Window Trouble
Have you ever had a window that just won't slide open, or takes all your energy to slide open? Well, you're not the only one. Many of our customers are inquiring on the same question, "How can I make my window slide easier?" In this newsletter we will try and answer this question for you through various options.
Your first option is to use a product known as Slideez lubricant. Slideez works on wood, metal, and plastic. Product contains no silicone, will not cake or stain.
Your second option is to first mark where the window is sticking. Next, remove the door or window by taking out its hinge pins, prop it up securely, and with a hand plane carefully remove any excess material. Power planes will work, too, but there is a tendency to remove too much. If you remove too much material, when the wood shrinks back during the colder days of winter the gap will be too wide. For sliding windows, often the trim around them is the culprit and must be removed and reinstalled to allow for more movement. To do this, carefully remove the trim with a flat bar and pull the nails out backwards, that is, grasp the nail point with pliers and pull. If the trim was installed properly with finishing nails, you should be able to do this without damaging the wood. When reinstalling, keep it fit and snug, but not as tight as it was. If you reinstall the trim too loosely, the windows will rattle when the wood shrinks again. To keep windows and doors from sticking in the first place, make sure that they are sealed with a good coat of paint, including the tops and bottoms, but don't paint the channels where windows need to slide. Instead, use a light coat of linseed oil as a sealer.
One of the most popular general lubricants to use on track work and slide bars inside the house is simply petroleum jelly, like Vaseline. It is biodegradable, food grade, and non-staining. This would be your third option to use on your stuck or uneasy windows.
Hopefully, we have been able to successfully aid you in your bothersome tribulations. Now you can save your energy and time on more important things, or possibly other household troubles. Good Luck! (Click on underlined words for link to product.)
Contact Information:
Please call Toll Free 1-800-787-3355 if you require further assistance.
Van Dykes Restorers
PO BOX 278
39771 S.D. HWY. 34.
WOONSOCKET, SD 57385
Order Line: 1-800-558-1234
E-mail: restoration@cabelas.com
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