Can't Close Or Open Your Wooden Windows? Two Things To Look For Or Try Before Calling Residential Window Repair
When you have wooden window frames, you come to expect certain things. For example, you may have to scrape and paint the exterior of the frames every in a decade or so. What you may not expect are windows that get stuck easily. If you are having problems with your windows not opening or closing, here are two things to look for or try before calling a residential window repair expert.
Warped Wood
Wet wood warps. Even wet wooden windows warp. If you have experienced a lot of rain recently, or if there is a lot of humidity in the area where you live, the wooden frames on your windows could warp. Once warped, they are bent ever so slightly out of shape and out of alignment with their tracks, which is why they are difficult to open and close. You have a couple of options here:
- Do not use these windows, since you will be fighting to get them open and closed all the time
- Dry the wood out with a wood-drying sealant and protectant that can help with the warping just enough to open or close the windows
- Replace the just the sash, as opposed to replacing the whole window (which you could also do)
Most homeowners opt for the second choice above since not being able to use a window is not always a feasible option.
Unglued Window Frame Joints
Many wooden windows have frames that are cut and joined together at forty-five degree angles. They are then glued together and sometimes a small nail or two may secure the pieces permanently. However, not all wooden windows have nails in the frames, and those that do not may come apart over time. As you attempt to lift or lower your old wooden windows, do the frames seem to split apart at the corner joints? Do they do this a little bit, or a lot?
Either way, the slightest amount of slippage in the joints can cause the whole frame around that particular sash to become off kilter and not sit right in the tracks. If you can, squirt a little glue into the seam, then apply gentle pressure to the frame. Better still, see if you can remove the sash and then squirt some glue in the joints before using a C-clamp to hold the corners together until the glue dries. For added stability, use a few small carpentry staples to secure the corners better after the glue dries. Talk to a window repair expert, like http://www.healyglass.com/, for more help.