Victorian Timber
Window RepairsMelbourne
Sash window repairs

Won't open. Won't stay open. Won't shut.

Broken cords, jammed sashes, rattles and slams — the operational problems of double-hung windows are all repairable, and mostly in a single visit.

What's inside your window frame

Each sash hangs on two cords running over pulleys to cast-iron counterweights hidden in the box frame beside the glass. When a cord snaps, the sash drops or won't stay open. When the balance is wrong, it slides down on its own or takes two hands to lift. None of that is wear-out — it's a serviceable system, designed in the 1880s to be maintained, and it responds beautifully to being maintained.

What a service covers

  • Release painted-shut or jammed sashes without damage
  • New waxed cotton cords over the original pulleys
  • Rebalance against the original weights
  • Ease, adjust and lubricate the runs
  • Re-fit beads with correct clearances

From $480 inc GST. While a window is apart for servicing, the full brush-seal system is from $190/window — the smart time to kill the draughts too. Rot found during a service is quoted separately at the published tiers, never sprung on you.

Common questions
My sash cord has snapped — can it be replaced?

Yes, routinely. The staff bead comes off, the sash comes out, new waxed cotton cord goes over the original pulleys to the original cast-iron weights, and the window balances like it did when it was built.

The window is painted shut. Is that fixable?

Yes — painted-shut sashes are released, eased and rehung without damaging the frame or the glass. It usually pairs well with new seals, since the window is being worked on anyway.

How long does a service take?

A standard service — release, ease, re-cord as needed, rebalance — is usually under half a day per window, done on site.

Should I just replace the sash instead?

Almost never for operational problems — cords, balance and sticking are all repairable at a fraction of a new sash. Replacement only earns its keep when the timber itself is beyond repair, and we'll tell you honestly if it is.

The fastest way to a price

Send us photos of your window.

Attach a few photos of the rot or the draughty window with your details, and we'll come back with what it needs and what it costs — usually the same day.