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May 27, 2009 at 5:03 pm #591022
hopeyParticipantCan anyone recommend a handyman who can definitely deal with a double-hung window that is painted shut? I have cut the paint and tried my best to get it open but it just will not budge. Would love to hire someone with expertise in this area, though it’s a very small job. Thanks.
May 27, 2009 at 5:39 pm #667746
carrieannMemberThanks for asking this question, hopey, and I really hope someone has a good recommendation, because we live in an early 1920’s-built house which has all the windows in the front rooms (and one in the kitchen/breakfast nook) painted shut. It gets miserably hot in the Summertime, so I’d love to be able to have a breeze blowing through.
May 27, 2009 at 8:39 pm #667747
alki_2008ParticipantI don’t have any suggestions for a specialist in this area, but one thing that might be a complication is the potential of lead-based paint. I believe that “pros” are required to do all the environmental/health protection things regarding lead-based paint, whereas homeowners can ignore much of that and just deal with hazardous materials (lead, asbestos) themselves…although not necessarily advisable from a health perspective.
Regarding the DIY aspect…a few things I’d try is paint thinner (letting it sit for about a half-hour) and/or heat gun. Of course, this assumes that the window’s sash wasn’t nailed to the frame.
Here’s a possibly helpful video from This Old House (great website): http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20053941,00.html
I do know someone local that has done a couple DIY projects for me…although she isn’t a “pro”, if you’re interested.
May 27, 2009 at 8:44 pm #667748
cakeitseasyMemberDid you try using a pizza cutter? That and spray on paint thinner. Especially near the top where the two seams join together. Once the frame is free of the paint stick, work the window up and down with a liberal amount of WD-40 on the tracks. Also, try working on a very dry day, so the wood won’t be expanded. This worked for us when the local “professional” that we called never turned up. Meanwhile, I’ll try to find the number of the carpenter guy that helped us out on the windows that were too fragile to budge. We now have a cross breeze in summer and it’s DELIGHTFUL. Geez, what were people thinking when then painted them shut?!
May 27, 2009 at 9:09 pm #667749
hopeyParticipantalki_2008: Oh, I wasn’t necessarily asking for a pro, so sorry if it came across that way. I just didn’t want to weed out the inevitable “I have a great handyman/handywoman who knows a lot, but they haven’t specifically done that.” I am looking for someone who specifically has done this job before — successfully! — and knows some tricks that I don’t. If you think your handywoman can open my window, feel free to post or PM me. :)
cakeitseasy: ooh! carpenter guy! That sounds more like what I’m looking for. If you can give me a name I can probably find the number.
May 27, 2009 at 10:45 pm #667750
alki_2008Participanthopey – yeah, the lead thing might be a sticky (no pun intended) issue with any ‘licensed’ contractor-type person. I guess I was thinking of “licensed” when you said “pro”…it’s just semantics. ;)
cake’s carpenter might work better, but I’ll check with my contact and see how comfortable she feels with sticky windows. Will PM you after I hear back.
May 27, 2009 at 11:15 pm #667751
guitarboy53MemberCarrieann – Your situation sounds a lot like a place I used to rent on 59th! In the end, I just dealt with it! Although, it would have been nice to have a fresh breeze flowing through the place!
May 27, 2009 at 11:56 pm #667752
carrieannMemberguitarboy – Yeah, we’ve been living in this place for 5 years now, so we’ve dealt with it ok. (The basement actually stays nice and cool in the Summer, but we’re currently allowing family to stay with us, so it’s a bit crowded down there.) With two little ones in the house, we don’t like having fans around if possible, so we were hoping to find someone to help us get at least one or two of the painted windows opened. Not a HUGE deal, but it sure would be nice!
May 28, 2009 at 1:32 am #667753
MargLMemberHere’s a video of how they fixed a painted shut window on This Old House might give you some insight on where the window is sticking…
http://tr.truveo.com/How-to-Open-a-Painted-Shut-Window/id/452103007
May 28, 2009 at 3:11 am #667754
alki_2008ParticipantAs a note…it’s the same video as linked in my post #3.
May 28, 2009 at 5:08 am #667755
MargLMemberOh duh – sorry! Don’t know how I missed that except maybe I was so distracted and enthralled by the dancing banana! Peanut butter jelly time!
May 28, 2009 at 5:34 am #667756
TraciMemberThis might seem a little reckless, but I took a hammer to mine and it loosened up the paint. Be gentle!
May 28, 2009 at 6:13 am #667757
KevinParticipantalki_2008 suggested using paint thinner and a heat gun.
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Use extreme caution if you were to try that, as you could have a flash fire if the paint thinner fumes were to come in contact with the heating element of the heat gun.
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Even stronger than paint thinner is acetone, which will cut just about anything. Also VERY flamable so same caution as above.
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Downsides to acetone, evaporates very quickly, and will physically melt certain types of plastic.
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alki_2008’s idea of applying the paint thinner and letting it soak is good except for the heat gun.
May 28, 2009 at 6:30 am #667758
hopeyParticipantWell see, I’ve unstuck all the paint. That’s the thing. There is something else keeping this window from opening, and I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s paint seeped further into cracks that I can’t reach. For all I know, the weights inside the sash may have been removed, and that is far beyond something I want to get into.
Thus, the request to hire someone who has successfully conquered this problem before.
May 28, 2009 at 6:44 am #667759
lighthouseParticipantI’ve rebuilt a bunch of wood double-hung windows in the past.
There are a number of issues you may need to deal with:
1. The sashes are painted shut. As you’ve already noted, you need to use a utility knife to cut through the paint. After the paint is cut, I used a wide (3″) putty knife to work around the sash to break it free from the frame.
2. The sashes are nailed in place. This is hard to see if there are multiple coats of paint on the sashes. Not much I can offer here; I stripped all the paint off the windows I rebuilt so I could find the nails and remove them.
3. You may have mangled up brass weather stripping that will “grab” the sashes.
4. The sash cords may be broken, so the sashes will not “float” and (assuming you get them to move) will need to be propped open with something. Depending on the size of the windows, wood double-hung sashes can be quite heavy, so if the sash cords are broken it can be a workout to raise the lower sash.
5. Depending on the number of coats of paint involved, the sash may not be able to slide in the channel on the frame. This clearance is usually quite small, and it doesn’t take many coats of paint to block the channel. You can try taking a candle and rubbing it in the channel since the sash will slide on wax easier than on old paint (think of waxing cross-country skis, it’s the same idea), but you may have to scrape paint out of the channel to open the window.
May 28, 2009 at 8:36 am #667760
alki_2008ParticipantHey Kevin, thanks for clarifying what I posted. Yeah – the thinner and heat gun would NOT be a good idea when used together. I should’ve said “or” instead of “and/or”. Maybe try the heat gun first…and if that doesn’t work, then try the thinner/acetone soaking (after they cool down).
Lighthouse has some good additional ideas. I’ve also heard that it can sometimes be easier to unstick such windows in cooler temps, so maybe try it in the evenings too.
May 28, 2009 at 4:11 pm #667761
hopeyParticipantlighthouse: thanks for all the info! don’t suppose I could pay you to come over and look at mine? :)
May 28, 2009 at 6:08 pm #667762
ElleMemberWe had the windows in our 1918 house restored (unstuck, double hungs re-strung) several years ago by Cherry Creek Windows and Doors. They did an incredible job and the windows are fully functional now. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to be able to open the windows and get some fresh air!
Cherry Creek Windows & Doors: 206-547-4162
May 28, 2009 at 7:11 pm #667763
carrieannMemberElle – Sent you a PM. :)
May 28, 2009 at 7:33 pm #667764
RSMemberThis seems to be really common around here. We had the same problem in our last house, and were also surprised that a lot of the houses around here had no screens in the windows either. What would compel people to paint their windows closed in the first place?
May 28, 2009 at 7:43 pm #667765
hopeyParticipantThanks, Elle! I hadn’t thought of asking a window manufacturer for a referral. I’ve sent an email to the folks at Cherry Creek. Hopefully they can help.
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