Window Hinge Issues

Question

Good afternoon, yesterday I spoke with a very informed gentleman about an awning window I am having difficulty getting to close completely, after I had successfully installed a 39-069 operator that I had purchased from you. I removed the factory installed kerf weather stripping. The sash sits too low to close past the frame detail that is located outside the kerf cut and there is play in the sash which keeps it lower in the frame.

It was suggested that I take pictures of the hinge mechanism and the kerf cut which is clean and free of debris. Once you have studied the attached photos would you please contact me or make a recommendation as to correct this problem. I assume the next step would be to replace the metal slides and the plastic components to help orient the sash for successful closing. But what do I know. I would appreciate any advice you can offer.

The metal slides are 14"long and the plastic (nylon) slides are 2"long. I hope this is a useful insertion.

As an aside, a very knowledgeable sales associate at Kuiken Bros. Lumber in Warwick, NY provided me with your contact information and I am certainly glad he did.

Thank you, I am patiently awaiting a response

Tom · Accepted Answer

Thanks for reaching out to us! Based on your description it sounds like it could either be a problem with the hinges or the new 39-069 operator. Honestly, I'm leaning towards the latter; if your hinges worked fine all this time I would think it's suspicious that they suddenly stopped working now.

I know one issue with the 39-069 on older windows is that the base can be a different size compared to the older hardware. In my experience it takes a lot of trial and error to mount it properly on the sill. My working theory right now is that your operator base is a little too far forward on the sill, which result in it not closing all the way.

I'm not sure exactly what process you followed to install these, so please forgive me if my assumption is inaccurate. I'm just going by projects I've done in the past that had similar issues. That said, my first suggestion would be to unscrew the 39-069 from the sill and move it back a little by hand. Then try closing the window and see if a different position on the sill helps matters. Don't screw it in to do this, just hold it firmly in place. You may need to slide it around before you find the sweet spot.

If not, you can try out new hinges to see if they help. Since yours are 14" long I would recommend the 36-049. These have a slightly different design but as long as you replace both sides at the same time then that shouldn't be a problem.