Window warped

[Zebra]

I've had some timber windows made, in softwood, Douglas Fir. I've installed one in my upstairs room, which is a timber frame construction, and earlier in the year I replaced the timber on this entire elevation.
The window has warped since it went in a couple of weeks ago. The casement sashes don't line up properly in the frame, and it's very hard to close them.
Could it be that my oak frame repairs are still settling in, and I've just ruined my brand new window?
No, not ruined, I mean created character.....

 

[middi]

Difficult to tell Zebra.

My guess is that the the windows are OK ( douglas fir is a very stabilised wood and hardly distorts at all and definetely not after a couple of years in situ). If the window opening is constructed from green oak the chances are that the shrinking stress and distortion that occurs with oak has induced " stress" in the window frame causing it to distort. If your windows were of the casement side opening type the problem would not be so noticeable, as your windows are sash sliding type anything above 2 or 3 mm distortion could case a " sticking problem.

To cure the problem you may have to remove one or two of the window frame screws that secure the window frame to the opening and reposition into the oak frame opening ( it is not a major job but may involve a bit of making good and decorating touch up).

If we take a careful look at the history of the English house we find that all the acient timber framed buildings would have had side opening sashes simply because sliding ones would have been unsuitable for the " for-ever" distorting walls of these timber buildings. The " sliding sash" window was a Georgian era invention and was better suited to the ( eventually !!) more common brick and stucco building with their uniform symmetrical and very firm facades.

This era ( the Georgian look !!) was so popular that complete timber framed villages were renovated to look Georgian, simply by hacking out original lead lights, side opening sash windows and front oak framed doors and replacing these with sliding sashes, the porch ( " portico") and if you were rich, a mohogany six panelled front door. THey then rendered the outside of the wooden frame and it appeared that everybody had rebuilt thir house by ridding themselves of the " ghastly" exposed draughty oak timbers, doors and windows.
Well, they did stop the draught, simply because eventually they could not open the damned things and kept painting over the top of the, now seized, sliding sashes.
( sorry about the " waffling", but it may give you a better idea why your -probably ? - perfectly manufactured windows don't appear to work properly)

Middi

 

[Zebra]

I think your reply seems to confirm my suspicions. They are indeed side opening sashes in a green oak frame. I have done the cure you recommend, unscrew the window from the frame and try to reposition it, as there is no plaster there yet (inside or out), so no making good to do. The window doesn't "want" to go back square however, and I wonder whether if I try to correct it, it will just warp again, perhaps the other way! If these walls are as you say forever distorting, perhaps it's one of those things that must be simply lived with! Thanks for your advice.