How to Open Paint-Stuck Windows

There is nothing more annoying than a window that has been painted shut. Windows are designed to be opened and allow the house to breathe. Those that have been painted shut keep you from bringing the outdoors in. Painted-shut windows are not a permanent problem, however. Opening them requires a minimal number of tools.

Instructions

1

Run a towel dampened with hot water around the space between the frame and the sash. This will soften the paint and prevent excess flaking.

2

Cut along the seam between the sash and the frame with a sharp razor knife, box cutter or pizza cutter. If the window or frame is made of wood, be careful not to damage the wood by cutting into it with the blade.

3

Insert a putty or paint knife into the joint you have just created with the razor knife and gently pry the window sash away from the frame. This breaks any seal the paint has created deeper in the joint.

4

Pull up hard on the window until it gives way. Spread your hands wide apart and apply even pressure.

5

Place a wooden block against the frame if the window doesn't give. Tap the block with a rubber mallet. Move the wooden block and repeat the process in several places along the frame.

6

Pry the window open with a thin pry bar if the other techniques are unsuccessful. Place a thin pry bar in between the sash and frame at the lower sill and gently pry upward. Move the pry bar from one side of the window frame to the other until the frame gives way.

7

Clean the tracks of the window with water if the paint is latex or with turpentine if the paint is oil-based to prevent any future problems.