Today I was called to a property in Maldon that had a jammed shut UPVC window. The customer had tried to open the window and the handle was spinning, and the window was stuck shut, in the locked position.

This was a very tricky one to get open as the locking mechanism consisted of a deadbolt plus a shoot bolt at either end making the window very tight in the frame.

What made it even harder was the fact that the window was so small which meant that there was very little flex when trying to pry it open. With a locking mechanism like this, you need to work on each locking point, 1 at a time, until you have all 3 locking points open.

As the window was so small and tight, I thought it best to deglaze the window which gave me a bit more flex, and then I was able to pry open the window.

Once open, I remove it via the hinges so I could bring the window inside the property which made it easier to work on.

Once it was inside, I found the cause of the problem. The drive gear had snapped, and it was this that had caused the mechanism to seize up. This is a very common type of break on this type of window locking mechanism.

I replaced the mechanism and put the window back on via the hinges then reglazed the window.

Once done it worked as good as new.

If you have a jammed UPVC window or are in need of UPVC repairs, including misted or blown windows in Maldon, Witham, Chelmsford, or surrounding areas, get in touch via our contact page and see how we can help.