coloured stripe


Painting, decorating and home improvement tips blog

How to unstick stuck windows and doors

Posted by Adrian
February 1st, 2015

How to unstick stuck windows

When you have had your windows and doors newly painted it seems it doesn’t matter how many hours you leave them open to dry, they always seem to stick.

This can be frustrating if you want to open the window or door, so how do you release and unstick them? The problem is caused by tacky paint sticking to tacky paint, or maybe the paint has sealed to the frame, either way the following methods are the same.

Window

How to release stuck windows and doors

You will need:

  • A Scraper or putty knife
  • A Hammer or mallet
  • A small block of wood or a kitchen or toilet roll

Panel door

The first and easiest option is to try using a toilet or kitchen roll, place the roll on the stuck window or door where it is sticking and tap the other end with your hand, this may be enough to release the seal and allow you to open the window or door. It will also cause the lease amount of damage.

If this doesn’t release the windows or door you will have to try breaking the paint seal, this can be done by running a scraper or putty knife between the door or window and it’s frame, do this carefully as you can in order not to damage either the window, door, or frame. once you have broken the seal, try the toilet or kitchen roll method to try and free it and then open of released.

If the window or door is still stuck, next try using a hammer and small block of wood to break the seal, be very careful not to break the glass. Tap the block of wood gently with a hammer or mallet to free the paint seal, then open.

How to prevent sticking sash windows

Apart from paint sticking windows, box sash windows are notoriously for getting stuck if they aren’t used for a while, over the winter for example. To solve this problem there is a simple solution, wax, candle wax to be precise.

Once you have the sash open, rub a candle up and down the frame where the sash runs, do this both sides, then repeat with the other sash. The wax should help the sashes slide far easier.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Decorating Tips | 1 Comment »




Top

My Paintbrush logo