While it might seem you have sash windows operating on a pulley and cord system, many post-war homes in Melbourne use a different mechanism—spiral balances. These are tensioned against their own weight to facilitate smooth operation. If your property is pre-1930’s, it likely has corded sashes, but numerous Victorian homes have adopted the balance system due to renovations or repairs from rot damage. Extensions in homes also frequently employ spiral balances. To determine the type of system your windows use and to receive an accurate quote, check for a pulley at the top of your window or a long tube along the sides of your sash—this tube houses the spiral balances.

Like other mechanical components in your home, spiral balances wear out over time. If your sash windows are clunking, making jarring noises, slamming down, difficult to push up, creep back up, or don’t hold their weight, they’ll likely need a set of sash balances installed. I can remove the old balances, install, and tension the new ones to ensure your sash window functions smoothly, potentially extending its life by another 10-20 years. Touching up the paint is generally minimal or not necessary. If I’m replacing just one or two sashes, I typically have the parts on hand. However, different window heights require specific parts with varying weight ranges. Therefore, if you have multiple sashes, they’ll need to be measured to confirm I have the correct balances in stock before we can schedule the repair.

Please see the image to the right on how to measure a spiral balance sash. Repairs can be done on just the bottom sash or both the top and bottom sashes as needed.

Please see the image to the below on how to measure a spiral balance sash. Repairs can be done on just the bottom sash or both the top and bottom sashes as needed.