Bungalow & Villa

One of the most common and frustrating properties of older double hung windows is their occasional refusal to open or slide smoothly. Not only is a sticking sash window annoying, but the strain imposed by forcing it puts additional loads on joints that may be weak already. There are several reasons why the sash may be sticking.

1. Overpainting. A freshly painted sash needs to be moved regularly while the sash is drying, or the wet paint will act as a glue. Years of painting it 'in situ' make the matters worse. Take a sharp craft knife and score around the sash, then work the blades of a wide paint scraper between the sash and the parting beads. Grasp the meeting rail and try shaking the sash from side to side to break the paint seal.

2. Misplaced beads. A sash may be difficult to move because a misplaced stop bead is virtually clamping it against the parting beads. Prise suspect beads from the frame and reposition them.

3. Seized pulley. If the pulley is not running freely, the friction will impede the movement of the sash cord. A drop of penetrating oil may free the pulley or you may find that it has been overprinted at some time - if so, disconnect the sash cord and remove the pulley which is normally fixed to the stile with two screws. Use paint stripper to dislodge the paint and lightly oil the pulley. New sash cords and pulleys are available from Bungalow and Villa.

4. Swollen Sash. During humid weather a timber window can expand considerably especially if the paintwork is in poor condition. If you have a sash that slides intermittently then wait for dry weather and prepare and paint it to seal the wood. A twisted sash will probably stick most of the time and it will usually exhibit signs of wear or rubbing. Take the distorted sash out of the frame and shave the worn areas with a plane. Before you reinstall it, lubricate the sash by rubbing a candle along its running surfaces.

5. Loose sash joints. The effects of weathering may cause glued joints to eventually work loose, showing wide gaps. As a temporary measure you could rake out any loose material and then fix the joint together with an L-shaped plate screwed into place. To make a more permanent repair the sash needs to be dismantle and re-glued.

Note - To remove the sash from the frame - you will need to remove the vertical timber beads (parting beads) that form a track for the sash to run in. This will enable you to swing each sash out of the window frame. There is a small pocket at the base of each weight compartment that provides access to the space behind the frame, allowing the weights to be removed and the cord cut.