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GET READY TO VOTE FOR 2-PANEL or 3-PANEL SLIDING DOORS
Eligibility
Only members in the 1-bedroom units in the townhouses and the 3rd, 5th, and 7th floor units in the medium-rise are eligible to vote because they are the only members who will be affected by the choice. Your ballot offers three options: 2-panel / 3-panel / and /either one. We’d like all eligible units to vote – one vote per unit.
Ballots
110 eligible units will receive a sealed envelope with a ballot at the latest by Friday, March 16th, 2018.
Ballot Box
The ballot box will be in the second floor photocopy room, at the latest, by Friday, March 16th and will be removed on Tuesday, March 27. Someone in the office will sort and count the ballots and the majority decision will be posted on our web site and in The Weekly.
Pros and Cons
The choice of a 2-panel versus a 3-panel window will come down to how you want to use your space, whether saving money on hydro is an issue, and if air leakage is a problem for you.
Each panel of the three panels is about 32” wide. The middle panel opens; the two side panels are fixed (not movable). You can choose whether you want the handle of the middle panel on the right side or the left side. For those who now use or are planning to use a portal air conditioner, visualize where your air conditioner would be located and how its panel would fit into the window opening. Note that the new bedroom windows in the medium rise will be more suitable for a portable air conditioner.
A sunroom window with 3-panels will receive less wear and tear than a 2-panel window. The wear and tear of a 2-panel will slightly reduce the longevity of the sliding door and need some maintenance regarding seals and insulation sooner than a 3-panel design. Members experiencing difficulty opening our current 2-panel door will find the middle 3-panel lighter and easier to open. The 2-panel option has to be heavier because it has to push more window surface and support itself in a larger window opening.
There is less air leakage if a small one panel is movable and two panels are fixed. The air leakage through one large panel and one fixed will have some effect on your heating and cooling costs. Please be aware that you are only making your choice for the sliding doors now. Except for the east side of the building, the doors won’t be replaced until next year. We are presenting an option because CMS Building Consultants, the Project Manager, recommend the 3-panel option and members should weigh the pro and cons before voting.
Project Roll out
The project will run in two phases. The first phase will start on the north and east sides of the medium rise. The second phase will start in the south and west sides and 1-bedroom townhouse units. All street level and 2nd floor medium rise units will have their sliding doors assessed. If they need to be replaced, that will be done after we complete the upper storey sliding doors.
Quality of the Windows
The new windows will have thermal glass with a low-emission coating to keep UV rays and heat out. Argon gas between the panes regulates heat to keep outside heat out and inside heat in. That should make a big impact on your hydro costs.
Timelines
Billy Lai, our Project Manager, wants to get the tenders out in March and select a contractor in April.
Phase One would begin in July and last about three months.
Phase Two would begin in the summer of 2019.
Submitted by Valerie Veinotte,
Chair, 5-Year Capital Plan Group