Cranks, balances, locks, seals
Fixing the parts that make windows open, close and seal
Plenty of Oshawa windows are sound in the frame and worn in the parts: a crank that turns without moving the sash, a sash that slides shut, a loose lock, flattened weatherstripping. Each is usually one part and one visit. The City's property standard counts hardware, weatherstripping and caulking as good repair, so these fixes keep a house or rental weather-tight. Your request goes to an independent pro nearby who takes on window repairs, single-crank jobs included.
- One crank or one lock is a real job
- Parts matched to the window you have
- Weather-tight again without a new window
What's wrong
Symptoms a repair visit can solve
A grinding crank, a sash that creeps down, a lock that misses its keeper, a draft with the window shut, water on the sill after rain: each traces back to a part or a seal that can be replaced. If the glass itself is fogged, see foggy sealed units; for anything else, start at the windows overview.
Casements and awnings
Casement and awning cranks, operators and hinges
Casements swing out like a door; awnings hinge at the top. Both are driven by an operator, the geared box under the crank. When its gears strip, the handle turns and nothing happens, often after someone forced a frozen window.
The fix is usually a new operator of the same pattern. If the sash sags or rubs, worn hinges can be replaced too. A stiff crank may need only cleaning and lubricant.
Hung and sliding sashes
Sliding and single-hung sashes: balances, rollers and tilt latches
A hung sash is held up by balances in the side tracks: springs or spiral rods in vinyl windows, cords and weights in old wood ones. When a balance breaks, the sash drops. The pro matches a new balance to the sash's size and weight, usually fitting it with the sash tilted in.
Tilt latches break with use, and horizontal sliders drag once their rollers wear. Both are part swaps; old wood sashes can be rehung with new cord.
Locks and safety
Locks, keepers and child-safety devices
When a house settles or a sash sags, the lock stops meeting its keeper. Sometimes moving the keeper is enough; sometimes the lock is worn.
Locks and keepers
Replaced to fit the existing holes where possible. On casements, the linkage that pulls the sash tight can wear or disconnect.
Opening limiters
Stops that let a window open part way suit upper bedrooms. On a bedroom's escape window, pick one an adult can release without tools.
Apartment safety devices
Oshawa's Property Standards By-law, amended in 2025, calls for a safety device on apartment windows that open, sit well above ground and don't lead to a balcony. Fitting one is a hardware job; compliance stays between the owner and the City.
Drafts and leaks
Drafts: weatherstripping, caulking and sill repairs
Weatherstripping is the flexible seal where sash meets frame. Once it flattens, a locked window still leaks air. Most profiles can be replaced to match.
Caulking is the bead outside, where the frame meets brick or siding. Oshawa's frequent freeze and thaw cracks it and lets water behind the trim. Window caulking can be booked on its own, for a few windows or a whole house.
A wood sill gone soft can often be cut back and patched; one rotted through is part of the case for a new window.
Pricing a repair
What sets the price of a repair visit
Repairs are quoted per job, and small ones are welcome. The price moves with:
- The part: standard, or hard to find
- How many windows need fixing on one visit
- Whether the sash or glass has to come out
- Access: upper floors, bays, storms
A photo of the broken part, and any number stamped on it, helps the pro bring the right one.
Hard-to-find parts
When parts are no longer available
Some hardware from the '70s and '80s is no longer made. That doesn't finish the window: universal operators, balances and locks fit many older frames, sometimes with an adapter plate. When nothing fits, the frame decides between a new sash and a new window.
Rentals
Keeping a rental “weather tight” under the by-law
Oshawa's Property Standards By-law asks that windows be weather-tight and in good repair, and spells out that good repair includes hardware, weatherstripping and caulking. For a landlord, a sash that won't lock is upkeep with a standard behind it.
More Oshawa households rent than anywhere else in Durham, and turnover is a practical time for this work. A pro fixes the parts and can list what was done; meeting the by-law stays the owner's job. Property managers can send one request per building, and add screen repairs, since every window that opens needs a screen.
Questions
Window repair questions
Explore your options
When the part isn't the whole story
Pros fix cranks, balances, locks and seals across Oshawa and nearby, including Downtown Oshawa, Lakeview, North Oshawa, Courtice and Whitby.
Photograph the crank, balance or lock
Take a close photo of the part and any stamp on it, plus the whole window. A local pro who handles window repairs can then source the right part before the visit.