This month, A1 Windows is featured in Canada Window and Door’s print magazine with a manufacturer profile.

We’ve been proudly serving our market for almost thirty years and the publication looks back on the success we’ve had. It talks about our award-winning service, our leading edge vinyl and aluminum windows and our investment in industry and technology.

The team behind fabrication, marketing, selling and installing windows and patio doors is what makes A1 Windows a success and the piece celebrates this.

Read on to get a sneak preview of some upcoming and exciting changes happening here. The full article is below.

A1 Windows exemplifies expertise, innovation, quality and service. Like many start-ups, A1 Windows Manufacturing Ltd began in a small shop. Nearly 30 years ago, former employees of Humphrey Aluminum purchased the substantial assets of the defunct company and in 1992, started producing aluminum windows on Beresford Avenue in Burnaby, British Columbia. It didn’t take long before the owners recognized the success of their new venture. In the first of many milestones, the product line was expanded to vinyl windows. Its impact was significant. “With our award-winning service and focus on the residential replacement market, rapid growth ensued,” says Company President Sarb Kaler.

The year 2005 marked the next milestone, a new manufacturing facility on a three-acre site, strategically located in central Barnaby. Equally as significant as its size was its capability.

“We invested heavily in both industry and technology. With recent upgrades to the CNC system, processing welders and corner cleaners, like new machinery, we established a state-of-the-art company complex to produce innovative products from our own technologies” adds Kaler.

Quality control that meets, or exceeds, industry standards is at the heart of the operation. Testing and certification is done by QAI, a leading independent, third-party inspection organization. Another milestone was the company-designed Ultra series of vinyl windows, a key factor in the company’s growth. Constructed from multi-chambered, impact-resistant and polyvinyl chloride – PVC won’t warp, yellow or fade over time – the Ultra series has been developed to accept “True Canadian” triple-glazing, with a true 1/2” air space/Argon gas, between the panes of glass and overall sealed units up to 1-3/8”

Stylish design features enhance street appeal, and other features, that may not be as visible, also make a difference. The Ultra series is offered in a full line of casements and sliders, in both the new construction nail-on-flange and renovation flange. It includes a unique, integral decorative brickmould; a 4.5 inch depth frame for true rain screen installation; and, more apparent, acoustic glass to help reduce excessive street noise. Among the options with the Ultra series are: horizontal sliding, vertical sliding, awning windows, casements, shaped windows and fixed windows, in a wide range of paintable colours.

The introduction of the thermally broken, aluminum 350 series window/wall system was beyond another milestone. It became the gateway to the commercial market. Designed according to rain screen principles, the 350 series is based on a company technology that has become a standard in waterproofing most types of building envelopes. The system is heavily thermally broken with polyamide struts that are optimally located within the perimeter and sash framework to greatly limit conductive energy transfer and provide superior energy performance. All windows are interior-glazed and face-sealed with Vision Strip. The glazing bead is made of extruded aluminum, for long-term durability, performance and colour matching. The entire system, including seals, barriers, corners and coupled connections, is sealed with durable gaskets and engineered to accommodate structural and wind load, inter-storey drift and seismic activity.

The 350 series is available as casement, awning and fixed windows. Whether vinyl or aluminum, for residential or commercial use, all models are ENERGY-STAR certified® for Zone 3 and are fully NAFS-08 compliant. In fact, they exceed the premium level of energy efficiency. They also provide many attractive advantages… added comfort by reducing drafts; better control of condensation, which can cause premature deterioration; significant cost savings because air leakage is minimized and that improves thermal performance; and better indoor air quality because energy efficient windows can prevent mold growth.

Complementing the Ultra and 350 Series are high quality patio doors, vinyl and aluminum, offering many choices in styles, configurations, panels and multiple grid options.

“What Makes Us Different?” it begins with longevity, serving BC residents since 1992. “We have evolved into a full-service, independent window manufacturer and installer, specializing in residential, commercial and multi-family window replacement. Infact, we’re one of the few local manufacturers providing turnkey window replacement solutions in both vinyl and aluminum,” says Kaler.

The driving force behind this growth, however, is the family, those who fabricate, market, sell and install windows and patio doors. While training focuses on specific skills, what is just as critical is safety. “It’s a priority with everyone, and we are taking measures so that every job, of any size, is handled with care,” says Kaler. “In the case of installation crews, we think of them as consultants, all fully conversant with stringent building code requirements for both the City of Vancouver as well as the entire province.”

“Consider, for example, the BC energy step codes which The Building and Safety Standards Branch defines as the product of a multi-year collaboration among local governments, industry stakeholders, utilities and the provincial government. In the most recent development, the “Clean BC” initiative is to have new homes (single-family, condos, townhouses) be net-zero energyconsuming by 2032.

There is no shortage of challenges, Kaler points out. “We met and survived all of those related to Covid, although we did not anticipate what followed. Shortages, in manpower and now materials through supply chain issues, are what we face today; and an ongoing challenge that has been with us for decades is a changing and highly competitive market.”

The company is presently working in partnership with REHAU, a leading global designer and extruder of PVC window and door systems and one of the first companies to introduce fusion-welded, vinyl profiles in North America. The result will be a further expansion of the A1 Windows manufacturing capability to produce ASPEKT, a casement window with a sophisticated multi-chambered design, elevated by advanced triple-seal technology that outperforms alternative window solutions.

A1 will also strengthen its product portfolio with the GENEO® tilt-turn window and door system composed of high-tech RAU-FIPRO® glass-fibre-reinforced PVC. This system takes tilt-turn technology to its highest level of structural integrity, acoustical insulation and thermal performance and is capable of meeting the stringent requirements of Passive House construction. Soon to be introduced, the new products will be featured in the company showroom and website.

“This is our latest and one of the most meaningful milestones in our history;” says Kaler and, it is how A1 Window Manufacturing exemplifies expertise, innovation, quality and service, having served the market for nearly thirty years.