Window maintenance: what to do twice a year
A window is the one mechanical thing in a home that gets used every day and never serviced. Half an hour twice a year prevents most of the problems we are later called out to repair.
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Seals
The black rubber strip around the sash is what keeps draughts out. Over time it dries, hardens and cracks, and then the window starts to let in cold air.
Wipe it with a damp cloth and treat it with silicone lubricant, which any DIY shop sells. Do not use solvents, oil or abrasive cleaners: they eat into rubber faster than age does.
Hardware
Open the sash and look along its edge, where the moving parts of the mechanism are visible. Wherever metal rubs against metal, add a drop of machine oil or a lubricant made for window hardware. A few drops, no more, then turn the handle a couple of times to work it in.
While you are there, check the screws on the hinges: they loosen over the years and the sash starts to drop.
Drainage holes
On the outside, at the bottom of the frame, there are narrow slots that let out any water that gets inside the frame. They get blocked with dust, leaves and insects. When they are blocked, water sits in the frame and freezes in winter.
A matchstick or a toothpick will clear them. It is the most underrated minute on this whole list.
Winter and summer settings
On many windows the closing pressure of the sash can be adjusted using cams along the edge, turned with an Allen key. Set it tighter in winter and looser in summer, so the seal gets a rest and lasts longer.
If you are not sure what type of hardware you have, do not guess: too much pressure quickly wears out both the seal and the mechanism.
What not to do
- Clean the frame with scouring powder or a metal scourer: it leaves scratches that collect dirt.
- Hang bags on the handle: the sash will sag.
- Leave a sash tilted open all winter: the reveal around it freezes.
- Tape over the drainage holes "to stop the draught".
If the sash catches on the frame, there is a draught around the edge or the handle spins freely, it needs adjusting, not replacing. We repair windows from any manufacturer: +372 5555 1682.