Windows painted shut

14sprocket

The survey on the house we're looking to buy came back flagging up windows painted shut as a concern.
Surveyor argues that fixing that properly would require taking windows out etc., and recommends taking a builder's quote for the work.
Vendor isn't keen and argues this is done for safety purposes, i.e. it's actually better to leave them as they are.
What is my best course of action here? What should I do?

davidmcn

Up to you, really. Do you want to open the windows? Might involve some alternative draughtproofing once you've got them open.

Not sure why it would require taking the windows out, or why it's being discussed with the vendor, I would view it as just another weekend DIY job to get round to.

NameUnavailable

What sort of windows are they?

It could just mean running a stanley knife along the joins and a bit of a heave to get them to open again, or they could have been painted shut to hide rotten frames.

eddddy

I guess it depends whether you want to be able to open the windows.

What kind of windows are they? e.g. Sash, Casement etc
Are they timber? Are they very old?

If they've been painted shut, I'd guess it's because they didn't open properly anyway. And they might have been screwed shut as well. So they might need quire a bit of refurbishment to get them working properly again.

I guess it's possible that they've been painted/screwed shut for safety/security - but if that's the case, I would have thought putting key operated locks on them would be a better solution.

AnotherJoe

I'd be more worried that this kind of slapdash approach encompassed areas you can't see.

greatcrested

My downstairs windows are all but one painted shut.

I worry about the one that opens - security risk as I've been unable to find a window lock that fits.

The painted ones don't bother me at all, though 20 years ago my surveyor highted them to me in his survey too.

AdrianC

Painting windows shut is done for one reason, and one reason only. It's a bodge by slap-dash decorators.

If you can get them open, probably with a stanley knife, then you can sand the paintyblodges off and repaint properly.

dimbo61

Painted shut windows sound old and possible rottern.
You need ventilation in a room and opening and closing a window is one way to do this.
Perhaps all the old wooden windows need replacing with modern, double glazed upvc ( unless it's grade 1/2 listed ?) Windows.
More energy efficient, better fire safety as they can be quickly opened if a fire happens and better security. Less noise and pollution getting into the property.

frogglet

Its a lazy way of painting windows. We have one original victorian window left in our house its been painted shut as well as the fittings coated in the same paint.
Its not rotten.
My parents house was the same, my dad renovated all of the sash windows, nothing wrong with them just a lazy painter.

14sprocket

NameUnavailable said:

What sort of windows are they?

It could just mean running a stanley knife along the joins and a bit of a heave to get them to open again, or they could have been painted shut to hide rotten frames.

Sash windows, rather old

My concern indeed is that the windows may need major repairs once the paint is stripped

AdrianC

14sprocket said:

NameUnavailable said:

What sort of windows are they?

It could just mean running a stanley knife along the joins and a bit of a heave to get them to open again, or they could have been painted shut to hide rotten frames.

Sash windows, rather old

My concern indeed is that the windows may need major repairs once the paint is stripped

Probably.

But them being painted shut is not the cause of them being rotten, and leaving them painted shut won't stop them being rotten.

It's a symptom that they're old, neglected windows. Old neglected windows are often rotten.