The InterHaus Blog: European Window Guides for Ontario Homes
Plain-language articles on how high-performance windows behave in a Canadian climate, written for homeowners, architects and builders. The topic guides below the articles tell you which one answers your question.
All articles
Nine articles, newest first, on condensation, energy, glass, sound and design.
Condensation Resistance in Windows: Why European Windows Perform Better in Ontario’s Cold Climate
Explore the benefits of European windows in Ontario for reducing window condensation and maintaining a healthy indoor environment.
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How Passive House Windows can Reduce Canadian Energy Bills
Enhance your home with passive house windows in Canada for better insulation and substantial energy reduction throughout the year.
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Internorm by InterHaus I-tec Shading: Blinds Between Glass – European Windows in Ontario
Transform your living space with Blinds Between Glass; enjoy superior energy efficiency and integrated design for your windows.
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European Windows vs North American Windows: What Canadian Homeowners Should Know
Explore the differences between European windows vs North American windows for superior insulation and energy efficiency.
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Why Architects are Turning to European Windows for Innovative Designs
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Thermal Bridge Reduction: European Techniques for Minimizing Heat Loss
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The Superiority of European Triple Glazing: An In-depth Comparison with American Standards
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The Art of Mix & Match: Unlocking the Potential of Internorm Windows
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Noise Cancellation with Internorm: The Quiet Comfort of European Windows
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Read articleTwo kinds of article, one purpose
The three newest articles, from June 2025, are the longest and most specific to Ontario. They deal with the problems that bring most people to us: windows that stream with condensation, heating bills that keep climbing, and how blinds between the glass behave through a Canadian year. Each one ends with what InterHaus supplies for that problem.
The six earlier articles are shorter explainers on single ideas: why the build-up of a triple-glazed unit matters, how thermal bridges form, what decibel figures mean, and how Internorm materials combine on one facade. Read together, they give you the vocabulary to compare quotes and to ask sharper questions of any window supplier, including us.
Cold-climate performance: condensation, Passive House and thermal bridges
Condensation Resistance in Windows starts with the physics: condensation forms when warm, humid indoor air meets glass that has dropped below the dew point. It explains why window design, not only Ontario’s winters, decides how often that happens, and lists what to look for in a European window package: triple glazing, warm-edge spacers instead of aluminum ones, argon fill, multi-chamber frames and tilt-turn ventilation to manage indoor humidity. Read it if you are replacing windows that run with water on cold mornings.
How Passive House Windows can Reduce Canadian Energy Bills explains why windows are the most technically demanding part of a Passive House envelope, how U-value and solar heat gain work together, and which systems InterHaus offers for these projects, from the PHI-certified KF 410 to Schüco and Reynaers all-aluminum options. It suits anyone deciding whether Passive House-level windows are worth it on a new build or a deep retrofit.
Thermal Bridge Reduction is a short technical read about heat that escapes around the glass rather than through it. It covers multi-chamber profiles, the insulating layer that separates timber from aluminum in Internorm’s wood/aluminum frames, low-conductivity materials, warm-edge spacers and the part proper installation plays in stopping air leakage.
Glass and sound: triple glazing, noise and two window traditions
The Superiority of European Triple Glazing compares how European and North American manufacturers build triple-glazed units: the depth of the insulating glass unit, the thickness of each pane and the U-values that result. If a competing quote also says “triple glazed”, this article explains why the build-up behind those words matters.
Noise Cancellation with Internorm explains decibels in practical terms, including why a 10 dB increase is heard as roughly twice as loud, and how glazing and seals together decide how much outside noise reaches a bedroom. It is the one to read for a home near a busy road, a construction site or an airport.
European Windows vs North American Windows is the broadest of the three. It walks through energy efficiency, thermal performance in winters that drop below –20 °C, tilt-turn operation, lifespan and durability, and ends with a side-by-side comparison. Start here if European windows are new to you.
Design and specification: architecture, mix & match and blinds between glass
Why Architects are Turning to European Windows looks at windows from the drawing board: custom sizes up to floor-to-ceiling openings, profile lines from the minimal studio to the classic ambiente, a glass programme developed with Saint-Gobain and colours drawn from the RAL chart. It is written for designers, but anyone planning a custom home will find it useful.
The Art of Mix & Match explains one of Internorm’s most practical ideas. uPVC/aluminum and wood/aluminum windows share the same aluminum cladding outside, so you can use uPVC in a bathroom and timber in the living room without the facade looking patched together. It also covers matching lift & slide doors and timber entrance doors to the windows.
Blinds Between Glass is a guide to Internorm I-tec Shading: blinds sealed inside the glass unit so they never gather dust, with motorized or solar-powered operation from a wall switch, a remote, a smart home system or automatic mode. It sets out five reasons Ontario homeowners choose it and invites you to try the working windows in our Oakville showroom.
Three reading paths
Not sure where to begin? Pick the path closest to your project and read the articles in this order.
- 01
Replacing windows in an older home
Begin with condensation, because wet glass is often what starts the project. Read the noise article next, especially on a city lot, and finish with the European versus North American comparison to understand what you are paying for.
- 02
Building new to Passive House or Net Zero
Start with the Passive House article for the targets, then thermal bridge reduction for the details around the frame, then triple glazing for the glass. Share all three with your energy adviser.
- 03
Designing for a client
Read the architects article for sizes, profiles and colours, then mix & match for combining materials on one facade, then blinds between glass for elevations where exterior shutters are not an option.
Glossary of terms used in the articles
The same handful of terms appears throughout the blog. Here they are in one place.
| Uw value | Heat loss through the whole window, frame and glass together, in W/m²K. Lower is better; Internorm windows on this site reach as low as 0.62. |
|---|---|
| Dew point | The temperature at which moisture in the air condenses. Warmer interior glass stays above it, which is why triple glazing reduces condensation. |
| SHGC | Solar heat gain coefficient: the share of the sun’s heat the glass lets through. In a cold climate, winter gain on south elevations offsets heating. |
| Warm-edge spacer | The strip separating the panes at the edge of the glass unit. Low-conductivity spacers keep the glass edge warmer than aluminum spacers do. |
| Thermal bridge | A path where heat escapes faster than through the surrounding construction, such as a metal spacer or a poorly insulated frame joint. |
| Sound reduction (dB) | How many decibels a window removes from outside noise. The scale is logarithmic, so every 10 dB less is heard as roughly half as loud. |
| Tilt & turn | A European opening type: one handle tilts the sash in at the top for ventilation or swings it fully inward for cleaning. |
| RC class | European resistance class for burglary protection; a higher number means greater resistance. Internorm windows reach up to RC 3 with I-tec Secure. |
| PHI | The Passive House Institute in Germany, which certifies components such as windows for Passive House buildings. |
A note on the older articles
Six of the nine articles carry 2020 dates, and Internorm has updated several systems since then. Where an article and a product page give different figures, such as frame chamber counts or U-values, rely on the product page and its data sheet, which carry the values we quote today.
Blog questions
The InterHaus team in Oakville, drawing on Internorm’s technical material and our own work supplying European windows across Canada. Our product specialists have an architectural background, so the articles focus on how windows perform and how to choose them.
No. Articles quote typical or best-case values to make a point. Real performance depends on size, glazing, configuration and installation, so your quote and the data sheets for your chosen systems are the documents to rely on.
Yes. Email info@interhaus.ca with the question you could not find answered here. Questions from homeowners and architects are often the best starting point for a new article.
Usually not. Internorm’s catalogue explains that after a cold night a well-insulated window lets so little heat escape that the outer pane stays cold, and moisture in the air can condense on it. It clears as the day warms up. Condensation on the inside is a different matter, and the condensation article explains what causes it.
At our showroom at 217 Speers Rd. Unit 8, Oakville. You can operate tilt & turn windows, compare frames and see I-tec Shading working. Call +1 (437) 826-2067 to book a time.
Yes. The video blog collects 15 Internorm films on tilt & turn windows, I-tec technology, triple glazing and lift & slide doors, with a viewing guide for each topic.
Have a question the blog doesn’t answer?
Send us your drawings or describe your home, and a product specialist will reply with suitable systems, figures and a quote.