Double Hung Box Windows

[GraemeS]

Fellow woodworkers,

I've got an old house that house double hung windows with concealed counter weights. The windows have lost their weights and now act like a guillotine when the kids undo the locking mechanism.

How do I go about repairing/accessing the channel to recondition the cords and weights?

[ozwinner]

Hi
some of the old windows used to have a hinged flap to access the sash weight.
If yours havnt got this you will have to remove the architrave to get access.
You can get sash cord from the harware shop.
Cheers, Al

[wombat47]

Your sash cord has probably broken. Time to replace the sash cord - and you may as well do both top and bottom at the same time.

It's not hard to do - just a bit fiddly and difficult to explain without diagrams. Go to -

http://www.greatinspector.com/faq-window-sash-crd.html

Your hardware store will have the proper sash cord by the metre. There is a particular kind of knot that is used - have a look at the old one.

There is a good chance that the stop bead or parting (centre) bead may break when you are taking them out. We couldn't get an exact match but once it's painted you can't notice the difference.

The diagram on the above site shows removing the centre bead with a chisel - sure to break it that way. Run a stanley knife down either side of the beading to cut through the paint and gently ease the beading out with pliers.

[GeoffS]

You will find pockets each side for accessing the weights. Layers of paint may make them hard to see. I have never seen windows without but that doesn't mean there may not be some. Making them is a very fiddly job and I can imagine some lazy joiner not bothering. The pockets are held in place by the sash bead ( that's the bead that holds the bottom sash in) and sometimes (but not always) by the parting bead (that's the bead that is between the two sashes.
Try very hard not to break these beads - they are no longer readily available - I make my own. As somebody suggested above, cut the paint with a knife and then prise them off or out. One or two breaks can be accomodated but you don't want a heap of little bits!
Do not remove the architrave unless you have no other access. It may not have originally but over time the architrave becomes an important part of holding the box frame in place. If you remove it the box frame may move and change its shape and the sashes may no longer fit!
Cheers

[Ben from Vic.]

Originally posted by GraemeS
and now act like a guillotine when the kids undo the locking mechanism.

It's so true.

We have these windows in my house, and when my brother was about 13 he opened the wrong window, and the falling window sliced off half a wart on his finger, the removed portion sitting on the top of the bottom window for all to see.

He was not so impressed. :eek:

Ben.

[wombat47]

While you are perfecting your skills with the sash cord, nail/screw a small block of wood under any other top sashes which have the habit of crashing down. It could save heads and fingers, not to mention replacement costs of broken glass.

[GraemeS]

Dear All,

Thanks for your ideas. I got stuck into the first one and it took about three hours. The second one took about an hour (I was experienced by then) and now I have a new list of chores for the coming weekend because the old windows and now so easy to operate. I also rubbed some candlewax on the beads and windows and they go like a dream.

Cheers,:D