Failed Window Hinges
Friction stays are consumable — when they corrode or bend, the sash drops out of square and everything else starts to fail with it.
Most people landing here want one thing: to work out why a sash is dropping, catching or refusing to close and get the right friction stays fitted. That's what this page answers — no scare tactics, no automatic upsell to a full replacement.
What you'll notice first
- the sash catches on the frame at the bottom corner as it closes
- the window swings shut on its own instead of staying where you set it
- visible rust or a bent arm on the stay when the window is open
- the sash sitting proud of the frame on one side when locked
What actually causes it
- 1salt-laden air corroding the stainless arms and stiffening the pivot
- 2the sash overweight for the stay size, usually after a heavier sealed unit was fitted
- 3the fixing screws working loose into the sash chamber
- 4years of the window being pushed shut by the glass rather than the frame
Your realistic options
Matched by length, stack height and whether it's an egress or standard stay. New stays restore the geometry and usually cure a draught at the same time.
Worth specifying on upstairs rooms where a wider opening is useful for cleaning or for fire escape compliance on a bedroom.
Only where the sash chamber has torn out around the fixings and there's nothing solid to screw into.
Hinges are a replaceable part on nearly every uPVC and aluminium window ever made. Replacement of the window is only honest when the sash itself has failed around the fixing points.
What we check on survey
- we measure stay length and stack height with the sash open rather than guessing from the outside
- we check whether an egress or fire-escape stay is required for that room's use
- we look for tear-out around the existing fixings before quoting a straight swap
- we re-test compression on the gasket once the new stays are set
How it's priced
Stays are a modest part cost per opening; the visit is the bulk of the price, so multiple openings in one appointment is much better value than one at a time.
How urgent is it? Do it before the sash drops far enough to load the locking cams, because that turns a cheap hinge job into a hinge plus espagnolette job.
Stopping it coming back
- wipe and lightly oil the stay arms twice a year, more often within a few miles of the coast
- close the window by the frame, never by pushing on the glass
- don't leave a heavy sash swinging in the wind on the stay
Failed Window Hinges — questions we get asked
How long do window hinges last?
Typically a decade or more inland, noticeably less in exposed coastal air where salt attacks the pivots and the arms stiffen early.
Can hinges be replaced without taking the window out?
Yes. The sash comes off, the stays unscrew from the sash and frame channels, and the new pair goes straight back in.
Why does my window not sit flush when locked?
Almost always a bent or dropped stay on one side. The lock is pulling against a sash that's no longer parallel to the frame.
What is an egress hinge?
A stay that lets the sash open wide and swing clear of the frame, so the opening can be used as a fire escape route and the outside of the glass can be cleaned from inside.
If replacement is the answer
Failed Window Hinges in your town
Other faults worth ruling out
Yellowing is cosmetic and treatable; splits at the welded corners are structural and aren't.
ReadFrench doors are a pair, so the fault is usually in how the two leaves meet rather than in either leaf on its own.
ReadA draught is usually a compression problem — gasket, hinge or seal — long before it's a reason to replace the window.
ReadLet's make your house feel more like home.
Fill in a few details and we'll come back within 24 hours with a clear quote — no callout fee, no pressure.