquitaine and Lake Wabukayne. The community kept growing through the 1990s and 2000s, so first-phase streets sit beside later ones.
A 1970s house may have original windows or a first set of replacements; a newer street may be on its originals. Either way the jobs are familiar: fogged glass, sliders that stick, screens that tear. If your townhouse is part of a condominium corporation, check with management before booking, because the windows may be common elements.
Fogged glass in original and first-replacement windows
A foggy window here is usually a failed sealed unit. The seal around the edge of the double glazing has let moist air in, and it condenses between the panes where you can't wipe it. It's mostly a problem of looks and some lost insulation, not of safety, and it won't clear by itself.
The usual fix is to replace just the sealed unit and keep the frame. That works for original windows and first replacements alike, as long as the frame is sound. A new window is worth pricing when the frame is rotted, cracked or leaking. The foggy window page sets out when each makes sense.
Patio sliders and screen doors: everyday jobs
In homes of this age, these are everyday jobs, and each is worth fixing on its own.
- Sliding door repair: a door that drags, jumps the track or won't lock usually needs new rollers, a cleaned track or an adjustment.
- Patio screen doors: a screen door that keeps coming off its track, or has torn mesh or a broken handle, can be re-rollered, rescreened and put back in service.
- Window screens: rescreened in their frames, or rebuilt when a frame is bent.
- Glass in a patio door: a fogged or cracked panel can be replaced without replacing the door.
Meadowvale Village next door has heritage rules
Meadowvale and Meadowvale Village share a name, not a set of rules. The Village is the historic hamlet on the Credit River and a heritage conservation district. The 1970s subdivisions are not part of it.
If your home is in the Village, the district plan says original wood windows should be kept and conserved wherever feasible. Replacements use colourless glass and wood-faced muntins, and new storm windows must be wood. Work that follows these guidelines needs only a Clearance to Alter, which the plan describes as a quick approval. New or enlarged openings need a Heritage Property Permit. Our heritage windows guide covers both paths.
Choosing replacement windows
When the frames are failing, or you want every window to match, replacement is the honest answer. A same-size window or door needs no City building permit; a bigger or new opening does, and zoning still applies (City permit page).
When comparing quotes, look at:
- Style: keeping casements as casements and sliders as sliders is simplest.
- Install method: a retrofit fits the new window into the old frame; a full-frame install takes the old frame out.
- Glass: which coatings and fills the pro recommends, and why.
- Rebate: Ontario's Home Renovation Savings Program covers only full ENERGY STAR windows and doors, generally with a home energy assessment. Glass-only work doesn't qualify.
Meadowvale questions
Do the Meadowvale Village heritage rules cover my 1970s Meadowvale house?
No. The heritage conservation district covers only Meadowvale Village, the historic hamlet on the Credit River. The 1970s subdivisions around the lakes are outside it, so the district's rules on wood windows and storms don't apply, and a same-size replacement needs no City building permit. If your house is individually designated, check with the City's heritage staff.
Our Meadowvale windows were replaced years ago. Can the fogged units still be swapped?
Usually, yes. A replacement window has sealed units like any other, and a pro can measure the fogged one, have a new unit made and fit it into the existing sash or frame. That works as long as the frame is sound. If it's soft or cracked, the pro should tell you a new window is the better fix.
The patio screen door keeps jumping its track. Can it be repaired?
Usually. A screen door that jumps its track often has worn or broken rollers, a bent frame or a track that needs cleaning. New rollers and an adjustment fix most of these, and torn mesh can be replaced at the same time. A new screen door is only needed when the frame is badly bent. See screen door repair.
Do I need a City permit to replace a patio door with one the same size?
No. The City of Mississauga doesn't require a building permit to replace a door with one of the same size. A wider door, or a new opening in a wall, needs one, and zoning rules still apply. In a condo townhouse, you'll also need the corporation's approval before work starts.