How to fix louvre windows?

[KateWS]

Hi I have a small glass louvre window which I can’t open. The metal mechanism has been painted so I stripped it hoping that this will help. It didn’t! I’m thinking I’ll have to unscrew the metal mechanism and clean it up hoping I can reinstall it. Has anyone else done this? I don’t want to pull it all apart and be left with an open window as I can’t put it back. I also can’t find any new mechanisms online in case I have to replace them. Thanks. 

 

[JacobZ]

Hi @KateWS,

Thank you for your question about fixing your louvres.

Has the lever seized up? Or does it move, and nothing happens?

If the lever has seized up, you can try spraying WD-40 at the base of the levers and on the attachment points that the louvres rotate around. This may loosen things up enough to allow for movement.

If the WD-40 doesn't work, you could also try CLR as there may be rust or oxidation in the mechanism that needs to be loosened to allow for movement.

Unfortunately, If neither of these steps works, the glass panes will need to be removed before the mechanism can be opened. This can be extremely dangerous as glass can shatter surprisingly easily if you are not careful. You might like to contact a glazier for their assistance with this as they will have the knowledge to remove them and either fix or replace them with a suitable alternative.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[KateWS]

Thank you very much Jacob for your advice. I'll try this.