I have a theory about freeing some stuck windows, & I want to see if any of you geniuses have tried it before.
the windows are on the third floor of an old victorian, and the houses on either side are too close together to fit a tall enough ladder, & I don’t want to build a scaf, or pop out the stop. I want to do it neat & tidy, & look like a brainiac.
The idea is to exert constant upwards pressure on the sashes, using bar clamps & blocks fastened to the rails, or something along those lines.
Anybody ever have any success with anything like that?
Thanks.
Blackie
Replies
Simply, no.
Have cracked the window pane trying that method, too much force needed*.
Always have had to resort to putty knife or wide chisel and gently break the paint bond all around on both sides.
If you need to strip paint anyway do that first.
* say 8 ft lineal paint seal on each side, paint 1/32" thick, a low shear strength of about 500 psi for dried paint. 16*12*500/32 = 3000 pounds to break window free = deflection that breaks glass.
Like junkhound said I think you would break more glass than you want. Hyde or warner makes a tool its thin triangular serrated blade that works well, but if most of the paint is bonded outside your going to have to get out there in less you can work the lower sash loose
That's the bitch. They are painted shut on the outside. It's t&m anyway, so wotthehell.
The triangular tools works pretty well at breaking the paint, but it also mars the wood a bit, scraping and breaking fibers.There is no substitute for removing the stop bead, and possibly the parting bead. Particularly if you are re-painting the windows anyway.
The glass is old and brittle. It looks terrible when you have to replace a pane with smooth new glass. Try and find a veneer saw or Japanese pull saw and attack from the outside.
I'm with junkhound. The less stress you can put on the sashes, the better. I'm assuming that your ultimate goal is not just to get 'em open, but to have them operable as well. If you just pry them open, they'll still be too sticky and continued use will start to stress the glaze, joints etc. really quickly.
Make yourself a "kit", like a milk crate containing a utility knife (essential for cutting the paint on the interior to avoid chipping, peeling), a small dust brush, a thick (stiff) 4" putty blade (for chiseling paint beads), a couple of flatbars (to pry the windows open), a hammer and a shingle or two to protect the soft redwood when you're prying.
I like to walk around with a small scrap of carpet to lay under the window and protect the floors while I work.
Gently remove the stops and clip the nails with a pair of dykes or pliers (don't bang 'em thru, just leave 'em in and use new ones). To get the sashes free, just insert the putty blade in a corner to "crack" the paint (that's PAINT, not PANE!) and whap away with the hammer. Obviously you'll want to be careful here, but don't be afraid to put some nuts into it - I've found that, unless you miss with the hammer, it's not that easy to break that old glass by pounding around the edges.
Usually, multiple sashes come in common sizes, so you can prepare a piece of plywood to cover the window opening while you take the sashes outside, sand 'em down and repaint. Wax on the edges helps them slide when you reinstall, and some new ropes are usually required (if any are broken, it's a good sign that more will soon follow, and this is a good time to do it). Watch out for lead paint dust - it WILL be present. Clean up carefully after yourself, too.
once you remove the window trim pieces from the inside, there should be quite a bit of wiggle room around the sashes - although the paint seal is on the outside, you should be able to break the seal on the top between the sahes - the meeting rail I think - and might be able work your way down through the top.
I have done it before -
although the paint seal is on the outside, you should be able to break the seal on the top between the sahes
Operable word here is 'should', but it works out to mean 'usually, but not always'.
After Pop died a few years ago, first time in 60 year that 'professional' painters got a brush on the house (hired by my brother, the foreman owed my brother some cash and was repaying it this way) really painted the attic window shut - lousy job otherwise also but that is another story.
Anyway, I was lazy and did not get out a ladder when back there last spring to replace with screens for the summer, CRACKEd a corner in one of the panes. %$#&*^^##!
usually but not always should be my motto -
I have used a hydraulic jack on some but if you want a good job I would take trim off, pull windows inside and clean them up right.