Cranks, balances, locks
Stuck, drafty or won't lock? Fixing the parts that make a window work
A casement that spins without opening. A sash that slides down on its own. A lock that misses its keeper, or a draft you can feel with the air conditioning on. None of that is the glass, and the part that wore out may be the whole story. (Glass trouble? Start at the windows overview.) We connect you with an independent local pro in Windsor-Essex who fixes window hardware, one-part jobs included, and they'll call you back to talk it through.
- One worn part can be the whole problem
- Old wood sash and vinyl alike
- Single-part jobs welcome
Casements and awnings
Casement and awning cranks, operators and handles
A casement crank drives a little gear set, the operator, whose arm swings the sash out. Each part wears on its own.
The handle turns, the window doesn't
The operator gears or the handle socket have stripped. A matched new operator usually brings it back.
It opens partway, then binds
Often a bent arm, a worn hinge track or a sash that has dropped. New or adjusted hinges are a small job.
It closes but won't pull tight
The lock isn't catching or the weatherstrip has flattened. You'll feel a draft on a hot, windy afternoon.
Hung windows
Sashes that drop or stick
Spring and block balances in vinyl windows
Newer hung windows are held up by balances tucked inside the side tracks. When one breaks, the sash slams or creeps down. Photograph any label on the old one; it helps the match.
Cords, pulleys and weights in old wood double-hungs
Each sash hangs on cords over pulleys to iron weights in the frame. When a cord snaps, the sash won't stay up; new cord and a rehang fix it.
Sashes that stick in humid weather
Wood swells on muggy days, and old paint doesn't help. Easing the stops, clearing the channels and waxing the jambs often frees a sash without new parts.
Locks and latches
Locks, latches and keepers that no longer line up
A lock that won't turn, or turns without catching, has usually drifted from its keeper as the house settled or the sash dropped. Moving the keeper often fixes it; a worn lock gets a matching replacement. On a ground-floor window, don't leave it long.
Drafts and leaks
Drafts and leaks: weatherstripping and exterior caulking
Weatherstripping, for the AC season too
The flexible seal the sash closes against. Once it flattens or tears, you feel drafts in winter and lose cooled air all summer.
Exterior caulking
Caulk seals the joint between frame and brick or siding. Once sun and freeze-thaw crack it, summer storm rain works in behind the trim. Old caulk is cut out and redone.
Seal tape and quick kits
Stick-on tape can quiet a gap for a season. If the glass itself is fogged, that's a different seal; see foggy sealed units.
Heritage homes
Wood sash repair for heritage homes
The City's own Sandwich heritage district plan says it is often better to refinish an original window than to swap it for a mass-produced vinyl one, and that “repair is usually a reasonable option and is encouraged.” Where insulation matters, it suggests a storm window.
The plan describes Sandwich houses with broad porches, double-hung windows and dormers, and sash like that is built to come apart: new cords, glass, glazing and paint. Replacing a Sandwich window in the same opening usually needs no heritage permit unless the original is a significant feature seen from the street. Walkerville's district plan is still before Council, so check with the City there first. See Olde Sandwich Towne.
What affects the quote
How pros price hardware work
Hardware jobs are priced on the part and the time:
- Finding the part: current, generic or discontinued
- How much of the window has to come apart
- Number of windows, since several fixes share one visit
- Access, such as upper floors or a window behind a deck
Discontinued parts take some tracking down; sometimes an adapted part is the answer.
The honest limit
When a failing part points to a failing window
Usually a broken crank is just a broken crank. Be wary when new parts keep breaking, sashes won't close however they're adjusted, the sill is soft, or nothing fits. Then get a replacement window quote alongside the repair, and read the repair-or-replace guide before choosing.
Questions
Crank, balance and sash questions
Explore your options
Other window fixes
Pros fix cranks, balances and old sash across Windsor-Essex, including Olde Sandwich Towne, Walkerville, Riverside and Tecumseh.
Photograph the crank, balance or lock
Include any label on the frame or in the jamb. We'll send it to a pro who fixes window hardware, and they'll call you back with a quote.