Kompu Kid wrote:

Hello All:

Windows at my nephew's home won't close unless one pushes it with
substantial force from outside. I looked into it a bit. I first
thought it was paint buildup, but ruled this out after cleaning the
buildup did not help.

I have photos of the windows at:


http://cid-eb85de77506ba8ba.spaces.l...7506BA8BA!108/

I think the windows are slightly warped over time --this is a 60-year-
old home. I am thinking that if he can replace the pins in hinges (one
of the hinges is marked with "B") with a smaller diameter one, the
"A" side of the window would be slightly pushed out, and the "D" edge
then would get to touch the mating frame (it now stands 1/4" or so
away).

Alternately if the lateral edges can be bent inwards a bit this would
also get the Edge D closer. But I cannot think of an easy way of
bending these edges in a controlled manner, and without breaking the
glass...

These old casement windows have a tendency to hang up. The gears in the
mechanism get a little worn, the hinges get a little dirty, and the
whole thing gets balky. One symptom of a worn mechanism is that the
window has lots of play--you can move it in and out with your hand
without turning the crank. The window shouldn't move more than half an
inch this way.

Others have recommended cleaning off the paint. I concur. The
mechanisms should never have been painted, but everyone does it for
some reason.

My recommendation: Replace the mechanism, assuming they're worn. You'll
have to hunt for the hardware.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX