Two of my double glazed windows won't open, this was not the case when I moved in 18 months ago, but first my bedroom window just wouldn't open one morning, then last week the kitchen window did likewise.

I went onto diydoctor.com and another similar site, and the chaps on there advise for this sort of problem to remove the handle, then put a flathead screw driver into the exposed plate, try turning it, and if the window opens, it is the handle, not the locking mechanism.

Tried to take the handle off, only one philipps screw, handle won't come off, reading the advice further, it says I can try levering it open by either tapping round the frame, or wedging a thin piece of wood between frame and glass, apparently, it won't cause any damage.

I can't afford to get a tradesman in, and I refuse to do the helpless female routine, but on the other hand I don't want to break the window.

If I do go with the leverage idea, I am assuming the actual frame is screwed into the brick work, and as the double glazing is a sealed unit, what is the likely hood of me shoving it so hard I actually push the whole window out?

Can anyone help please?

I don't know if I can help, but any chance you can post a picture of the windows in question? It might help those who are visual give some helpful ideas (My husband is the type who will examine the problem for hours before picking up a manual or turning to online directions!)

I will try and get some photos uploaded, bear with me!

Thanks Amy

Hi Tracey,
It sounds like you have casement windows. Do you have a handle that you crank and the window slowly opens? There should be one or two latches on the non hinge side that seal the window shut. If the latches are clear and the window is unlocked then your window is just stuck shut. You can take a thin knife and score around the window to loosen it and then gently try to pry open the window without damaging the wood. I have two casement windows that give me the exact same problem this time of year. More humidity in the air causes the wood to swell.

Hope this helps.

If the paint hasn't been kept up then moisture can swell the wood and keep it from opening.
"IF" that's the case you need a stretch of dry weather for it to shrink back.
Seeing your in the UK I can only wish you luck on the dry weather.
If the house construction is within a few years it could also be the foundation settling.
Put a level on that window sill and compare it to others in the house. I doesn't have to be off a lot for it to jam up.

These are UPVC windows, so they are screwed in as a whole unit, would that make a difference if I try to pry them? There is a small gap along the bottom if I push gently with my hand at the bottom, but no movement at all at the top??

Is there brickwork on the outside of the home?

How old is the house?



I've been in construction all my life, and used to sell and service Andersen windows. Chances are that the window was improperly shimmed at the bottom, and when the wood dried out or swelled in the wall, the brick on the outside of the house remained in the same place and caused a bind in the jamb of the window.

If this is the case, the only real solution is to remove the trim from around the window and see how they were installed. If they are fastened to the studs and sill through the jamb, you can cut the fasteners and rehang the window with the proper shimming. If they are fastened to the wall with a flange behind the siding on the outside, you have to remove the siding and rehang the window.

Worst case scenario is that the opening in the wall is framed too small and the wood has shifted, causing the window opening to be out of square and bind against the jamb, in which case you either have to order a smaller window, or make the hole in the wall bigger.


If you feel up to it, take the casing (trim) off the wall around the window and take some pictures. I could probably tell you what the problem is and the best way to fix it. You can't really tell anything without seeing the opening in the wall that the window is sitting in.

The houses were built about 25 years ago, but according to the blurb when I first viewed the house 18 months ago, the windows were updated in the last 2 years before I moved in - I am beginning to wonder where the bloke left his guide dog while he fitted them, they all seem a bit rum

I am up for having a go at most things, I will go and have a look at how easy the trims will be to remove, double glazed sealed units are a major bonus in the winter, but not easy to get access to in times like this!

Will go and have a butcher's now

I have managed to open a gap wide enough at the bottom to get the spirit level in, and there is definitely a very small drop on the right, looking at all the other windows, I can't see that I could break anything mechanical by using leverage, but obviously I don't want to push the whole bloody thing out, (bull in a china shop and all that!) there is some movement at the top, i.e. it isn't stuck hard, but not moving easily like the bottom.

And I don't see anyway to get the trim off without chipping away the PVC.

Any thought on the good hard shove idea??

eta
yes brick construction

Edited by tracey holden (05/30/2012 05:50 AM)
Edit reason: ps

Where abouts are you again Tracey? I know loads of tradespeople who'd help out for a donation to dog rescue.... worth a try.