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Gunga Din
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 3:30 am
Post subject: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside the M25,
there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your basic
wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted shut. My
wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air. She has begun to
lean on me about it...
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a dog's
breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally simplistic. Plus possibly
break some rule of the local authority on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a numbnutz
can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best! |
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Skitt
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 3:41 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Gunga Din wrote:
| Quote: | Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside
the M25, there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your
basic wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted
shut. My wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air. She
has begun to lean on me about it...
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a dog's
breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally simplistic. Plus
possibly break some rule of the local authority on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a
numbnutz can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best!
|
It would depend on the type of window, but wouldn't just taking a sharp
blade to the painted-over sections that have to allow movement do the trick?
I mean, what's the problem?
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/ |
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Spehro Pefhany
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:11 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 12:41:31 -0800, the renowned "Skitt"
<skitt99@comcast.net> wrote:
| Quote: | Gunga Din wrote:
Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside
the M25, there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your
basic wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted
shut. My wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air. She
has begun to lean on me about it...
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a dog's
breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally simplistic. Plus
possibly break some rule of the local authority on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a
numbnutz can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best!
It would depend on the type of window, but wouldn't just taking a sharp
blade to the painted-over sections that have to allow movement do the trick?
I mean, what's the problem?
|
This is the sort of thing that both exists on the net and that Google
can easily be used to find:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/remodeling/article/0,1797,HGTV_3659_1761637,00.html
http://www.onthehouse.com/tips/19961005
Of course if you really do muck it up and then call a carpenter, they
will have free licence/license to ream you to their heart's content.
ObAUE: Singular "they", eh?
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com |
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Alec McKenzie
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:22 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Spehro Pefhany <speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:
| Quote: | On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 12:41:31 -0800, the renowned "Skitt"
skitt99@comcast.net> wrote:
Gunga Din wrote:
Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside
the M25, there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your
basic wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted
shut. My wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air. She
has begun to lean on me about it...
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a dog's
breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally simplistic. Plus
possibly break some rule of the local authority on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a
numbnutz can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best!
It would depend on the type of window, but wouldn't just taking a sharp
blade to the painted-over sections that have to allow movement do the trick?
I mean, what's the problem?
This is the sort of thing that both exists on the net and that Google
can easily be used to find:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/remodeling/article/0,1797,HGTV_3659_1761637,00.html
http://www.onthehouse.com/tips/19961005
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These refer to sash windows.
The OP asks about a "basic wooden frame type window", which
doesn't sound like a sash window to me. Would this be a pondian
difference?
--
Alec McKenzie
mckenzie@despammed.com |
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Skitt
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:31 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Alec McKenzie wrote:
| Quote: | Spehro Pefhany wrote:
"Skitt" wrote:
Gunga Din wrote:
Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside
the M25, there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your
basic wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably
painted shut. My wife wants it opened from time to time to change
the air. She has begun to lean on me about it...
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a
dog's breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally
simplistic. Plus possibly break some rule of the local authority
on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a
numbnutz can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best!
It would depend on the type of window, but wouldn't just taking a
sharp blade to the painted-over sections that have to allow
movement do the trick? I mean, what's the problem?
This is the sort of thing that both exists on the net and that Google
can easily be used to find:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/remodeling/article/0,1797,HGTV_3659_1761637,00.html
http://www.onthehouse.com/tips/19961005
These refer to sash windows.
The OP asks about a "basic wooden frame type window", which
doesn't sound like a sash window to me. Would this be a pondian
difference?
|
Don't know about the pondian difference, but a standard swing-open window
should be even easier to handle, innit?
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/ |
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Mike Lyle
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 4:35 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Gunga Din wrote:
| Quote: | Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside
the M25, there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your
basic wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably
painted
shut. My wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air.
She has begun to lean on me about it...
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a
dog's
breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally simplistic. Plus
possibly break some rule of the local authority on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a
numbnutz can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best!
|
This is an English usage question that's been taxing us philologists
ever since Murray had to put up that shed in his garden for the
infant OED.
I've looked at the Old Norse, the OHG, the Sanskrit and the PIE, and
cross-referred to the South Arabian epigraphy, so I can now tell you
the answer.
Wait till dry weather: explain to your wife that wooden frames expand
when they absorb moisture, so this one's going to be impossible to
shift just now, but you know precisely what you're doing.
First, decide whether it's a sash window or a casement.
If it's a casement, look at the hinges. If they're obviously gummed
up with paint, scrape it off. Spray them with WD40. 10 minutes later,
try to open the window.
While waiting the ten minutes, examine the edges where the window
meets the frame. Are they gummed up with paint on both sides, or just
one side? While you're at it, run a Stanley-knife blade into the
crack and all round on the side which seems least gummed up. Cut
yourself as infrequently as possible. Do not allow any blood to gum
up the window-frame.
If the window didn't open, use the Stanley knife to scrape away as
much paint as possible from the cracks round the edges. Try again.
If it doesn't open, push harder. If it still doesn't open, tap all
round the frame with a panel-beater's soft hammer if you've got one,
or an ordinary hammer and a pad of folded cloth. Do this till fed up
or till you feel something begin to give. Reflect that a broken pane
of glass is going to cost a bloody sight less than calling out some
cowboy.
If it still doesn't open, apply a blowlamp round the edges to soften
the paint, and try again.
If it still doesn't open, check that any catches really are undone,
and do the hammer bit again till just before something breaks. Also
try standing on a table or Workmate (TM) and applying heavy pressure
with a foot. Again reflecting that a broken pane will cost a bloody
sight less, etc.
If it still doesn't open, leave it alone and touch up the paintwork.
Go to the pub. Install a Vent-Axia as a special surprise for your
wife (even that's cheaper than the vaquero). Claim Brownie points.
Also mention that opening windows are expensively bad for computers,
with catastrophic effects on the household budget: has she ever seen
a modern office with open windows? It's up to you whether or not you
mention burglars.
But if it's a sash window, go straight to scraping away paint and
softening with the blowlamp. If it doesn't open, try going outside
and getting some kind of lever under the frame.
If nothing works, the frame may be distorted and hence incapable of
opening -- or, worse, of shutting again once opened. Definitely
Vent-Axia time.
Have a nice day now!
Mike. |
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Carmen L. Abruzzi
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:04 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Gunga Din wrote:
| Quote: | Greets to aue!
In our blissful marital home out in the shrubbery, but still inside the M25,
there's a room that I have appropriated as an "office".
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your basic
wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted shut. My
wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air. She has begun to
lean on me about it...
|
Ah. I was about to say that there should be no particular
problem opening a painted shut window. It's opening a
window painted shut that presents a prob, or buglem-bear.
| Quote: |
Of course I can DIY it, and there's a 100% chance I would make a dog's
breakfast out of it unless the remedy was totally simplistic. Plus possibly
break some rule of the local authority on the way.
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a numbnutz
can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Hoping for the best!
|
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:22 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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"Gunga Din" <junk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4203dab1$0$10038$45beb828@newscene.com...
| Quote: | The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your basic
wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted shut. My
wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air.
|
Mike Lyle offered good practical advice. . . .
Consider beforehand how you want to refinish the window
when the job is done, and how many coats of
paint you think there might be (which bears on
whether you plan to remove all paint and refinish
smoothly and repaint, or just smooth things over
and touch up the edges. Sash window edges should
be painted very seldom because the buildup of several
coats of paint prevents free movement soonish.
If a mallet and edge (e.g. putty knife) does not break
the frame free (casement or sash) your next tool
should be a blowtorch. Propane torches are the
easiest to control.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada) |
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irwell
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:42 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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On 4 Feb 2005 14:30:03 -0600, "Gunga Din" <junk@hotmail.com> wrote:
| Quote: |
Short of hiring a carpenter, is there a simple DIY remedy that a numbnutz
can do to open a window that has been painted shut?
Butcher's knife, use a big bladed knife and a hammer, |
keep slicing and cutting the paint. tap the knife-blade
with the hammer, keep doing this and eventually the window
will yield. |
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Skitt
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:44 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Don Phillipson wrote:
| Quote: | "Gunga Din" wrote:
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your
basic wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably
painted shut. My wife wants it opened from time to time to change
the air.
Mike Lyle offered good practical advice. . . .
Consider beforehand how you want to refinish the window
when the job is done, and how many coats of
paint you think there might be (which bears on
whether you plan to remove all paint and refinish
smoothly and repaint, or just smooth things over
and touch up the edges. Sash window edges should
be painted very seldom because the buildup of several
coats of paint prevents free movement soonish.
If a mallet and edge (e.g. putty knife) does not break
the frame free (casement or sash) your next tool
should be a blowtorch. Propane torches are the
easiest to control.
|
I have discovered that burning as little of the house as possible is a Good
Thing.
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/ |
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:56 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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On Fri, 4 Feb 2005 17:22:28 -0500, "Don Phillipson"
<d.phillipson@ttrryytteell.com> wrote:
| Quote: | "Gunga Din" <junk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4203dab1$0$10038$45beb828@newscene.com...
The previous owner painted the window absolutely shut - it's your basic
wooden frame type window. It is wholly and irrevocably painted shut. My
wife wants it opened from time to time to change the air.
Mike Lyle offered good practical advice. . . .
Consider beforehand how you want to refinish the window
when the job is done, and how many coats of
paint you think there might be (which bears on
whether you plan to remove all paint and refinish
smoothly and repaint, or just smooth things over
and touch up the edges. Sash window edges should
be painted very seldom because the buildup of several
coats of paint prevents free movement soonish.
If a mallet and edge (e.g. putty knife) does not break
the frame free (casement or sash) your next tool
should be a blowtorch. Propane torches are the
easiest to control.
|
A hair dryer would be my first choice of devices with which to apply
paint-softening heat. The open flame of a blowtorch, or blowlamp as
Mike calls it, would be a last resort for me. |
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Jitze Couperus
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:16 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 22:56:41 GMT, Tony Cooper
<tony_cooper213@earthlink.net> wrote:
| Quote: |
A hair dryer would be my first choice of devices with which to apply
paint-softening heat. The open flame of a blowtorch, or blowlamp as
Mike calls it, would be a last resort for me.
|
Look - it's an excuse to go and buy a new tool. Who needs a bloody
hair-drier?
Obfood: The advantage of having a real honest-to-gosh flame thrower
is that you can then make decent onion soup and/or creme brulee.
The critical steps as pertain to the window are:
a) Upgrade home insurance and make sure it covers fire
and the full value of the house as well as temporary accommodation
in case of disaster - pending re-build.
b) Fire up the blow-torch and apply liberally to the problem paint
and/or surrounding sash/casement depending on taste
c) Call fire-brigade
d) Move into local hostelry pending refurbishment of the whole
house (or just the burnt part) by blokes-who-do-that-stuff.
e) Repair to repaired domicile and enjoy a good cuppa.
Jitze |
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Tony Cooper
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:25 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 00:16:22 GMT, couperus-eschew-this@znet.com (Jitze
Couperus) wrote:
| Quote: | On Fri, 04 Feb 2005 22:56:41 GMT, Tony Cooper
tony_cooper213@earthlink.net> wrote:
A hair dryer would be my first choice of devices with which to apply
paint-softening heat. The open flame of a blowtorch, or blowlamp as
Mike calls it, would be a last resort for me.
Look - it's an excuse to go and buy a new tool. Who needs a bloody
hair-drier?
|
Actually, I have a heat gun. A heat gun is a hair drier on steroids.
It's great for applying shrink tubing, loosening frozen nuts, and
quick-drying paint.
Have at that "frozen nuts" line. Just don't make a balls-up of it. |
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R H Draney
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:35 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Jitze Couperus filted:
| Quote: |
Obfood: The advantage of having a real honest-to-gosh flame thrower
is that you can then make decent onion soup and/or creme brulee.
|
Or, depending on your inclinations, poodle jubilee....r |
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Skitt
Guest
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| Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:38 am
Post subject: Re: [=OT=] How to open a painted shut window? |
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Tony Cooper wrote:
| Quote: | (Jitze Couperus) wrote:
Tony Cooper wrote:
A hair dryer would be my first choice of devices with which to apply
paint-softening heat. The open flame of a blowtorch, or blowlamp as
Mike calls it, would be a last resort for me.
Look - it's an excuse to go and buy a new tool. Who needs a bloody
hair-drier?
Actually, I have a heat gun. A heat gun is a hair drier on steroids.
It's great for applying shrink tubing, loosening frozen nuts, and
quick-drying paint.
Have at that "frozen nuts" line. Just don't make a balls-up of it.
|
Don't worry -- no touching there. I will mention, though, that you just
gave another good example where the serial comma helps to avoid a
misunderstanding. Unless you want your quick-drying paint loosened, that
is.
--
Skitt (in Hayward, California)
www.geocities.com/opus731/ |
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