Howdy, previous owners unfortunately painted the sash windows shut.
Particularly annoying in the bathroom where ventilation helps indeed.
What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy. Getting fleeced by the plumber recently makes me wary
of calling in the next workman...

Fred

What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy.

1. Use Stanley knife to cut paint where held firm.
2. Remove beadings.
3. Remove lower sash.
4. Detach weight from lower sash.
5. Remove parting bead.
6. Remove upper sash.
7. Detach weight from upper sash.
8. Strip sashes and frame, using favourite method.
9. Install new sashlocks, if required.
10. Paint sashes and frame.
11. Wax, rather than paint the sash sides.
12. Inspect pulleys, replace if worn or sticking.
13. Use new natural sash cord.
14. Attach upper sash to weight.
15. Adjust weight to suit (upper sash should hold firm, with a slight
tendency to rise if shaken).
16. Install upper sash.
17. Install new draughtsealing parting bead.
18. Attach lower sash to weight.
19. Adjust weight to suit (lower sash should hold firm, with a slight
tendency to fall if shaken).
20. Install lower sash.
21. Install new beadings (or reuse old if in good condition and can be
bothered to strip).
22. Touch up paintwork.
23. Install new flitch plates, if required.

Parts available from www.mighton.co.uk.

Christian.

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
. net...
What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy.

1. Use Stanley knife to cut paint where held firm.
2. Remove beadings.
3. Remove lower sash.
4. Detach weight from lower sash...

Keeping a firm hold on the sash cord and lowering the weight gently, not
letting it crash down inside the box and watching the sash cord disappear
through the pulley hole.

Colin Bignell

Keeping a firm hold on the sash cord and lowering the weight gently, not
letting it crash down inside the box and watching the sash cord disappear
through the pulley hole.

And I forget to mention taking the access panels off so that you can attach
the new cord to the weights.

Christian.

nightjar .uk.com wrote in message
...

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
.net...
What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy.

1. Use Stanley knife to cut paint where held firm.

I prefer a paint scraper and light hammer blows.

Keeping a firm hold on the sash cord and lowering the weight gently, not
letting it crash down inside the box and watching the sash cord disappear
through the pulley hole.

Or pull the rope down fully and pin it to the frame.

In article ,
Fred wrote:
Howdy, previous owners unfortunately painted the sash windows shut.
Particularly annoying in the bathroom where ventilation helps indeed.
What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy. Getting fleeced by the plumber recently makes me wary
of calling in the next workman...

It's a bit of 'how long is a piece of string' question.

The windows may be perfect, and merely jammed with paint. Others have said
how to fix this. I use the thin flexible scraper and hammer approach, as a
knife may not get deep enough.

More likely they're in poor condition. They may be screwed up tight before
painting - look for clues. Some of the wood could be rotten or worn. The
sash weights could also be missing.

--
*No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver,purple

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
nightjar wrote:
Keeping a firm hold on the sash cord and lowering the weight gently, not
letting it crash down inside the box and watching the sash cord
disappear through the pulley hole.

I clamp it with Mole grips.

--
*We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message .net...
What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy.

Running a knife between sliding sash and frame will usually do it.
Dont use a stanley, the blade is too short and too stiff, meaning it
winds up at the wrong angle damaging the wood. A cheapo wallpapering
knife is more suitable, but the blade is weak so you have to make lots
of passes not too hard, gradually cutting in.

In a lot of cases that will do it. Sometimes though there are other
problems too. The list below is only necessary if there are much
bigger problems.

NT


1. Use Stanley knife to cut paint where held firm.
2. Remove beadings.
3. Remove lower sash.
4. Detach weight from lower sash.
5. Remove parting bead.
6. Remove upper sash.
7. Detach weight from upper sash.
8. Strip sashes and frame, using favourite method.
9. Install new sashlocks, if required.
10. Paint sashes and frame.
11. Wax, rather than paint the sash sides.
12. Inspect pulleys, replace if worn or sticking.
13. Use new natural sash cord.
14. Attach upper sash to weight.
15. Adjust weight to suit (upper sash should hold firm, with a slight
tendency to rise if shaken).
16. Install upper sash.
17. Install new draughtsealing parting bead.
18. Attach lower sash to weight.
19. Adjust weight to suit (lower sash should hold firm, with a slight
tendency to fall if shaken).
20. Install lower sash.
21. Install new beadings (or reuse old if in good condition and can be
bothered to strip).
22. Touch up paintwork.
23. Install new flitch plates, if required.

Parts available from www.mighton.co.uk.

Christian.

In message , Christian
McArdle writes
13. Use new natural sash cord.

Any particular reason for the 'natural', I used unnatural on the last
one I did and it's been fine to date.

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk
currently being spammed at a rate of 5282 a day, that's 1929251 spams a year.

Any particular reason for the 'natural', I used unnatural on the last
one I did and it's been fine to date.

It doesn't stretch so much, doesn't suffer from UV damage so much and is
easier to tie. Apart from that it looks much better, particularly in a
period property. However, using nylon certainly isn't a disaster. It should
work fine.

Christian.

In article ,
Christian McArdle wrote:
Any particular reason for the 'natural', I used unnatural on the last
one I did and it's been fine to date.

It doesn't stretch so much, doesn't suffer from UV damage so much and is
easier to tie. Apart from that it looks much better, particularly in a
period property. However, using nylon certainly isn't a disaster. It
should work fine.

I used some synthetic cored stuff which looks like ordinary sash cord on
the outside, although slightly thicker. Bought it over 25 years ago, and
non has broken since. But I'm not sure of the life of the 'proper' stuff.
It was pretty expensive, though.

Knots on it do have more of a tendency to slip if untreated, but I gave it
a good blast with a hot air gun after tying them, and that seemed to 'set'
the synthetic core.

--
*Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Check out
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects..._sash_cord.htm

I found painting my parting bead before I put it back in useful. So its try
when you put the window back in.


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.744 / Virus Database: 496 - Release Date: 24/08/2004

(Fred) wrote in message ...
Howdy, previous owners unfortunately painted the sash windows shut.
Particularly annoying in the bathroom where ventilation helps indeed.
What is the best way to approach this? Call in someone or is there is
way to do it myself - no particular skills present, just 10 years or
so worth of diy. Getting fleeced by the plumber recently makes me wary
of calling in the next workman...

Fred

Hi fred

I have restored all of my down stairs sash windows and they look
awesome now, its been a long job but well worth it.

Check out the following website:

http:\\www.diysashwindow.co.uk

I bought these kits and they work a treat. The guy who sells the kits
is extremely helpful too and the manual is a doddle to follow. The
only real bit of skill required is to be able to use a router to route
out a couple of channels for the draft excluding material. I had never
used one before so I practiced on a bit of scrap wood and had no
probs.

If you go this route mention my name and I may get a discount on my
next order!!!

Cheers!

Richard

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 22:16:39 +0100, bof
wrote:

Any particular reason for the 'natural',

UV stability. The other trick is to slip a natural sleeve over a
synthetic core.

In article ,
Andy Dingley wrote:
UV stability. The other trick is to slip a natural sleeve over a
synthetic core.

That's pretty well what mine are.

--
*Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ...

No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver,purple

bumph, syringe, pilfer, burble.

NT