Sash Windows

[ChasHyde]

1905 semi, sash windows throughout.

Front room has a working bottom sash (cords broken and pulleys visible) and a non opening light at either side (Venetian sash window?) can't tell at the moment if the top sash is working or not.

The two other downstairs rooms seem to have no 'holes' in the 'horn' where the cord would go, or visible pulleys (fixed bottom sash?) I have scraped the paint off the top of the 'horn' and can see no evidence of holes being blocked up, but have catches on them to indicate they should open (opening top sash?)

Seem to have a lot of questions, is there an expert out there would could help?

Thanks for looking

 

[charlie-ia]

our windows are all different, some have no pulleys or chords, some do.
they seem to work ok without any "gubbins". i'd be glad of an expert too. our windows are scarily rotten, so when i say work ok, its a very loose term.

try pulling down on the top sash, and shaking it really hard (as you safely can) at the same time.

took us two days to wiggle ours free.

if the cords are broken, or never existed, the window can slam shut very hard. watch your fingers & any thing loose!

 

[charlie-ia]

if you go to page three (oo-er!) and look at "windows" it may help a bit.
i dont know nhow to link to threads,im afraid. can someone enlighten me please?

if you can get a copy of newnes home handyman therse a realy clear set of instructions for unpainting stuck windows. full repair instructions too.

 

[MdB]

if you go to page three (oo-er!) and look at "windows" it may help a bit.
i dont know nhow to link to threads,im afraid. can someone enlighten me please?

Go to the top of the thread page and right click on the title (Sash Windows in this threads case). Select "Copy Link Location" if you use firefox or "Copy Shortcut" if you use IE (upgrade to Firefox, you know you want to).

Go to your post and paste. You will get something like the following:

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8275&start=0&postdays=0 &postorder=asc&highlight=&sid=8cdfcd0fdeefedac987504bebac14e59

Find the bit that says viewtopic.php?t=8275 and delete everything after that. The number will be different for different threads. You should end up with something like this:

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8275

That's it.

I believe the thread you are referring to is this one:
http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8180

 

[Nemesis]

I find the thread (earch function).

I use the bit at the top of the screen page which tells me where I am.

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/posting.php?mode=reply&t=8275


I cut.

I paste in a reply box.

http://periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=91029#91029


It links. Usually.

 

[NT]

Show us some piccies.

No, not of page 3.


NT

 

[Nemesis]

We also have a motley collection of sashes, and the kitchen one has no cords or weights etc. It's not uncommon. They were often propped open with a notched stick.

You could even buy little shaped pieces of glass to rest the bottom sash on, to provide a spot of ventilation.

Ours stay open without any help.

 

[ChasHyde]

Oh . . . I see, silly me thought that they were standard things, and mine had had their notches bunged up and their pulleys removed.

How do you tell if the top sashes were originally operational, making the window a 'double' or the window was meant to be a single - bottom sash -with the top one fixed ?

 

[Penners]

Perhaps the best-known sash window repair specialists are thesepeople.

 

[Nemesis]

Actually I suspect that both sashes were intended to move, just poss bunged up with paint - or even nailed up. It happens,

 

[Lime]

Sash windows vary.
I have two small sash windows on either side of a bay that only have pulleys and weights on the top sashes, the bottom sashes just lift up and need to be propped.

 

[gsport george]

The Mighton site, has some usefull videos of a window having it's hardware replaced, gives a good idea about how a standard sash window works...

http://www.mightonproducts.com/catalog/sash_window_television.php?osCsid=a37668ca0c6d0ff4610215d41e4a596c

George

 

[ChasHyde]

Latest update.

The kitchen has been de-plastered, and I can now see inside the weight boxes, one weight only per side. Am I right in thinking that this is the weight for the bottom sash, or is it for the top one, as there are no pulleys visible for the bottom one ?

 

[Lime]

If the weight is still hanging then it is certain that it is for the top sash.

 

[ChasHyde]

The weights are both at the bottom of the boxes, not hanging. I have been able to pull out one of the cords, which has broken, but is still attached to the weight. Obviously with one weight per side only one of the sashes was hung, but which one ?

 

[Lime]

Only you can tell by opening the top sash to see if it has pulleys or not.
So far what you describe favours the top sash being the one with weights.

 

[Moneypit]

If only one sash was weighted, and both top and bottom were free to move then it must be the top one which would have the cords attached. Gravity keeps the bottom one shut but would allow the top one to plummet if it wasn't balanced by weights. An uncorded bottom sash can also easily be propped open when required.