Page 184 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 151

Sash Repair
Joints tend to work loose and decay as windows age. Use wood glue and an angle brace to reinforce a
weak corner. Figure 8-6 shows this type of repair on the weather-damaged window in Figure 8-2. When
the window is painted, the braces won’t be noticeable.

If a single- or double-hung wood window doesn’t operate smoothly, try applying paste or paraffin wax to
parts of the stop, jamb, and parting strip that come in contact during operation. If that doesn’t solve the
problem, abrasion marks on the sash will usually reveal where the sash is binding. Move nailed stops
(Figure 8-7) away from the sash slightly. If stops are fastened with screws, remove the stop and sand or
plane it lightly on the face in contact with the sash. But be careful not to plane away too much of the
stop. Opening up too much space creates a path for air infiltration. If the sash is binding against the
jamb, remove the sash and then plane the vertical edges slightly.

If the sash rattles in the frame, glue a thin strip of wood veneer to one side of the sash. Keep veneer
strips narrow enough so they’re hidden by the stops.

The most common cause of window jamming is paint build-up. This is particularly true of the top sash,
which is opened less than the bottom sash. Remove paint build-up with a heat gun. Start by removing
the interior stop. Then lift out both top and bottom sash. Use a heat gun and a scraper to remove paint
from the casing. Remove paint from the sash as well. Build-up may be jamming the sash against the
stop. Be careful to keep the heat gun away from glass. Hot air from the gun can crack cold glass.

Fit the windows back into the frame and check operation. If the sash is still tight, a little sanding should
solve the problem.

Once the window is working properly, it’s OK to repaint the casing and sash. A single coat of paint
won't do any harm. This entire job usually takes about two hours per window, including touch-up
painting.