A Stuck Egress Window Is a Safety Problem
An egress window that will not open is not a maintenance backlog item — it is a failed escape route. If your basement window sticks, the crank spins without moving the sash, the slider will not budge, or the window is painted shut, that room's second way out is gone. Repair it now, on your schedule, not during an emergency.
What We Repair
Stuck sashes. Painted-shut windows, swollen frames, corroded tracks — we free them without breaking the sash or the seal.
Failed hardware. Stripped casement cranks, broken operators, worn hinges. We replace the hardware with serviceable parts and test the full open.
Failed seals. Fog between the panes means the insulating seal is gone. The window still opens, but it is done as a window — we replace the sash or the unit.
Leaks. Water coming around the frame usually means failed caulking, bad flashing, or a well draining toward the window instead of away from it. We find the actual entry point — which is not always where the water shows up — and fix it.
Rotted or damaged frames. Wood frames in damp wells rot; we replace what is rotted and seal what remains.
Repair or Replace? The Honest Call
We repair when the window is fundamentally sound — good frame, code-sized opening, just a failed part. We recommend replacement when the window never met code, the frame is shot, or the repair costs approach the replacement cost. We will give you both numbers when it is close and let you decide.
Keep It Working After the Fix
Every repair ends with the window opened fully in front of you — and a reminder to do the same once a year. Our maintenance checklist takes ten minutes and keeps the repair from becoming a repeat visit.
How It Works: Our Process
Step 1 — Free visit and diagnosis. We test the window, find the actual failure — not just the symptom — and check the opening against code while we are there.
Step 2 — Repair or replace verdict. If a repair restores full function, we quote the repair. If the window never met code or the frame is shot, we quote replacement and show you both numbers.
Step 3 — The fix. Most repairs take a few hours: hardware swapped, sash freed, seals re-caulked, leaks traced and stopped.
Step 4 — Full-open test. Before we leave, the window gets opened fully in front of you — because a repaired egress window that does not open fully is not repaired.
What Drives the Cost of a Repair
Small repairs are quick: a stripped crank operator, a sash painted shut, re-caulking a leaking frame. Bigger repairs take longer: freeing a sash that has been stuck for years without breaking it, tracing a leak to its real entry point (which is often not where the water appears), or rebuilding a rotted wood frame section. What moves the number is time and parts, not mystery — and we quote it straight after the diagnosis. If the repair approaches the cost of replacement, we say so and let you choose.
Emergency Repairs: When to Call Now
Call now — not next month — if the basement bedroom window will not open at all, if water is actively coming in around the frame during rain, or if the well is filling with water and threatening the window. A non-opening egress window means the room's second way out is gone, and that is a safety issue today, not a maintenance item for spring. We prioritize these calls because the risk is real and the fix is usually fast.
Keeping the Fix Fixed
Every repair ends with the same advice: open the window fully once a year, keep the tracks clean, and check the caulking each fall. Our ten-minute maintenance checklist covers it. Repairs fail twice for the same reason — disuse. A window that gets opened stays working; a window that sits for five years seizes again. Set a yearly reminder and the repair lasts. Every project is different — contact us for a free written estimate.
Repairs We Talk You Out Of
Sometimes the honest answer is "don't repair this." We talk customers out of repairs when the window never met code (a repaired non-compliant window is still non-compliant), when the frame is rotted through (patching rot is temporary by definition), and when the repair costs more than half of replacement (good money after bad). In each case we show you the replacement number alongside the repair number and explain why. A contractor who only says yes is not advising you — and on a safety window, advice matters more than the invoice.
Call (301) 679-9193 or send the form for a free written estimate.