Nearly every window fault is one of two things: a part that has worn out, or a frame that has failed. The first is cheap and the second is not, and they produce similar symptoms. Being able to tell them apart is the single most useful thing on a visit here, and it is not difficult once somebody sets out what to look at.
What a worn part looks like
A worn part produces a window that still fits its opening properly but does not operate well: stiff to slide, a handle that turns without engaging, a lock that needs the sash pushed to line up, a gasket that has gone hard.
The frame in those cases is square, the sash sits evenly in the opening and the gaps around it are consistent.
That is a parts job — rollers, catches, hinges, gaskets — and it usually costs a fraction of what people expect. It is also the great majority of what we see on these houses.
What a failed frame looks like
A failed frame shows as uneven gaps: wider at one corner than another, a sash that touches the frame on one side and not the other, or a diagonal that is visibly out.
On a timber frame add rot at the bottom rail; on steel, corrosion through the section; on uPVC, a welded corner that has opened.
Those are not parts problems and no hardware will fix them. We say so plainly, because fitting new rollers into a racked sash wastes the parts and leaves the window exactly as it was.
The case in between
There is a third situation worth naming: a frame that is sound but has been forced for years, where the sash is bent though the frame is not.
That can sometimes be straightened and sometimes needs a new sash, with the frame staying.
It is much cheaper than a whole window and it is rarely offered, because it is fiddly to quote. We look for it, because on these houses a bent sash in a good frame is a common and very fixable situation.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
