Window Balance & Crank Repair
Won't stay open. Slams shut. The crank spins and nothing moves. These are hardware failures, not window failures — and we fix them across New Jersey without selling you a replacement you don't need.
Search for any of these problems and you'll find a dozen DIY videos and almost no one who'll actually come fix them — most window companies only want to sell new windows. We treat hardware repair as a real service line: balances, operators, pivot shoes, tilt latches, locks, ropes, and weatherstrip, carried on the truck for the common cases and sourced OEM for the brand-specific ones.
A propped-open window with a paint stick in it is the most honest review a window company can get — somebody told that homeowner the only fix was a new window. It almost never is.
What's actually broken
Window won't stay open — or slams down
Failed sash balanceDouble-hungs hold their position with balances: spiral tubes, block-and-tackle assemblies, or constant-force coils hidden in the jamb (rope-and-weight in pre-war homes). When one fails, the sash free-falls. We identify the balance type, match the sash weight, and replace the pair — both sides, always, so the window tracks evenly.
The crank grinds, slips, or spins without moving the window
Worn casement operatorCasement and awning windows open on a geared operator. Stripped gears and seized arms are routine failures on 15–30-year-old units. Truth and Roto operators ride on the truck; Andersen, Pella, and Marvin casements get factory or factory-equivalent hardware ordered to the unit.
Sash tilts out on one side or fell out of its track
Broken tilt latch or pivot shoeTilt-in double-hungs ride on plastic pivot shoes and tilt latches that turn brittle with age. Cheap parts, fiddly repair — we reseat the sash, replace the broken bits, and check the balance while we're in the jamb, because a dropped pivot shoe usually took the balance with it.
Original ropes snapped on an older home
Rope-and-weight systemPre-war double-hungs hang on cotton cords over pulleys with cast-iron weights in the wall. We re-rope through the original pulleys with weather-resistant cord — or convert to modern balances where the weight pockets were insulated over. Standard work for us across NJ's older housing stock.
Drafts, whistling, or a sash that rattles in the wind
Failed weatherstrip and sweepsPile weatherstrip, bulb seals, and sweeps compress and shed over the years. Replacing them is the cheapest comfort upgrade a window can get — and it's usually done in the same visit as a balance or hardware repair.
Lock won't engage, or the window won't lock at all
Worn lock or misaligned keeperSometimes it's the lock; just as often the sash has shifted so the keeper no longer lines up — which points back at the balance or the install. We fix the actual cause, not just the visible part, and a window that locks tight again is also one that seals tight.
While we're in the window
Hardware calls usually surface their neighbors: a fogged pane next to the broken balance, a patio door dragging on dead rollers, a pre-war sash that deserves full restoration rather than piecemeal fixes. Fogged glass is a glass-only IGU swap (Bergen County homeowners: see the county foggy-window page); sliding-door rollers and tracks are covered under sliding glass door repair; security and lock upgrades live under hardware upgrades. We scope it all in one visit and you pick what gets done.
Broken glass with weather coming in? That's the 24/7 emergency line, not a scheduled repair.
Hardware repair questions
Is a window that won't stay open worth repairing, or is it time to replace?
If the frame and glass are sound, repair — a balance swap costs a small fraction of a replacement window and restores full function. Replacement makes sense when the failed balance is one symptom among many: rotted frames, fogged glass, brittle vinyl. One visit tells us which case yours is, and you see what each path costs.
Can you get parts for an older or discontinued window brand?
Usually. Balances and operators are standardized further than people think — sash weight, length, and channel size determine the part, not the brand sticker. For brand-specific hardware (Andersen, Pella, Marvin, Caradco, Hurd) we order OEM or exact-equivalent parts; if a window is truly orphaned, we say so up front and price a replacement rather than chase parts that no longer exist.
How much does window balance or crank repair cost in NJ?
These are small-ticket repairs: balances and operators are modest parts plus a service visit, and we batch multiple windows in one trip — the per-window price drops fast when we fix the whole house's worth in one go. Pricing is set once we've seen the windows — nothing starts until you've approved the number.
My painted-shut windows won't open at all — same service?
Yes — freeing painted-shut sash is step one of most balance repairs on older homes. We cut the paint seal, free the sash, repair the balance or ropes behind it, and wax the channels so it actually glides. Add weatherstripping and the window works better than it has in decades.
Do you service all of New Jersey?
All 21 counties — same-day response in the core North Jersey counties around our Garfield shop, next-day across most of central NJ, and scheduled two-day routes in South Jersey. Hardware repair batches well into route days, which keeps travel costs down even at the far ends of the state.
Lose the paint stick
Balances, cranks, ropes, locks, and weatherstrip — repaired across all 21 NJ counties. Quoted on-site before any work. NJHIC #13VH13970900, fully insured.