V
homemaintenance
Once removed, you will see cast-
iron weights and remains of
broken cord. Pull out weights, but
remember which height goes
with the right sash and on which
side, as there are different sizes.
STEP 7
Make sure pulley is
turning freely. Oil lightly. Fit a
small lead sinker to the end of a
piece of string to act as a
'mouse', and feed it over pulley
in top of window. Keep feeding
until mouse appears in pocket,
then pull it out. Without cutting,
pull mouse and diagonally feed it
over opposite pulley and pull
it out of the other pocket.
STEP
1 1
Measure distance
below top of window frame and
underside of
pulley
(here,
160mm). The nails or screws
holding new cord to sash need to
be at least this distance from top
so they do not foul on pulleys.
STEP 12
Rest sash on windowsill,
check cords are hanging freely.
Mark top of sash on both cords.
STEP 1 3
Elevate sash on a
100mm block of scrap timber.
Align mark with top of sash
again, then nail or screw in place.
Make sure fixings are more than
the 160mm from top of sash.
Use 2-3 button-head screws or
clouts. Cut off excess cord.
STEP 14
Put sash in place and
test that it moves freely. Spring
parting beads back in place, then
position lower sash and nail stop
beads. Then it's a simple matter
of puttying up any holes, sanding
lightly and painting the window.
go to
bhg.com.au
for
more home repair advice
Stockists: Door; door furniture;
sash cords; rollers; wheels
for sliding windows, Bunnings
Warehouse, www.bunnings.com.au
or stores nationally. Power tools,
Bosch Australia, 1300 307 044.
STEP 8
Wrap string around new
sash cord and firmly tape
together. Pull string and feed
cord over pulley, then across to
first pulley, and out of pocket.
Make sure you have enough cord
for each side, then cut cord.
STEP 9
Remove old cord from
weights. Prise away the 2 or 3
clbuts that hold cords in the
plough groove of sash. Attach
new cord to weights using a
figure-of-8 knot.
STEP 10
Pull cord to lift weights
to top of their travel. Let them
back down by about 10mm, then
temporarily pin cord to window
channel. Leave nail heads proud
so they'll be easy to remove later.
Sash Window Diagram
Sliding aluminium
windows
Generally, sliding
aluminium windows
present few problems,
but they do require
regular cleaning to keep
the tracks and rollers
operating properly.
If the nylon rollers
develop flat spots, they
are easy to replace.
The process is simple.
With the window ajar,
lift it off the track and
place it upside down on
the floor. If the track is
rough, smooth it with
fine sandpaper (this is
not normally necessary).
Unscrew or prise out
both wheel carriages.
Take a sample to your
local hardware store
to find the matching
carriages - just make
sure the width is the
same, as it needs to fit
inside the aluminium
channel. Replace both
carriages. Reinstall the
window and test it. If
the sash scrapes on the
track, take the window
out again and adjust,
using screws or wedges.
Don’t lubricate the track
as this may cause the
rollers to skid, rather
than roll, and that can
lead to flat spots.
174
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, APRIL 2011 bhg.cotn.au
Photography Dieter Mylius. iStockphoto; projects Scott Marvell; diagram Lorenzo Lucia
