Open Out-of-Reach Windows
A DIY extension handle works well for window cranks that can't be operated from the ground.
My house has 24 awning windows at the ceiling, 10 ft. to 12 ft. from the floor. When I bought these windows, the manufacturer didn’t offer any sort of pole to operate them from the floor. So I took a 1 1/4-in.-diameter dowel and added a piece of 1/8-in.-thick PVC sheet stock that I drilled, formed, and attached to the pole. A hole in the plastic fits over the window’s crank, as shown in the drawing. This allows me to open and close the windows from the safety of the floor.
—J. Kaye, Phenix, Va.
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #286
