So stay tuned! Be very careful not to cut yourself or gouge the wood while cutting the windows open. Use the razor blade to draw a straight line between the sash and window stops on both sides. Then, push your putty knife into the space along the line to gently break the bond. Next, do the same at the meeting rail where the top and bottom sash meet when in the closed position.
Then, move on to the underside of the meeting rail. Now, head back inside and slowly try to wiggle the window open. Even if you have cut all the paint out of the seams, the window will most likely be very stubborn. You may break the glass or bust the mortise and tenon joints that hold the frame together. It will take some elbow grease, but you should not be straining to make it open. If it is still stubborn, keep using your putty knife to clean out the remaining paint. Once you get it moving a bit, gently keep opening and closing the window.
It will continue to slide easier and easier. If you need to, you can also add some dry lubricant like a graphite spray to help things move a little smoother. Now, you can enjoy a little fresh air all thanks to your own effort and at no cost!
I love old houses, working with my hands, and teaching others the excitment of doing it yourself! Everything is teachable if you only give it the chance. I have double hung windows manufactured by Royal oak Window Co. It is hard to explain perhaps you help me. Can you give me some details about your experience with redoing the windows? Another option is a specialty blade called a window zipper, available at many hardware stores.
Go outside and place the putty knife between the window sash and the frame. Carefully drag it around the entire window. After cutting through the paint, you may be able to open the window by hand again. You may need to put a little more effort into moving the window sash, but opening the window is still possible. Loosen the interior joints further after attempting to lift the sash. Go back inside your home and try to lift the sash up with your hands.
Make sure it is unlocked first. If it feels a little loose, slide a putty knife or paint scraper into the surrounding joints again. Break off as much of the obstructing paint as possible. Forcing it is a sure way to break it. If it feels stuck, try something else. Attempt to lift the sash with a pry bar if it is still stuck. Set the pry bar against the corner of the window sash. Tap the pry bar with a hammer as needed to get it further into the joint.
Then, gently try to leverage the window up. Sometimes applying force in a few different spots is enough to get the window open. To reduce the possibility of damage, stop prying the window if it feels stuck in place. Remove the window stops and possibly the sash itself to repair the window. Spray the window tracks with a dry lubricant.
They come in spray bottles, so all you have to do is point the nozzle at the tracks on either side of the window sash. Spray them with an even coating of lubricant to make the sash easier to open and shut. Look for ones with graphite, Teflon, silicone, or similar products.
Once you have lubricated the sash, continue opening and closing it. The more you use it, the more it loosens. Another way to lubricate the tracks is with a wax candle. Wipe the candle stub over the track for a mess-free lubricant. Method 2. Remove any screws around the window frame. Check the tracks to the left and right of the window sash. The sash rests on a pair of wood panels that allow it to move up and down. If these pieces are held in place by screws, you usually need a small Phillip-head screwdriver to remove them.
Twist them counterclockwise until they pop out. You will need to pry the panels forward before pulling out the nails. Slide a putty knife behind the left window stop to begin removing it. Place the putty knife in the joint between the panel and the wall. Move the knife along the joint to break the paint seal. Drag the knife all the way to the top and bottom of each panel.
Your video was very informative, however nothing was mention about the possibility of the paint containing lead. What would one do in that situation? One thing that I do is spray WD along the edges to get into the groves to help the window slide up and down I also scrape the paint off the slides and finish with a steel wool to get the paint off and smooth it down for easy moving of the window.
Takes time but the result is an easy sliding window. I'll even put all the force on one side and then another. You'll still want to cut away any obvious locations where the paint is sticking, but if your windows are anything like mine, this problem will be a reoccurring because the paint can get into the track itself and readhere over time.
I've been dealing with windows that stick for many years now, one of the gifts of a prior home owner that wasn't careful enough. The only thing I haven't done yet is to hit the windows with some silicone lubricant to see if that would help.
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