Engineering design with peace of mind.
With almost 25 years of consulting experience, our licensed engineers and technical staff are experts in their field. We not only provide engineering solutions, but our clients have the added assurance of knowing that there is a team behind them managing every aspect of the project they’ve entrusted us with. Providing excellent customer care is who we are and what we do, and providing that to our clients is as important to us as the engineer’s stamp.
Our years of work in the construction industry have taught us the necessary relationship between effectiveness and efficiency.
We have the expertise to provide assurances for code compliance and other performance specifications and we continually update and use proprietary procedures and integrated software systems to improve design efficiency, product optimization, and project completion.
We offer a wide range of services to our clients; from home builders to major glass and aluminum suppliers. Our most requested services include commercial and residential designs, specialty glazing, thermal performance analysis, and Passive House consultation.
Thermal performance analysis
On average, approximately 45% of household energy costs are related to heating and cooling. The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is an international body that regulates the certification of energy performance for windows, doors, and skylights.
Being a NFRC certified Simulation Laboratory our team of simulators regularly conduct thermal analyses for all types of windows and doors in all phases of development and construction. We work with extruders and manufacturers to rate their windows as part of NFRC or CSA certification, Glazing companies who need to prove the thermal performance of un-certified products, Architects & General Contractors who require a site specific fenestration thermal performance calculation, as well as property owners & bylaw officers seeking thermal performance verification. Depending on the application, some of the main ratings we provide in our reports are:
U-value/U-factor (this is how much heat will pass through your window). The lower the number, the better your product keeps heat in.
Solar heat gain coefficient (how much your window will gain unwanted heat; particularly important during summer cooling seasons). The lower the number, the less money you’ll spend on air conditioning.
Visible transmittance (how easily you can see through the window). The higher the number, the more natural light that can pass through.
Condensation resistance (how much condensation collects on your window). The higher the number, the better a product resists condensation.
Passive House consultation
Layton Consulting strives to meet the highest standards of quality, which is why we were drawn to become Passive House certified. When it comes to building quality structures that are efficient and comfortable, there is no higher standard than Passive House. While this standard has been very popular in Europe, Passive House is now making inroads in North American markets.
It seemed natural to combine our glazing engineering and thermal modelling experience with Passive House, because we can specify appropriate windows and proper installation methods to meet passive standards. Our detailed Passive House designs include the following:
Recommend optimal wall design
Calculated overall heating demand based on building-specific climate, orientation, occupancy, and building components
Heating and ventilation system sizing
Economic feasibility analysis
What makes a Passive House?
High performance windows and doors: Conventional building design requires heat registers below windows for comfort and to minimize condensation, yet in a Passive House, the temperature next to the window won’t differ from the rest of the house.
Added insulation: The first thing that most people notice about Passive Homes is how quiet they are. In addition to insulating from the weather, the added insulation silences the world outside.
Air tightness: Designed to specifically eliminate cold drafts.
Ventilation: With air tightness, Passive Houses use high-efficiency ventilation units to provide continually circulating fresh air. Research shows that keeping CO₂ levels below the rates found in traditional homes may lead to improved personal health.
