Freeing Painted-shut Windows

[<nni/gilmer]

The Puddy knife still is you best bet.

Leave the screwdriver and hammer alone and concentrate on "wiggling" the puddy knife into the various gaps.

The first place where you make progress often loosens up other places so you keep trying "everywhere" and things gradually loosen up.

I have never had the need but at the extreme you could use a paint remover or solvent.

[cybercat]

I have always lived in older houses, and just used a screwdriver or putty knife and a hammer.

But the current house has these awful, small, eight-over-eight windows, three-four in most rooms, and the hammer and screwdriver thing is not working--it feels like I will tear the hell out of the late-1950s window frames before they come unstuck if they ever will.

Is there any little trick anyone knows of to make this easier?

(Before we sell this place we will replace the old windows, but that may not be for a while ... that is what I really want to do.)

Thank you.

[Al Bundy]

"cybercat" wrote in news:f83mmv$i2i$ [e-mail]:

Enough paint in there and you just might.

Tried one of these?

Called a painters tool. Get yourself a good heavy one so you don&#39;t smash the handle when you hammer assist. You will find it indespensible for a thousand things if you do a fair amount of putzing. I&#39;ve even used it while painting too :-)

[Big_Jake]

these?

Don&#39;t know where you are at, but we would call that a "5 in 1 tool" even though it has many more uses than that. The OP really needs a window zipper:

JK

[aemeijers]

Are you scoring the joint with a sharp boxcutter before you start with the putty knife? Another trick, like tightening a frozen bolt to loosen it up, is to use a block and mallet to close the window tighter before you try to open it. In windows of that era, metal-on-metal galling and dried-up lubricant on the metal weatherstripping can sometimes bind it up as much as the paint in the cracks. Note that this sometimes requires access to the outside of the window, to tap the upper sash upward. (unless of course you can get the bottom half open, and reach the bottom of the outer frame from inside.)

aem sends...

[Al Bundy]

Big_Jake wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I&#39;ve seen 6&#39;s, 7&#39;s, 8&#39;s, etc...All seem to be a takeoff on what I&#39;ve seen it called as a painters tool.

Let&#39;s see. This morning it was a get the roofing cement off the vertical wall flashing tool.

Good one Jake. Thanks for the pointer to the pic.

[Aardvark]

I have had one of them in my toolbox for years. Don&#39;t even know where it appeared from but it&#39;s always come in handy for all sorts of things, mostly when I&#39;m fitting coving.

Now I know exactly what it is I might even try using it to bed glass into window frames :-)

[cybercat]

"Al Bundy" wrote

Hey, I remember these from when I painted for a living. Much sturdier than the putty knife. Good suggestion, I will pick one up.

Thanks!

[cybercat]

"Big_Jake" wrote >

Oh, man. Could it be this simple?? At $10.49, I sure will try it. We&#39;ve got Ace around here. Thank you.

[cybercat]

"aemeijers" wrote

Sure didn&#39;t, but I will next time.

Interesting, I never thought of this for loosening bolts, either.

You know I would love to avoid dealing with the outside of the windows, as it will require a much taller ladder than I have--but it has occurred to me that I may need to do that. I will try the methods, probably easiest to hardest!

Thanks to all who contributed. Maybe by fall I can open my upstairs windows to enjoy the breeze!

[Al Bundy]

"cybercat" wrote in news:f865j1$22a$ [e-mail]:

Professional stroker, ehhh...

[Big_Jake]

Yeah, it is that simple. Cheaper at Menards, if you have them in the area.

Don&#39;t waste your time with all these other methods &#39;til you try one of these.

JK