Sash Window?

[virtuaffinity]

Hi all,
we bought a grade II listed cottage in December and I've been reading through various posts on here since. It seems like a great active forum and everyone seems really helpful.
We have a very pretty little window in our bedroom that looks like a vertical sash that's been painted sealed. I'd love to get it restored so it works again especially given that there are no windows at all that open downstairs. Can someone confirm that it is a sash for me?

Here's a close up of the sealed bit,

If it is a Sash, how difficult is it to restore myself? or should I just find a specialist? I'm not a numpty but it is my first owned home and DIY is new to me.

Do I need consent from conservation officer before doing anything?

Any help gratefully received.

 

[Moo]

It certainly looks like a sash that's been painted shut.
In which case, I'd get going with the nitromors.
You may need to finish off by sliding a thin blade between the two sashes - chances are that some of the paint crept down the crack and the nitromors might not reach it.

 

[NT]

Can someone confirm that it is a sash for me?

It is.

If it is a Sash, how difficult is it to restore myself? or should I just find a specialist? I'm not a numpty but it is my first owned home and DIY is new to me.

Theyre not difficult once you get how they work. Best thing is to look at some pics that show how they work. I haven't looked but wikipedia might be worth a look.

Do I need consent from conservation officer before doing anything?

No, but you would if you replaced any of the parts with anything non-identical. And by identical I do mean really identical.

A good place to start would be with a wallpaper knife, slide the blade between sash and frame to unstick it. It may need more doing, or that might be enough.


NT

 

[Nemesis]

From the picture it looks as though the sash cords are missing. It may be that there never were any, and it may also be that there is only one sliding part and the other fixed,

I'd try very gently to free up the bottom light as suggested, and then investigate from there.

 

[middi]

The chances are that the sash has been painted over a number of times and it may prove very difficult to free it from its guide rail and to work smoothly.

It may prove necessary to remove the internal guide bead carefully with a sharp chisel and/or spatula in order for the sash to be fully free, this will give you the opportunity to clean the guides properly and repaint.

You do not need a specialist to do this.

 

[virtuaffinity]

Wow!

Thanks everyone for your help.

I'll have a go at trying to free it.

 

[biffvernon]

From the picture it looks as though the sash cords are missing. It may be that there never were any, and it may also be that there is only one sliding part and the other fixed.

Can't be sure from the photo but there doesn't seem to be room for the weights in a box at the sides so I think Nemesis may be right to suggest that these sashes didn't work like most 'double hung box sashes'. It maybe that the top one is fixed and the bottom one slid up to open and was propped up with a stick to keep it open.

 

[Nemesis]

There is no 'nick' for the cord either - unless it's been filled in.

We have a sash without any weights and cords - it simply stays put by - magic? Friction?

 

[NT]

There is no 'nick' for the cord either - unless it's been filled in.

We have a sash without any weights and cords - it simply stays put by - magic? Friction?

Normally applying enough friction to hold them open makes them an absolute sod to get open, wonder if you've got some kind of hidden mechanism somewhere


NT

 

[biffvernon]

Absolute sod or not, such lack of mechanism used to be quite common for small windows.

 

[Nemesis]

I don't open it very often - winter too cold, summer lets in midges - but it isn't a problem and there is no hidden mechanism. It's not too small a window either.

 

[Lime]

In a bay of my house there are two windows with no lower sash cords (never have been) but the upper sash has cords as normal.