Older windows (double hung?) trouble closing

Hey all,

I have a number of pretty old windows that I think are the double-hung types. I've been having issues with closing them especially. Opening can be tough too. The biggest issue is that I can't seem to push the sliding window down enough to latch/lock some of the windows fully.

Any ideas on what I can/should do to remedy this?



I applied a bit of superglue to this one and tucked it back in - definitely not a long-term fix.

 

Those are very cheap builders grade aluminum windows. That explains a lot of your problems right there. The side tracks can get gummed up... cleaning them with paint thinner, a paint brush and a clean rag can sometimes help clean and lubricate the plastic. Never use oil, that only attracts dirt.

What can often happen is that the interlock (where the 2 aluminum window sashes meet) gets filled up with debris. So the front sash cannot fully seat where the windows meet in the center. Cleaning the interlock (the area on the top sash behind the locks that is kind of shaped like a hook) might help.

The other thing that often happens is that the bottom rail (that has the lift handle) will actually start to get loose the glass and sag, meaning it is no longer straight. If you open the window and put a 2ft level on the bottom of the bottom sash, it could be bowed down in the middle. This can eventually happen when you raise and lower the sash if the aluminum extrusion gets loose on the glass. You can often just take a block of wood and a hammer and lightly tap the extrusion back onto the glass. But obviously dont tap too hard or you will break the glass.

Or the bottom of the frame could be bowed up (again check the bottom edge of the window frame with a 2ft level to see if its straight), or the windows could be out of square (theres probably no fixing that).

 

Thanks for the response. Makes sense - these were the original windows that were put in in '89 or '90 I think. I probably should have just spent the money and replaced them

I have some denatured alcohol - would that work to clean the plastic and behind the hook/interlock area?

In terms of the extrusion you are referring to, I'm having trouble visualizing - are you saying that that the bottom horizontal piece of the sliding window starts becoming "loose" and could even pull off of the bottom? I pulled the window down almost to the bottom frame and was sort of just looking at it on several windows and on many of them it appears not level and 'bowed' at least on one side if not both.

 

It would work as a cleaner but it has no lubricating properties to it. You just have to be careful not to get it on any latex paint.

If you pull the window down to almost closed and there is a gap on the left but not the right (or vis versa) that usually means the window frame is out of square. (No fixing that) But if you have side tracks in the jambs that are getting loose, they could be causing the bottom sash to "tip" in the tracks making it appear out of square. If you bring it closed and the taper on bottom matches the taper on top (where it meets the top sash) then the sash is tipped in the tracks and you would need to shove those tracks (and the sash) either left or right to square the sash up in the frame.

If you bring the window closed and there is an equal gap on the sides but no gap in the middle that indicates something is bowed.

If your bottom sash has a lift rail... what I am saying is that if a window is hard to close, by pushing down on the lift rail, you basically bend the extrusion and push it partially off the glass. That causes the lift rail to bow.

 

Ah ok. Is there something specific you'd recommend as far as both cleaning and lubricating? I also have CLP (Gun Cleaner) and Corrosion X (fishing gear lol). I have a suspicion the window could be out of square - we have lived through several earthquakes and are on the bottom floor unit. I'd imagine those could get a window out of square no?

Here are a few windows that I've found definitely harder to push all the way down to latch/lock:

 

The top 2 look out of square. Try shifting the sash (and track, if its loose) to the right on the top right corner of those 2 windows. That would square the sash up in the frame better. If that doesnt work, I'm out of ideas.

On the bottom pic, that looks bowed. Try opening the window and tap up on the bottom of the sash with a block of wood and hammer, like I mentioned earlier.

And if you were to buy a specific product to lube the windows I would search the internet for someone who sells Alum-a-Lub. 2nd choice would be silicone spray.

 

Thanks. In terms of shifting the sash - is that the long piece of plastic sitting inside the jamb? If so, I can't seem to move it much if at all. On one of the windows in the kitchen (one that actually doesn't have much of an issue), I noticed the thing peeling off/loose so I super glued it back earlier today.

I tried tapping the window in the bottom pic - it might have helped a little - at least one of the latches/locks (right-hand side one) can lock into place now but the left-side latch/lock side is really hard to push down into position still.

 

You might need to open the window and put the block of wood (like a short 2x4 maybe 24" long) on the sill of the window frame (not the sash) and beat it down a little too, if the frame is bowed up as well, its fighting against you when you close the sash. Dont beat it so hard that you dent it, but you should be able to smack it pretty hard.

Yes, the long piece of plastic is a liner and it could be pushing the sash too far to the left. They sometimes have a little cushion behind them so you might be able to tap it to the right and give the sash more clearance to operate. I'm kind of just guessing here, it's hard to diagnose a window problem when your not standing in front of it.