Markham Window Treatment Guide: From Unionville Heritage to Highway 7 Condos

Markham is not one place

Drive from Unionville Main Street to the Highway 7 condo corridor and you cover 200 years of architecture in 15 minutes. Markham's housing range is unusual for the GTA: heritage 1850s commercial-residential buildings, mid-century detached homes, 1990s suburban subdivisions, brand-new condo towers, and modern infill townhouse developments. What works for blinds in one of these contexts is wrong for the next.

We've been installing window treatments across Markham since the early 1990s. This guide breaks down what actually works by neighbourhood and property type, based on what we've learned from thousands of installations.

Markham by neighbourhood

Unionville

The historic Main Street and surrounding residential streets have some of the GTA's best-preserved 19th-century housing stock. The homes typically have original wood-cased windows, sometimes with stained glass transoms, and shallow window frames that don't accommodate inside-mount blinds well.

For Unionville heritage homes, we usually recommend:

Outside mount is usually the right call because the original window casings are too shallow for modern inside-mount hardware. We often have to use custom valances to make the outside mount look intentional rather than awkward.

Markham Village (the original village)

Older detached homes from the 1950s through the 1980s, plus newer infill builds. The window stock is mixed: some original wood casement windows, some 80s aluminum sliders, and some recently replaced vinyl. The diversity means we measure carefully and recommend specific products per window type rather than a whole-house single solution.

Zebra blinds work well in the renovated rooms with newer windows. For the original windows that haven't been replaced, cellular shades give better insulation. Roller blinds suit the smaller bedrooms.

Cornell

A planned-community development with a New Urbanism design philosophy. The houses look heritage-style but are actually brand-new construction with modern windows. The architecture suggests traditional treatments but the windows handle modern blinds without the heritage compromises.

For Cornell homes, we typically install:

The window sizes are standardized across the development, which makes ordering predictable.

Cathedraltown

Newer detached homes built in the early 2000s with larger window packages than older Markham subdivisions. The houses are big enough that whole-house blind orders are common.

Zebra blinds are the most-installed product in Cathedraltown because the contemporary architecture suits the modern look. Motorized blinds are popular for the two-storey foyer windows that are common in these homes.

Highway 7 condo corridor (including Times Square and the Pavilia Towers)

The condo construction along Highway 7 has put up several major developments over the past decade. The buildings typically have floor-to-ceiling windows, balcony sliding doors, and condo board rules about exterior-visible window treatments.

For Highway 7 condos, the standard configuration is:

Most Highway 7 buildings require white-backed window coverings for exterior consistency. We carry several fabric options that meet this rule.

Wismer and the newer subdivision developments

Family-oriented detached and townhome construction in the northern parts of Markham. The window packages are larger than older Markham subdivisions but smaller than Cathedraltown's higher-end builds.

Standard whole-house roller blinds with blackout in bedrooms is the typical Wismer configuration. Cordless operation is the default request because of the family-heavy demographic.

Markham-specific considerations

Sun exposure

Markham gets strong afternoon sun on west-facing windows because there's relatively flat terrain west of most subdivisions, with no significant building shading. Solar screen rollers work well for west-facing rooms where you want to reduce heat and glare without losing the view.

Heritage permits

Unionville's heritage conservation district has rules about exterior-visible window coverings. Most blinds in white, cream, or natural fabrics don't trigger approval requirements, but always check with the City of Markham heritage office if you're in the conservation area. We've worked through the approval process before and can guide you through it.

Condo board rules

Most Markham condo buildings have rules about window coverings visible from outside. White-backed fabrics meet the standard in essentially every building we've worked in. Always confirm with your specific building's documents before ordering, but this is rarely a real obstacle.

Free in-home consultation

We measure across Markham the same way we measure anywhere else in the GTA: 30-45 minutes per home, fabric samples, on-the-spot quote. No travel charge regardless of which Markham neighbourhood you're in. Our team has been doing this for over 30 years and we've worked in every major housing type Markham has.

If you're in a heritage Unionville home, allow extra time for the consultation because the windows take longer to measure properly. If you're in a Highway 7 condo, we can usually meet you in the lobby with concierge approval first time. Subsequent visits are easier because most buildings recognize us.

The number is at the top of the page. Calls and texts answered seven days a week.