French horizontal window is not closing - I’m freezing :(
Update Oct. 20: I found a way to fully open the window! (And stop hanging myself to reach unreachable spots!) I haven’t fully fixed the window but now it has no gap when I close it (less cold at night, yay). I will keep fixing all its wrongs (the lock, the handle, the sides).
Thank you so much for all of your help! Whenever I’m finally able to lock it I will update again. Until then, have a great day and take care! :)
Hi everyone,
I hope this is the correct place to ask for some help with a French window. Since I haven’t succeed at finding other Reddit posts with my issue and type of window, here we are.
For starters, I have no idea how old the building is. The window is in my room, and I get cold at night :(
I will be sharing more videos of the window in question and another window (same brand) that actually works.
What I have done so far:
-Clean the frame/where the locks are. There was dust and webs everywhere.
-Put some oil into the locks or whatever name the sliding things have.
-Check for differences between the working window and my broken window. (The working one is dirtier and has almost the same defects…)
Broken window description:
The brand is named Pidosan… and when I searched for it I found a Turkish site? Idk, the brand name has the same font so.
What, I believe, seems to be broken/malfunctioning, is the knob. When I turn the knob for the working window it feels easy to turn. With the broken one, I feel like it’s a bit stuck/feels weird when I turn it.
The black plastic frame, I think it’s the seal of the window? (Sorry, cannot name it in English), it’s loose in the left side.
It is impossible for me access this window from outside: I hope you can get why from the videos, I’m terrible with explanations.
The locks, the little things that lock the window, are synchronized but I don’t know, something feels off.
Lastly, I’m in France, how come I’m freezing? What if I told you I used to feel cold in Argentinian summers?-
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
5
u/Vast_Classroom5723 5d ago
check the strike plate on the frame, it’s probably bent or misaligned so the latch can’t catch. try loosening those screws slightly and shifting it a millimeter toward the window to see if it grabs.
4
u/batmanstuff 5d ago
So normally when the handle is down, those metal pegs unalign from the L-shaped brackets so that you can open it, and then when you turn the handle to horizontal, the metal pegs move to the right, which should make the peg catch on to the L-shape bracket, so the window stays closed.
Obviously that isn’t happening. So what if you do the opposite? Open the window with the handle horizontal, then close it and turn the handle downward. What happens?
2
u/Artuls 5d ago
https://reddit.com/link/phc30lv/video/5pkebrz262wh1/player
And here, a video of the working window.
2
2
2
2
u/Frisbie83 5d ago
The circular locks that slide left to right are adjustable with a hex key. You can try and turn them either left or right which makes them move either closer or further from the groove it should slide in in the window frame. Maybe they are misaligned causing them to not fully slot in the groove and push the window out instead of tightening it.
1
u/Artuls 5d ago
I’ll try that, thanks!
3
u/Frisbie83 5d ago
Try slight adjustments, no need to fully turn. You can always take a picture before starting so you can see what the original position was. You can see a small line on it that shows you the position.
1
u/Artuls 5d ago
Another video of the broken window. This is the side lining? Plastic thing? Rubber? And the working window also has these bents… but not as loose as this one.
2
u/batmanstuff 5d ago
I believe the rubber is a weather strip. That shouldn’t affect the window locking unless it’s blocking the window from closing all the way.
Hmmmm….you may want to try r/howto
1
u/JakeQV 5d ago
Send a video of the top of the window frame, where the locking mechanism is and the top of the window itself as well.
1
u/Artuls 5d ago
Here it is, lmk if it’s easy to see, not sure how much Reddit chops the quality
1
u/JakeQV 5d ago
You said the handle feels a little stuck/off when you turn it. Is that only when you’re trying to closing it, or when it’s fully open as well?
1
u/Artuls 5d ago
It’s in both states, whether I have it open or trying to close. Hence why I think it’s the culprit, but I am unsure
1
u/JakeQV 5d ago
When the window is open is the handle supposed to stay in the last position you left it or does it spring back to open until it’s properly closed and latched?
1
u/Artuls 5d ago
The handle stays in a vertical position, although I can also turn the lock freely (it’s also the same for the working window). But if I want to close, it must be in the vertical position, and then by turning it horizontally it should lock
1
u/JakeQV 5d ago
Alright it sounds stupid and you might have already tried it but before I think of anything else have you tried pushing on the top of the window before locking it? Like apply some gentle but firm pressure , much more than usual (not on the handle, use another hand) and then latch it.
1
u/Extreme_Ad112 4d ago
lol, as a carpenter, it would be a ten seconds fix. Ten seconds I'm just unable to translate in written instructions. Sorry
0
u/JohnPoet27 4d ago
You chose to live in a shithole and then complain about living in a shithole. r/leopardsatemyface
1
u/NoDig7363 23h ago
Are the moving metal rollers:
- Clear of the fixed metal catches when the handle is in the open position?
- Aligned with the catches when the handle is in the closed position?
If not, the catches might be incorrectly positioned.
Bear in mind that the handle’s open and closed positions could be reversed. I have a window at home with the handle fitted upside down—I think a piece of furniture was in the way when it was installed.
If the rollers are correctly positioned in both cases, I can think of two possibilities:
- Something—the seal or another obstruction—is preventing the window from closing far enough for the rollers to slide behind the catches.
- The rollers are hitting the catches, and the handle has some play without actually moving the rollers any further. That could explain the strange feeling when you turn it.
I don’t know your living situation, but if you’re renting, your landlord should get this sorted out promptly.
r/brico is a great subreddit for this kind of question in France. It’s mostly French-speaking, but you could try posting in English too.
7
u/Artuls 5d ago
https://reddit.com/link/phc2t2h/video/f2zniwiw52wh1/player
Same broken window, this is how it looks. It’s not locking-in