10 tips to help maintain your sash windows

Sash windows date back to the seventeenth century, they are a beautiful and clever design and a popular addition to many people’s homes. However, they can also be susceptible to the elements but with a little maintenance and help they can work very well, keeping your home draft free for many years.

If you are looking to keep your sash windows in the best possible condition, take a look at the following top ten tips.

1. For traditionalists responsibly sourced, soft or hard wood sliding sash windows are likely to be the most popular choice as plastic will rarely achieve the right look. Wood is an excellent natural insulator, extremely durable and, if taken care of properly, a timber frame can last for several decades. The presence of moisture is the most common cause of timber decay. The easiest way to avoid timber decay is to keep the windows clean and dry. However, if you do happen to have some timber decay on and around your windows there is a remedy. Weak spots can include the corner of the sill, especially if there is not enough gradient to allow the rain the run off it, and can be remedied by indenting sections of new timber at the affected areas.
   Ensure that all external timber frames are adequately painted to protect the timber from water. Ideally, the rotten timbers should be removed and replaced; if the damage area is fairly small, it can be cut away and a new piece of timber scarfed in.
2. Keep your windows and frames well painted, this is especially important if you live near the sea. The prevailing southwesterly winds and the salt air can be a corrosive combination. Paint protects your wooden sash windows from water and in the long-term from going rotten. Regularly painted windows will help your sash windows last for many years more. Common weak spots are the sill and the outer cheeks of the box sash frames. Also anywhere where end grain is showing can be a weakness.
3. Check the putty on the outside of the sashes is without cracks and is creating a good seal around the glass. Over a number of years this can dry out and crack letting water in around the glazing.
4. Change your staff bead and parting bead for new that contains draft seal. This will stop the sashes rattling in the wind and letting in cold air. It is a simple and effective job that will make the sashes run smoother and stop drafts, meaning that your home will be more energy efficient.
5. Lubricate your sash pulleys/wheels with a little light oil, if paint has built up around the pulleys scrape it back with a small flat head screwdriver or scraper. This will allow the sash cord to run smoothly and easily, keeping it in good condition and preventing it from snagging or scraping on the sash wheel.
6. A sash window specialist will fit the appropriate window furniture so the sashes are lifted in the correct way, which help the windows last longer. Sash pulls or lifts should be fitted onto the bottom rail of the bottom sash, curved sash handles should be fixed to the meeting rail of the top sash to open and close them. Sash restrictors can be fitted to add extra security to the windows.
7. If you live on a busy road or near pubs or clubs, you could consider having double glazed units fitted into sash windows. These will reduce external noise and increase the thermal efficiency of the windows. It will also reduce condensation forming on the inside of the windows during winter.
8. During the colder months dry off any internal condensation, keeping the sashes and frames dry will increase their lifespan and reduce mould etc. If possible, open the windows slightly during the day to remove humidity from the room.
9. Clean your windows regularly inside and out. As well as improving your view on the world it will make it easier to spot any cracking or imperfections in the paintwork.
10. Sashes are hung on cords that pass over pulleys and connect to weights hidden in the hollow sides of the case. Broken or damaged cords can be easily replaced. Sashes must be removed from the window frame to replace the cords. The new sash cord must thick enough to match the weight of the sash. Cotton cord is normally supplied pre-stretched and saturated with wax to reduce the risk of rot and to allow it to run smoothly.