Renovating Victorian sash windows

[News]

Been fiddling with a large Victorian sash window which has probably not been opened for years.

Got the bottom sash working now, and one weight/cord is fine, but the other is stuck. Raise the window, and the cord on one side just goes slack, and is not pulled by the weight. I guess the weight is jammed, and will not drop. I've got a straightened wire coat hanger in the gap below the top pulley, but keep missing the weight - or at least, not freeing it. Any bright ideas how to free off the stuck weight without dismantling the frame? The frame is, of course, fairly newly decorated, which is what inspired me to try and get the window working properly.

[Charles Hope]

any sash window that I have seen has a removable section at the bottom of the weight channel. Sounds as though this has been painted up so it can't be seen.

[News]

In message , Charles Hope writes

Yes, that is the problem. I don't really want to start dismantling the frame after painting it. I'll keep trying with my length of wire coat hanger, having convinced myself that a sharp poke will free the weight.

Have just started on another similar window in another room, and partially dismantled to get it working properly. The lower sash is now fine, but have not started on the upper, yet. First time I have been brave enough to actually dismantle a sash window, even partially.

The bottom sash has two original brass lifting rings, or eyes, which I removed. A run through the dishwasher softened the old paint, then 24 hours in a small tumbler followed by wire wool has brought them up beautifully.

[stuart noble]

If the weight is stuck at the top, you may find removing the pulley wheel (usually just 2 screws) gives you more room to poke around.

This might help

[News]

In message , stuart noble writes

Thanks, yes. I'll have another poke around, and if that doesn't work, carefully cutting the paint around the pulley should enable removal without too much damage.

Just managed to free the top sash in another window. Also got a blood blister for my efforts, but at least the window opens. Well, three inches, but that will be enough to rub down and paint properly.

[docholliday93]

That sounds like a good plan - it's worth having a look at the pulley if yo u do take it off; when I did my windows I found most of the pulleys had so much paint on them they wouldn't rotate - it took a good soaking in Nitromo rs (the real stuff, not the modern imitation) to get them working again. I was actually forced to attack the removable section (sash pocket?) on mos t of my windows since the cords were mostly either missing or covered with so much paint they were nearly rigid. That, and the fact that several neigh bours were removing their sash windows and chucking away the weights, did g ive me the opportunity to increase the total weight to compensate for the f act that many of the panes had been replaced with thicker glass

[alan_m]

Will pulling on the slack cord allow you to raise the weight by a small amount higher than it would normally sit with the window closed? Repeated raising above its normal position and dropping it again may get it into the correct slot

[News]

In message , alan_m writes

That was my first thought too, and the weight is now stuck firmly right at the top :-)

Still working on another sash at the moment, but I'll get back to the jammed one later. The one I'm working on now, I realised the gubbins that holds the top pulley is brass. Carefully scraped away the old paint, and polished with wire wool. Looks lovely now.

[News]

In message , [e-mail] writes

I'm still fiddling around with this stuck weight, but will probably defer until the room is next decorated. I know exactly what needs doing, but the frame will need repainting afterwards. Finished renovating and painting another sash window yesterday, and delighted with the results. Looks great and operates freely. The disadvantage is that an original sash window which opens freely is immediately draughty. Sometimes I think it is better just to paint the buggers shut.

[mark.bluemel]

I'm not convinced this is universally the case, but when I had some sashes professionally refurbed, they routed the sashes and fitted some bristly dra ught excluder strips, similar to these ... A quick web search should find lots of options.

[tabbypurr]

If its draughty the gap from beading to sash is too large.

NT