Its hot. I'd like to open the windows at the top (to stop my children falling out from their bedrooms accidentally). I have sash windows that are painted shut at the top (possibly inside and out).
Where do I start?!?
TIA!
Matt
children
Thin putty knife and patience
AWEM
Andrew Mawson wrote: I have sash windows
Beware of the Angle Grinder approach ...
Sound advice ;-)
I know where I can buy a thin putty knife - anyone know any good retailers for patience, as last time I tried something similar I seemed to be missing it....
Matt
Haven't used one - but would a Fein multimaster tool kind of thing kind of cut it?
Or overkill?
Big Tesco. They have some with pale grey plastic handles that are a nice grip and a good stiff blade that's better for hard scraping work than the usual. I've been taking decades of white emulsion off the insides of my workshop and this is my favourite scraper by far.
For unsticking sash windows, I'd probably prefer a pulled tool with teeth on it, rather than a pushed scraper. Chunks of old sawblade screwed to wooden handles, or just wrapped with gaffer, are the sort of thing.
If you have one, the Multimaster also does this very well, but not so well that you'd buy one just for one job. This is always the same tale for Mutleymasters!
Using the flexible scraper tool?
You just need to tap a paint scraper between the sashes and the beads (i.e. about 10mm). Start at the top and knock the blade downwards with a hammer. Usually this needs to be done inside and out but you can probably see where they're stuck.
No need to buy a putty knife, a big kitchen knife would do fine, one without fine serrations. Its preferable to run it down the join several times than to dig it in and pull downward, less chance of minor damage and easier.
Where to buy patience? Whenever I try they seem to be out of stock, and I just dont have the patience to wait.
NT
A _kitchen_ knife??!! Okay if you have crap kitchen tools, but not if you have good ones.
Nothing is as thin as a scraper, which is the main consideration.
Stanley knife down the joints on either side to cut through the paint, then a crowbar from outside at the top of the sash to lever it down. This is the mirror of what I do to release a bottom sash.
Basically do what you can to release the stiction caused by the paint between the sash and the frame and then use brute force to move the sash
Malcolm
The shape of a Stanley knife means it goes in at an angle, causing unnecessary damage to either the beads or the sashes. A paint scraper is your only man.
A snap-off blade knife, a new blade extended all the way out will bend slightly so you can get it in parallel. You can snap off a few sections before the blade gets too short to bend. Don't try to cut the whole depth in one go. Simon.
Half the depth of the ground part of such knives tends to be thinner than a scraper. You're not putting the whole depth of the knife in, the paint penetration is limited.
NT
In article , Stuart Noble writes
I couldn't agree more, I've done it many times and it is the only tool for the job, safe and effective.
I've never had to resort force by levering.
Buy a cheap knife for that purpose then, but leave the kitchen ones alone. I hate seeing good tools mistreated.
You're mad
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