I often witness amazing views of our beautiful city through glass. Lately I have been experiencing scenery directly, and from much higher vantage points.

A few months ago Toastmasters friends Kim Burgoyne, Nico Bot, and I decided to take the challenge of climbing Mount Baker this August.  We all wanted a physical challenge that required training, and offered the reward of personal growth. The journey to Baker’s summit has been challenging and rewarding beyond expectations. We have sweated through boot camps at the gym, and long runs on Campbell Valley Park’s trails. We pushed ourselves up the Grouse Grind on two occasions.

A few weeks ago we tackled the Diez Vistas trail near Port Moody, a 15K hike around Bunzen Lake, and up 440M to ten spectacular viewpoints. Fellow Toastmaster Paul Keeris, an experienced Diez Vista climber, was our guide for the day. This film, produced by Kim Burgoyne of Big Ape Marketing & Metrics Inc., captures a few shared moments and experiences from that memorable day. Thank you Kim for creating a very nice piece of work we can share with others.

Along the way we had a close encounter with a hungry young bear, so involved with his salmon berry feast he didn’t seem to notice us until we were very close by. The bear and I made eye contact. I think each us of wondered what the other would do next. After a few moments the bear reluctantly moved off the trail, out of sight.

On the trail the sounds of the city are replaced by the sounds of nature: blowing wind through the leaves of trees, water rushing down mountain streams, and the calls of birds. The sounds friends laughing and talking quietly seemed to come together with the sounds of the forest. From the top there was the occasional soft buzzing sound of a float plane flying below.

We were treated to breathtaking views of the City, Deep Cove, the North Shore mountains, and Indian Arm inlet. Vancouver Island could be seen in the far distance. Paul and I agreed it would be very easy to remain in this place all day just watching. Distance and elevation gives a striking perspective to those witnessing the city and its activity from high above. Manmade objects such as buildings, planes, and ships seem very small.  People are invisible. Humanity’s footprint is surrounded by the calm of the natural world.

Preparation for our Mount Baker  adventure has been more than meaningful; it has been life changing. As individuals we have grown stronger in body as well as in spirit. Toastmaster acquaintances, in the beginning, have developed into friendships. For me there is an understanding Mount Baker is just the start of the journey. The question we now ask each other, and ourselves? Into what form will the next adventure develop?

Kerry Parsons

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To make the most of our breathtaking West Coast views Stilewood offers two practical solutions for large wall openings:  Folding doors, and Lift and Slide doors.

Lift and Slide is advanced European fenestration technology manufactured right here in British Columbia. Even though these sliding doors are very large, they operate effortlessly. Even a small child can open and close sliding panels, weighing as much as 850 pounds, with the touch of a finger.

How is this possible?  With Lift and Slide hardware a turn of the handle lowers the rollers and lifts the sliding panel. Freed from the friction of weatherstripping, the panel slides smoothly and easily.

Lift and Slide is the ultimate system to maximize your view:  Stilewood can manufacture custom systems up to 40 feet wide and 10 feet tall with sash panels as large as 70 square feet.

Lift and Slide requires fewer panels for the same size opening compared to folding and swing door systems. Fewer, larger panels mean more glass to capture a fuller view of the outside, and give you better natural light on the inside.

Lift and Slide vertical stiles overlap when panels are closed. This reduces the amount of visible wood, where panels meet, to about 6”, further maximizing your view. Swinging French door sash, by comparison,  does not overlap leaving approximately 12 inches of visible sash to obstruct your view.

If you wish, you can have a pocket build into your wall to completely conceal the panels when the door is fully open. Multiple panels then slide neatly into the pocket leaving a fully open span between the interior and exterior of your home.

Architects and Homeowners love Lift and Slide’s flexibility of design. It is ideal for applications such as patios, decks, balconies, and pool areas.

Additional benefits of Lift and Slide include:

• Like all Stilewood’s products, Lift and Slide doors are custom made to your specifications, and are available in your choice of wood species.

• Superior air and water infiltration performance compared to other door systems; and this performance is long lasting because weatherstripping does not wear out.

• Multipoint locking hardware provides exceptional security allowing panels to lock in any open position. Lift and Slide handle is available in a variety of finishes.

• Low profile track extends only 3/16″ above finished floor. Raised thresholds are available for additional protection from more extreme weather conditions.

If you have any questions about Lift and Slide and its potential application in your home, contact Lighthouse Building Solutions.  We would be pleased to help you. See Lift and Slide for yourself. Call us to arrange a visit to the Stilewood factory and showroom in Port Coquitlam.

This post is copyrighted by Lighthouse Building Solutions. Please do not use unless authorized in writing by the author. Kerry Parsons Lift and Slide Doors – Optimize Your View, Effortlessly Lighthouse Building Solutions Lighthouse Building Solutions - Suppliers of windows, doors, wood siding.

There was a time homeowners, wanting the energy- efficiency and maintenance- free benefits of vinyl windows and doors, had to settle for white or beige. Thankfully those dark days are now history. West Coast Windows’ SuperCoat™ advanced colour technology gives customers the flexibility of virtually unlimited colour options. Choose from 26 standard colours: and from gloss, semi-gloss, and matte finishes. Custom colours are available for little added expense.

You can choose a colour that will add beauty, character, and style to the look of your home, giving you the freedom to create an overall colour scheme that coordinates windows and doors with trim and exterior cladding. Paint the inside, outside or both sides of your window and door frames – it’s your choice!

SuperCoat™ is a polyurethane acrylic paint specifically formulated to coat vinyl windows. It is safe, waterborne and     environmentally friendly with ZERO volatile organic carbons (VOCs). The SuperCoat™ surface preparation process opens the pores of the vinyl resulting in 100% adhesion. West Coast operates its own painting facility and follows stringent quality control procedures. Any mistakes are discovered before your new windows and doors arrive at your jobsite.

Heat retention was once a concern with painted vinyl windows. Surface temperatures of dark coloured windows would often exceed 65 degrees C, the temperature at which vinyl window and door frames and sash can start to soften and warp. Fortunately coating technology has come a long way.  Heat-reflective pigments result in minimal heat absorption and maximum heat reflection, ensuring that surface temperature remains well below 65 degrees. Even dark colours such as black and brown will not warp or twist.

SuperCoat™ has proven to be an extremely durable finish in all weather conditions.  Your windows and doors will retain their colour, vibrancy and gloss for many years without peeling, flaking or cracking. This tough coating resists UV, abrasion, marring, and humidity.

SuperCoat applications come with a 20-year warranty, along with a lifetime warranty on the windows.   Builders and buyers can be confident that the colour chosen will stay true for a good, long time.

If you have any questions concerning this product and its application, contact Lighthouse Building Solutions.  We would be pleased to be of service.

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The Verdun Blog provides an easy to understand explanation of why condensation forms on windows and doors – click the following link.

http://verdunwindows.com/2011/09/20/window-condensation-why-it-happens/

The post notes excessive condensation can damage your windows and doors, and even cause mold to develop, if steps are not taken to reduce condensation. Thankfully, the article provides practical tips on what homeowners can do to reduce condensation. For further details, there is also a link to a Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) webpage.

Feel free to share this post and leave a comment below. Call Lighthouse if you are planning to purchase windows and doors and need information. We will be happy to assist you.

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Congratulations To the Parsons Brothers!!
Proprietors of Lighthouse Strategic Solutions, Langley, B.C.

It’s a delight to congratulate the Parsons Brothers of Lighthouse Strategic Solutions on the launch of their website, which is aimed at providing information on Lighthouse services and its superior lines of custom French exterior wood doors, custom exterior and interior wood doors, wood windows, and other specialty wood building materials.

The experienced and tested manufacturers represented by Lighthouse are innovative specialty firms that produce high quality products for residential and commercial development projects. Take Stilewood for example, the famous door manufacturer. Based in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, it has its roots in the old world furniture craftsmanship of Southern Italy through the firm’s respected founder, the well-known and talented Italian craftsman, Vittorio Ciccone. He came to Canada more than 60 years ago and brought his millright trade with him. He founded a new millworking business in British Columbia to reproduce period furniture for the high-end home market. Several decades later, in the 1980s, Vittorio shifted his focus to the building materials industry, and to French doors in particular – high quality ones that appealed to the largest of millwork distributors in North America. Apparently business boomed for Vittorio as he eventually incorporated a new firm, Stilewood International, to meet the increasing global demand for what became known as “fine furniture for your walls”. Stilewood continues to produce such “fine furniture”, specializing in architectural stile-and-rail doors manufactured with its own innovative proprietary “Fluted Mortise and Tenon” and “Panel Smart” technology for both interior and exterior door applications.

Of course there is more to a successful venture than the technology, there’s the company’s personnel and service package that delivers its product. Stilewood’s customer feedback testimonials tell the story. A home builder from Whistler, B.C. found Stilewood “incredibly knowledgeable about door manufacturing, easy to work with”. A Burnaby, B.C. Home owner recognized the “quality of manufacturing” and “the beauty of the wood” with the quality of doors and service “second to none”. A Vernon, B.C. home builder mentioned that “the quality of manufacturing enhances the overall look of the house and adds greater value to it”. A North Vancouver, B.C. builder concluded that Stilewood sources “the finest woods and hardware options”. And finally, a Whistler garage door installer ranked his Stilewood garage door as “the highest quality of garage doors” mentioning that the details of doors are “extraordinary right down to distressing and stain matching – resembling that of furniture building”.

Stilewood products serve mainly the upper end of the market. However, harsh climatic influences (rain, snow, wind and extreme temperatures) throughout much of North America invariably present challenges to wooden exterior doors in general. Most temperate climate dwellers have seen or felt the effects of weather in terms of door warping, panel splitting, and possibly even rail and panel separation. These negative effects may reveal themselves as ill-fitting unattractive doors, draftiness and discomfort in the home, and excessive heat loss with higher energy costs for the home owner. Stilewood’s proprietary technnology was developed to counter these unwanted effects and that’s why every Stilewood door is constructed with quality wood material and hardware using the firm’s “state-of-the-art” technology and expert craftsmen. It seems like a good recipe for energy efficient, cost effective, exterior door installation everywhere – for any and every home! Go Lighthouse go!!

An Old Blogger
Miles Parsons (Dad)

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