Bowed Sash

[DaddyGoFast]

Hello Everyone,

First time poster, long time lurker

I am having an issue with a Phillips brand window (I know they are out of business now) with one of the window panels showing a major bow on one side. The panel in question is a moving panel, the window opens from right to left, the bow is on the right most side and is where it enters the frame one closing.

I have seen and read posts about how to "adjust" these bowes and shimming but none of these option appear to be help as I am not presented with any adjustment screws or pivot points. We have tried to reglaze the window but the frame pulled away fromt he new glazing tape again and seems to be stubborn.

Other than replacement as the window still seems to perform ok, installed in 2002, how can I fix this?

[Windows on Washington]

If the bow is in the sash, there is nothing you can really do to repair that.

That is a fundamental flaw in the construction of that window and the only real solutions is replacement. Sorry for the bad news.

[DaddyGoFast]

Thank you very much for the very fast reply.

I have heard of some people using a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the vinyl and then reshaping it that way. Thoughts on that method?

[Windows on Washington]

Temporary repair at best. You theoretically could do it but you will be back at square one after it re-sets.

[TheWindowNerd]

The problem is not clearly defined.
Is the bow on the "lift rail" of a sliding window?
Is it bowed toward the exterior or interior so that you have trouble getting the sash into the jamb?
Or is the rail bowed toward the jamb side?
Is the glazing drop in or marine?
thewindownerd...

[DaddyGoFast]

Thanks for the replies.

A pic is worth a thousand words....

I uploaded a couple of pics of the problem, does this explain things? Sorry I am window lay person, lol. In the picture you will see where there is a bow on the right side of the sash. The bow only exists on that one side and nowhere else. Also, the reglaze held for only two Weeks and popped again.

Btw, the frame of the window itself, the part that is part of the house, is true and plumb. I get sash, frame and the terms mixed up so sorry in advance.

[HomeSealed]

Shimming, etc is only an option for the frame. For the sash, you've tried about the only thing that I can think of, which was reglazing. Did you use silicone and it still popped back? .... If that is the case, I can't think of any other solution.

[Windows on Washington]

+1

De-glaze the window and see if it can be set back to zero and square.

If it can, reset it and hope that it stays true.

[TheWindowNerd]

The picture Ids the issue. The sash stile on the venting slider is bowed. This occurs when you open and close the sash by pushing and pulling on that stile.
If it is drop in glazing, remove the glass from the sash, clean the rabbit, apply silicone as a glazing bead/ back bed, quickly drop in glass, apply glass stops,
tru and square sash, I would do all the previous with the sash out of the frame and laying it down, reinsert the sash in the frame, let the glazing bead set for 48 hours before operating window.
when you open and close the window do not push and pull from the center of the stile us two hands and move them towards the top and bottom of the stile.