If paint accumulates between the sash and frame, a window can be difficult or impossible to open. Here's how to get it moving again.
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Time A day
ComplexityIntermediate
CostFree
Introduction
If paint accumulates between the sash and frame, a window can be difficult or impossible to open. Here's how to get it moving again.
Carelessness is often the reason why windows in old homes become painted shut. Years of piled-on paint gets in between the sash and frame, making windows hard to open. Some people even caulked windows shut, thinking it would help with efficiency.
Regardless of the reason, Norbert Rodriguez, owner of Quaint Milwaukee Window Restoration, and his team free up old windows quite often. If you’re painting your window, Rodriguez recommends wiggling it an inch every 30 minutes to make sure paint doesn’t dry it shut. Or, to avoid this situation altogether, remove windows before you paint them and reattach them when they dry.
Read on to learn how to free up old windows.
Safety note: Always wear gloves, a paint respirator/mask and eye protection when working on old windows. If they were made before 1978, assume you’re working with lead-based paint and take proper precautions.
Tools Required
- Carbide paint scraper
- Moulding pry bar
- Rubber mallet
- Safety glasses / gloves / dust mask
- Screwdriver
- Shop vac with HEPA filter
- Utility knife
- Window sash saw
Watch How to Open a Stuck Window
Project step-by-step (5)
Step 1
Score paint lines
Score the paint lines and any caulk with a utility knife between the sash and wood stops (also known as parting beads).
Step 2
Break dried paint
Using the CRL Window Zipper Deglazing Tool or a window sash saw, saw through the dried paint on both sides of the sash. Slide on the face of the sash, between the sash and wood stops. Repeat this process on the top and bottom of the sash, making sure window is unlocked.
Step 3
Remove stops
Remove the wood trim stops on left and right side of the sash. Remove any screws present and remove stops with a moulding pry bar. You may need a rubber mallet to insert the pry bar between the sash and the stops.
Step 4
Free the meeting rail
Free the meeting rail with a paint scraper if dried paint seems present. Gently tilt the sash towards you, and the window should break free from dried paint.
Step 5
Clean off excess debris
Scrape off extra paint or debris on the casing or frame of the window with a chisel or carbide scraper. Vacuum up paint chips and debris as needed. Norbert and his team use a paint scraper connected to a vacuum hose, available at some hardware stores or online.
