Opening a Stuck Window

The first step in being able to open any stuck window is to determine what is causing it to be stuck. Take a look at the window frame. Is there any space between the window sill and the window? If there is not then chances are the window has been painted shut. To open this all that you need to do is get a utility/carpet knife, painters' spatula or even a sturdy razor blade. Be careful not to damage the window frame or the window, but force the knife in between and break the seal that has been formed.

After you have removed all of the paint between the window and the sill, then you should try to move the window up and down. It may take a little work but it should be able to freely move now. In some cases though, this still won't open the window—simply saying that it may have been stuck for so long that it needs a little more "help" in getting it to move. If that is the case, then try placing a small block of wood against the window, and gently but firmly tapping it with a hammer to loosen it up a bit more. Be careful when doing this though that you do not actually break the glass, as you are then going to be faced with the task of replacing an entire window, and not only loosening it up.

If, when you were looking at the frame, you did not see paint, then the window simply could be stuck due to the wood of either the frame or the window being warped. Such situations are typically caused due to a recent increase of moisture from rain or snow storms. After about two or three days, it should return to normal, if not though, you should look at replacing the window entirely. When replacing the window, or after the window has dried out, you might want to consider installing storm windows as opposed to the traditional wood framed windows.

Finally, there is the most obvious of reasons why the window does not move. That reason is that sometime in the past someone nailed or screwed the window shut. This is probably the easiest fix of them all. All that you need to do is remove the nails or screws and you should be able to freely move the window. If not, then try the block of wood method to see if that helps once you have removed the nails.