fresh air

Shortly after we moved in, while we were unpacking and working on the house, I asked if anyone knew how to unstick windows that were painted shut. Painted shut, ha! As if the problem were that simple.

I'm speaking of our front downstairs windows - three in the living room, two in the dining room. Allan worked on them for a long time, pulling out ribbons of insulation and dried glue, but never getting the windows open a single centimetre, until I made an executive decision for him to move on to more pressing concerns. Winter would soon be upon us; the windows could wait until next spring. We talked to our Esteemed Landlord, and he assured us that, come spring, he'd help us get those windows open.

And here it is, spring.

Last night EL came over, and he and Allan worked on the windows. This entailed: two men, three hours, two Exacto knives, a spackling tool (the edge of which was used as a cutting tool and wedge), two hammers, three chisels, a crowbar, blocks of wood of various sizes, and large amounts of brute strength.

Windows did open. Air did enter. Now it requires one tall, strong person (i.e., not me) working very hard to change their position again.

Tonight EL is coming over with a grinding tool. He plans to grind down some wood on the badly warped frames, to facilitate future shutting and opening.