How do I Rehab Old Double Hung Windows?
- 1). Pry off the front wooden stops from both sides of the window jamb. The stops hold the inner window, also called a sash, in the jamb. Be careful not to damage the wooden stop with the pry bar. The jamb is the channel in which the sashes slide up and down. Cut the rope attached to the window so you can remove the inner sash. It's OK to let the weight fall inside the window frame.
- 2). Remove the parting bead that holds the outer sash in place. This is a thin piece of wood that fits inside a groove in the jamb. Again, try not to damage it with the pry bar; if you do damage it, however, you can buy replacement parting beads at any hardware dealer that sells window moldings. Cut the counterweight rope and remove the outer sash with the pry bar if it sticks inside the jamb from past paint jobs.
- 3). Unscrew the access door leading to the counterweights inside the window frame. The screw is located on the inside jamb near the bottom of the window and should be visible after the jamb hardware has been removed. Open the access door to expose the counterweights.
- 4). Scrape off dried paint from the pulleys if they have been painted over. Feed the nylon rope through each pulley in the middle of the jamb and down the inside of the window frame, and then tie to the counterweights. Leave the other ends of rope hanging from the pulleys for now. Replace the access door and screw it shut. Scrape away any accumulated paint from the window jamb and apply furniture wax so the sashes slide easily when they are replaced.
- 5). Tie a knot on each end of rope hanging from the pulleys. Find the spot on the outer window sash where the rope attaches. Be sure the sash can travel its full height while the weight counter balances it, and then nail the rope to the sash and install the parting bead. Repeat this process for the inner sash; the inside sash should be able to travel the entire length of the jamb. Replace the inside stops and seal them with caulk.
