Home made double hung balances

Question

My customer has beautiful, custom-made wood windows. I believe they were made by an Amish craftsman who was very good with wood.

However, the balances are not mounted in the jamb; they're attached to the sash. The end of the rope is then screwed into the jamb at the bottom.

The sash was very difficult to remove. Dangerous, too. What should I do to make these double-hung windows operational again?

User submitted photos of a window balance.

Paul · Accepted Answer

I believe what you are describing is something called an "invisible balance." This is when the sash is notched out at the sides to accept a balance that is screwed directly on. It also has a metal fitting at the end of the cord that is screwed to the jamb.

I have not personally worked with this type, as it is relatively uncommon. I'm sure you can understand why, since you're dealing with a hand-crafted window. For old wood sashes, I prefer using our Series 500 spiral balance with a metal bracket like our 17-012 (which would screw on the bottom of the sash). This method has been used for wood windows of all varieties since the 1940's, however you would have to continue the side notch completely to the top and bottom of the sash to accept the Series 500 balance. What do you think?