General Window Repair?

May 11, 2008 3:37 AM

Home Repair Filter: Does anyone know of a window repair contractor in Baltimore who'll do spiral sash balance repair?

I'm trying to sell my home, and the buyer's making this a post-home inspection request, and I'm at loose ends trying to find such a contractor.

We'll see what further negotiation offers, but I'd like to be prepared if it really is a deal breaker for the buyer.

The main problem lies in the fact that most window "repair" folks in this area don't service windows they didn't install (preferring instead to sell you entirely new window), and I'm not replacing entire windows because the sash balance is non-functional. That's what sticks are for.

Alternately, should I try the repair myself? Reader's Digest and the New York Times both seem to rate this sort of repair as "minor".

posted by kalessin to home & garden (9 comments total)

This is a VERY easy repair, check out page 3
posted by Mr_Chips at 4:25 AM on May 11, 2008

Mr Chips, thank you. Unfortunately, the buyer's specified that she wants the work done by a licensed contractor, so I'll keep this in my back pocket in case she's willing to negotiate there, since it does look so easy.

I may mark you best answer depending on how that evolves.
posted by kalessin at 6:42 AM on May 11, 2008

I think you have some push-back on the "licensed contractor" part. If a window balance works, it works, end of story. I could see if it was electrical, plumbing, or roofing, then ABSOLUTLEY insist on licensed contractor.

My advice, try to fix it yourself first. If you can't, then call a contractor ( or offer them a small amount of money off to do it themselves) If you can, I would tell them it was a simple adjustment and windows work fine, which they can easily see for themselves, you can even print out the instructions and leave with them for any future adjustments.

Do you get the impression they REALLY want the house? the big question is would they really walk away if the windows work but were not adjusted by a licensed contractor?

The other thought is to simply tell them you can't get anybody in for some time, so offer them $300 and let them deal with it!!

Unless you are DEPERATE to unload this house now, i wouldn't be afraid to push-back on this, most buyers ask for way more than they really expect, and this doesn't sound like a deal breaker to me
posted by Mr_Chips at 8:22 AM on May 11, 2008

I think we do have some wiggle room for negotiation here. We do want to close on the sale as our purchase of another property is contingent on this settlement. Still, I think that we can either fix it ourselves/demonstrate it works, or buy out of dealing with it, both of which are fine by me. Hell, I'd hire someone to do it if I could find someone who would do it.

Honestly, if I were buying the property, I'd take a reasonable cash settlement for the sash balances and then go spend that on something else and/or fix it myself, but I'm getting the impression this buyer may not be the do-it-yourself sort. On top of other post-inspection repair requests, I get the impression the buyer really isn't interested in doing this sort of thing at all.

The worst part is that I want to actually show the buyer how to fix this stuff because odds are she'll need to do it in the future (as the house simply gets older).
posted by kalessin at 9:09 AM on May 11, 2008

My husband replaced the spiral thingy in a couple of windows, and it did not seem too hard. He got the parts at a storm window installer shop: they might be more willing to help you out.
posted by francesca too at 10:56 AM on May 11, 2008

Heard from my realtor (seller's agent). It turns out that as long as we can demonstrate it works, we can do the repairs ourselves.

I'm going to Home Depot anyway so I'm going to look for a spring winder tool and see if they have any spiral spring replacement hardware. It's possible, though, that I really just need to rewind the springs, so I'll try that first.

Meanwhile, I asked SWISCO (.com) to quote creation and delivery of 4 37" 5/8" springs for my 2 oversize windows, so I should hear from them in 24 - 48 hours.

The other windows use a more standard 29" spring size. We'll see if Home Depot has that. If not, I'll find a local supplier.

I'll do this all myself if at all possible. It does look really easy, and I've already got a good look at the mechanisms involved when measuring the spring assemblies for order.

Thanks for the encouragement, Mr. Chips and francesca too!
posted by kalessin at 11:01 AM on May 11, 2008

Followup:

I ordered 6 29" 9/16" spiral sash balances, 20 screws, 10 shoes (because they were cheap - I apparently don't need them) and a twisting tool.

I have 2 windows with 37" long balances that also need help so am corresponding with SWISCO to order those.

Last night, I tried the twisting tools on all my existing sash balances. No dice. The bushings and channels are cracked/missing so the springs took no load, just spun uselessly.

So I dismantled the mechanism for 3 windows, installed and put load on the new springs and re-sat my windows in the existing shoes. The first window was the worst - figuring out how to recouple the spring with the shoe was frustrating until I went and found a diagram and then it was fine. Also, the iterative sash (window) removal, retensioning and then sash replacement was a pain in the butt.

But, since these three windows were all the same, once I figured out the proper tension load, it was easy to preload the tension on the other 2 windows and they went quickly.

Now all I have to do is:
1) Order and install the new springs for the 37" windows.
2) Figure out if I want to leave the tensioning tool for the new owner of the house or leave it to her to buy her own. (It's like $10 but there's pride and sweat equity now - though I think the new house doesn't use the same sash balance mechanism so I probably will leave it, with instructions.)
posted by kalessin at 4:36 AM on May 14, 2008

Oh, I should mention prices:
- spiral sash balance springs are around US$8 - US$15 per spring, and like tires, you want to replace both at once for each sash
- screws are just thick 1" screws. I bought from SWISCO while I was at it, but it wasn't a big deal. Screws top out at like US$0.15 each.
- shoes are about US$1 or US$2 each
- the deluxe twisting tool is about $10. I got that one. There's also a lesser tool that's about $5.

For 6 29" (non-custom) sash balances, 20 screws, 10 shoes and a twisting tool, and 2nd day air shipping, my total was US$125, which was enough to fix 3 windows. The window repair folks typically charge something like US$100 per window, so it would have been about US$300 for those three windows. I'm planning to order parts for 2 more windows at a total of no more than US$80 (if I rush shipping).

So in total I am spending about US$200 and about 3 hours on self-repair whereas hiring someone else to do it would cost US$500 and whatever time was required to meet them and let them into my property/lock up after they were done.
posted by kalessin at 4:42 AM on May 14, 2008

Further followup notes:
- Finally done. Had to order custom length (37" - their normal stock tops out at 36" at SWISCO) spiral spring sash balances for the two larger doors (the existing springs were totally split and shot and would take no load).
- Ordering custom springs took about 2 business days to set up the order, including weighing the windows and reporting back to SWISCO customer service. SWISCO provided a special link to order the springs (preset length, bushing - equates to a load range), and I did so. They were a few dollars each more expensive ($12.95 versus about $10) than the 29" regular stock ones I'd ordered earlier.
- Installing the biggest window was a pain from the geometry standpoint, but finally took.
- In terms of full winds, the smaller windows (which were balanced with 29" sash balances) took 9-10 full turns of load on each of two springs to sufficiently balance the windows. The bigger windows (both with 37" sash balances), took 12 (the 15 lb sash/window) and 14 (the 20 lb sash/window) turns to balance. Understand these are ballpark numbers. You should probably twist yours with something like that and then start the trial-and-error adjusting.
- Because this was by no means clear in the internet documents (some diagrams completely contradicted each other) to tighten the springs, you turn the twisting tool the same way you'd expect to turn any other tool (screwdriver, drill, whatever) to tighten or to go into whatever you're twisting into. So if you were looking up into the spring from the bottom where the tool is, you'd turn clockwise. To loosen, turn the opposite way.
- All of my sash balances had red bushings. Apparently for heavier loads there are blue, green and black bushings.
- Some windows are easier to get back on the shoes (the parts the springs couple to, and that have the swivel pivot for the windows/sashes to tilt out from the frame on) by swinging up from the bottom once you have one pivot peg seated properly. Others are easier to swing down to. That part definitely takes practice, which fortunately you get a lot of while you trial and error your way to proper balance.
- When seating the pivot pegs, parallax will simply kill you. Get as close to the action as you can. Kneel if you have to. Believe me, it's worth it.
posted by kalessin at 11:58 AM on May 18, 2008