Rental - Warped Frame, Window Locking Issues

tuffluck

i have a window on a first floor condo that will only lock on one side because of a frame issue or a warp somewhere. at the base of the window there is a gap that allows some cold air to come inside as well. i know a lock on one side of a window is not entirely safe, so what are my options to make this safer without completely replacing this window? the condo is a rental with only a few months left on the lease, and my landlord leaves all repairs up to me to coordinate (he reimburses), so it may not be worth my trouble to have it completely replaced unless that's the only option.

also could i use that liquid insulator great stuff on the gap at the bottom? would the window be able to open again after that is applied?

joecaption

If it's that bad then most likly the trim needs to come off and the window reshimed to get it square again.
No clue what type of sealer it is your suggesting.
If it's spray expanding foam, do not do it!

tuffluck

thank you, and yes it was the spray expanding foam, so i'll steer clear.

what is involved in a reshim...is that like a 2 hour job or a few days?

lastly, any other security i can do on my own for the window? i thought about nailing a large nail 50% of the way into the stud (the wall) that is perpendicular to the window on the side with the nonworking lock. this way if a crook were to push up on the window, it would immediately be stopped by the nail. is that a reasonable idea?

joecaption

If they want to come in just having one lock is not going to stop them.
I'd be far more concerned with cold air getting in.
Can you post a picture of the window?
Unless someone was standing there it's hard to say what's really wrong or how long it's going to take.
It's not a big job in most cases.
A level and a square would tell someone what's wrong pretty quick.

HomeSealed

Is the landlord going to be okay with you drilling or nailing stuff into the window?... I know that this is a DIY board, but if your landlord will reimburse you, I'd just call a handyman or somebody out to take a look. It is hard to say what would all need to be done to fix it, and that is IF it can be fixed.
If you just want a quick fix for security and to help the air leakage, drill a hole through the sash meeting rail (where the upper and lower sash overlap) and stick a big nail in there. Then caulk up all the gaps with some seal and peel caulk that can be removed at a later time... It's a hack job to be sure, but it will take care of the issue cheap and easy.

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tuffluck

well believe it or not....3 months with this problem and i just figured it out. the right side of the window was dislodged from the rail and was causing the bottom of the window to catch and not shut fully. i picked the window up and slammed it to the left and it came out of the dislodged state, and then i put it back into the proper groove and shut. problem solved, even the leak. thanks for the help!

Windows on Wash

Not sure that one can be fixed.

It was probably original to the home and the opening has shifted.

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HomeSealed

I agree with WoW! ...
Great news that you solved the problem.

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Windows on Wash

Monkey...

You do see that he posted right when I was posting. So much for posting form my iPhone.

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