How to fix a tilt-and-turn window that will not close or will not tilt

What you need

• 4 mm Allen key
• Torx T15 and T20 screwdrivers
• Flat screwdriver
• Cloth and brush
• Stable stepladder
• Grease spray for hardware (Würth, WD-40 Specialist white lithium grease)
• Replacement seal of the right section
• Replacement catches or stay of the same brand (Roto, Maco, Siegenia, Winkhaus)
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Work gloves

Step by step

1. 1

   Bring the handle to closed

   With one hand push the sash against the frame and with the other lower the handle to the closed position. If the handle resists, go on to the next step instead of forcing it.

2. 2

   Release the misoperation lock

   If the sash is open sideways and the handle has ended up in tilt, find the metal tab in the top corner on the handle side. Press it while pushing the sash towards the frame and turn the handle to closed.

3. 3

   Clean the hardware

   With the window open, wipe the hardware on the edge of the sash and the parts on the frame with a cloth and brush. Remove dust, sand and old grease.

4. 4

   Grease the pivot points

   Apply grease spray to every moving metal part: stay, hinges, catches and pins. Open and close several times to spread it. Wipe off the excess.

5. 5

   Adjust the bottom hinge

   If the sash rubs at the bottom on the handle side, find the vertical adjusting screw on the bottom hinge. With the 4 mm Allen key, turn it a quarter turn clockwise to raise the sash and check.

6. 6

   Adjust the side setting

   If the sash rubs the frame on the opposite side, use the side screw on the top or bottom hinge, also 4 mm. Move the sash a few millimetres at a time.

7. 7

   Adjust the catch pressure

   Adjust the eccentric catches on the edge of the sash by turning them with the Allen or Torx key. Turned in the tightening direction, they pull the sash tighter against the frame. Change with the season: more pressure in winter, less in summer.

8. 8

   Check the seal

   With the window closed, slide a folded piece of paper between the sash and the frame. It should grip all the way round. If it comes out freely at any point, adjust the nearest catch or replace the seal.

9. 9

   Test all three positions

   Open sideways, close, open in tilt and close again, four times. The handle should move smoothly and the sash should seat without banging.

How a tilt-and-turn window works and why it jams

A tilt-and-turn window opens in two ways with a single handle: inwards like a door (turn) or tilted in from the top (tilt), to ventilate without letting rain in. The handle has three positions: pointing down the window is closed, horizontal it is open sideways and pointing up it is in the tilt position. All the movement comes from the hardware, a chain of metal parts hidden in the edge of the sash: the hinges, the tilt stay (scissor arm) at the top, the catches and the lock.

To stop it breaking, the hardware has a misoperation lock. If you turn the handle to tilt while the sash is open sideways, the stay cannot engage, and without that lock the sash would fall out. When a window gets stuck, it is almost always because that lock has tripped.

The hardware is made by brands such as Roto, Maco, Siegenia or Winkhaus. Once you have identified the brand (it is usually stamped on the edge of the sash), spare parts are sold at specialist ironmongers and the adjustments are very similar between them.

The commonest causes of a window that will not close or will not tilt

The most frequent is the handle in the wrong position. If it was in tilt and someone turns it to sideways with the sash already tilted, the hardware locks. Try bringing it to the closed position by pushing the sash towards the frame with your free hand.

Next comes lack of lubrication. The moving parts work on grease, and dust and salt air dry it out. A stiff handle, a squeak when opening or a jerky tilt all point to dry hardware. Grease spray solves it.

The third cause is a sagging sash. Over the years, with the weight of the glass, the sash drops a few millimetres on the handle side, rubs on the frame and stops closing. You fix it with the adjusting screw on the bottom hinge. And the fourth, much less common but serious, is the stay unhooked, which means the sash has to be put back in place.

Common mistakes with tilt-and-turn windows

• Forcing the handle. If it will not turn, do not insist: you can snap the spindle or the mechanism. Check whether the lock is engaged.
• Using cooking oil or thick grease. It attracts dust. Use a grease spray made for hardware or technical petroleum jelly.
• Taking the sash off on your own. A uPVC sash with double glazing can weigh 30-40 kg and is dangerous if it falls. Get help or call a professional.
• Adjusting a screw blind. Each screw makes a different movement and they are adjusted in quarter turns, no more. If you lose your reference, go back to the start and begin again.
• Leaving the window on tilt in strong wind. It can strain the stay and release the sash. Close it before you leave the house.
• Ignoring the seal. If it is flattened or torn, the window loses its seal even if the hardware is perfect.

When to call a professional, and prices

What you can do without risk is grease, clean the frames, adjust the catches and move the hinges a few millimetres. When the sash has come off the stay, the stay is broken, the hardware will not turn, or the sash is large or on a high floor, call a professional: the glass and the weight make it a job for two people.

At Manitas Costa we work on the handyman hourly rate: €35-45 for the first hour and €28-35 for the following ones, plus spare parts. Refitting a sash, adjusting and greasing usually fits in one or two hours. We give you a fixed price on WhatsApp if you send us a photo of the edge of the sash and one of the problem. More information on handyman at home and how much a handyman costs per hour.

We do not replace complete sets of hardware or whole windows if the profile is damaged: we point you to a uPVC or aluminium joinery firm. And for sliding windows there is the guide on how to fix an aluminium window that has dropped. If the handle is loose or will not grip, see how to fix a loose handle.

Maintenance on the coast: salt air, sand and condensation

In Alicante, Torrevieja, Benidorm or Valencia, salt air and fine sand get into the hardware and dry it out sooner. Wiping it with a cloth and a pass of grease on the visible parts every six months prevents most faults. Do it before summer and before autumn, which is when the tilt position is used most.

Condensation on the frame and droplets on the inside face of the glass appear in winter if the window does not ventilate well. It is not a hardware fault but a ventilation one. The tilt position, 10 minutes a day, improves the air and cuts humidity; see how to get rid of damp on a wall if condensation reaches the wall.

In buildings with a comunidad de vecinos (residents' association), a tilt-and-turn window on an upper floor should not be opened where there is a risk of falling. In homes with children, a handle with a key or a child lock prevents accidents.