Remove and reinstall old window sash
#1
12-03-04, 01:15 PM
Remove and reinstall old window sash
I just moved into a 1961 home, and have two, side by side, full height double hung windows in my master bedroom. I need to remove the sashes (top and bottom) in one of the windows, in order to get a large armoire into the room (it wouldn't fit down the hallway but will fit through the window). I have removed the interior stops and am able to raise and lower both the upper and lower sashes. I don't really want to replace the windows beacuse they are in pretty good shape - I only want to remove the sashes, get the furniture in, and then reinstall the same sashes. The existing sashes appear to have a coil spring instead of counterweights.
Any help would be appreciated --
Any help would be appreciated --
Last edited by c3auburn; 12-03-04 at 01:31 PM.
#3
02-19-05, 02:24 PM
Group Moderator
There are so many kinds of windows, its hard to say how to tear yours out without seeing them.
When you say "coil spring", I'm thinking of a wide flat steel ribbon that winds up inside a coil, where the coil is either located where the pulley usually is, or up in the head of the window. Usually, the front sash will come out once you've removed the interior stops, and you can unhook the steel ribbon from the sash. To remove the top sash, you must remove the parting stop. Best way to do this is to lower the top sash all the way to the bottom of the opening, then get a pliers on the top of the parting stop and wiggle and pull. Try not to break it- sometimes they are stapled or nailed, and paint or varnish can effectively glue them in place, making them hard to remove.
If the sashes slide on aluminum tracks, they may be "side loads". Generally, you can grab the sashes one hand on top, one hand on bottom, and push hard to the left. Then the right side of the window can come out.
If your windows have a long coil spring, like what an old storm door might have, the sashes usually have a dado that slides over a 1/4" wide stop. These are VERY hard to get out without destroying them. The good news is you only need to remove one side. With the window closed, start at the top, and try to pry that stop out. It is usually in 2 pieces. Once you have the top half out, open the window and pry out the bottom half.
When you say "coil spring", I'm thinking of a wide flat steel ribbon that winds up inside a coil, where the coil is either located where the pulley usually is, or up in the head of the window. Usually, the front sash will come out once you've removed the interior stops, and you can unhook the steel ribbon from the sash. To remove the top sash, you must remove the parting stop. Best way to do this is to lower the top sash all the way to the bottom of the opening, then get a pliers on the top of the parting stop and wiggle and pull. Try not to break it- sometimes they are stapled or nailed, and paint or varnish can effectively glue them in place, making them hard to remove.
If the sashes slide on aluminum tracks, they may be "side loads". Generally, you can grab the sashes one hand on top, one hand on bottom, and push hard to the left. Then the right side of the window can come out.
If your windows have a long coil spring, like what an old storm door might have, the sashes usually have a dado that slides over a 1/4" wide stop. These are VERY hard to get out without destroying them. The good news is you only need to remove one side. With the window closed, start at the top, and try to pry that stop out. It is usually in 2 pieces. Once you have the top half out, open the window and pry out the bottom half.
Last edited by XSleeper; 02-19-05 at 02:30 PM. Reason: addition
