Hi
I have a window that I cant open, no matter how much force is put on it. Its a sash window. What's the way to takcle these? Theres no hope of getting it open to remove any inner covers :(
Also I wonder why its jammed, perhaps the wood has swollen up with water?
Thanks, NT
It's more likely that it's been painted in place a number of times and the dry paint is holding it shut.
RM
It's also possible that some screws have been put in to keep it shut for security reasons. The heads may have been painted over. If so, you'll have to find them and remove them. If you have a detector for finding live cables and other metal objects buried in walls, it should be able to find the screws if you move it slowly round the inside of the frame.
Roger
I had exactly the same problem. Strip the paint. I found a heat gun and scrapper the best tool for this. Then place a length of wood under the top of the lower window and hit the wood with a hammer. One side and then the other. Repeat and it should start to move. A little oil might help if it is still difficult.
If it's the lower sash, you can loosen the staff bead on the inside, which is only nailed in place. Or, try getting a scraper between the sash and the bead and tapping it along with a hammer.
In article , N. Thornton writes
A paint scraper bashed in between the parting/staff beads and the sliding surface of the sashes should break the stiction. Once you get them sliding, open them fully & rub a candle down the surfaces of the beads.
As to the cause, maybe paint, maybe they were too tight to start with & as you say water has swollen the wood. Against tradition, I paint all the surfaces of the sash, even the sliding ones, then add candle wax to stop the paint to paint contact sticking.
Most likely cause is paint, but if it's never opened it might have been nailed up because the cords have gone - if it's an outer one, where you can't see the cords.
If access to the outside is easy, go round the sash with a thin flexible scraper, tapping it between the bead and the sash, and then on the inside.
If outside access is a problem, remove the inner stop bead and the bottom sash, then the parting bead and the top one - it's pretty easy. If the beads are in poor condition, get new from a timber merchant beforehand - they should be a stock item. And replace the cords at the same time.
Hi.
Its not paint or screws, as it opened fine before. Its just seized, and siezed good and proper. The wood's been getting wet, and my best guess is its swollen with water and locked firm. 2 of us got quite violent with it and it didnt budge a bit. So I'm a bit stuck, like the window :)
Regards, NT
It's unlikely to be the sides that have swollen this much as there's generally too much clearance. And even if the stop beads did swell, the parting bead would just move a bit.
Under normal circumstances a window doesn't get soaked and stay soaked, either.
In article , N. Thornton writes
Ok, if it's wet, then it needs dried . . . . then a barrier (paint or wax) put in place to stop it getting wet again. Best done by dismantling, much as Dave P's post.
Upper or lower sash?
"N. Thornton" wrote | Its not paint or screws, as it opened fine before. Its just | seized, and siezed good and proper. The wood's been getting | wet, and my best guess is its swollen with water and locked | firm. 2 of us got quite violent with it and it didnt budge | a bit. So I'm a bit stuck, like the window :)
Been there done that ....
Paint scraper or butter knife etc down the gap between the frame and the window to loosen any frame-to-window stickiness, then a squirt of WD40 in the gap at the top.
Leave for a day then try again ...
Owain
I find a wax furniture polish spray good for lubricating wood, and it shouldn't do any harm.
Yes. The exterior paint needs redoing, hence the wood might be quite wet. And the windows fit so close theyre draughtproof. They were either unusually well made or may have been replaced in the past. So it really only needs a small amount of swell.
I'm going to have a good look at another one to see some more construction details, will report back.
Thanks for all your help!
Regards, NT
Well its simple. Wait for it to dry out again.
If the window is jammed by paint, I believe that the best thing to free it is an old fashioned cabinet scraper (a piece of steel, ~~ 3" x 2" x 1/32" sharpened on one edge) Use like a chisel. It cracks the paint very cleanly without marking the wood.
Hi folks
Turned out the thing was soaked and the bottom rail had swollen and jammed hard. Took it all apart, planed the frame and reassembled. Lovely!
Thanks for your encouragement, I needed it as I really didnt know how on earth they all went together. Now I do. Be damn cold if I didnt :)
Regards, NT
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