Windows painted shut

[viralmd]

I live in an apartment - built in 1926. And many of my windows are painted shut. I've been down the 'window saw/putty knife' route and it's a no-go. I'm high up, with no access to the outside.

Any thoughts how I can possibly get these windows to open, short of replacement?

Thanks!

[Aurora]

You may want to resort to using a paint remover such as Easy Strip, Ready Strip or CitriStrip. This may necessitate repainting the windows, but it is cheaper than replacement.

[viralmd]

There are at LEAST 30 layers of paint on these windows that are 80 years old....will this get through all that?

[don plumber]

Keep in mind that there might be lead paint somewhere under all the other layers of paint.Some times people will screw or nail the window shut.I would try the putty knife and hamer . Start at the top of the inside window and channel and work your way down.

[Aurora]

There are at LEAST 30 layers of paint on these windows that are 80 years old....will this get through all that?

You may have to apply the stripper several times and scrape it up and apply again. I've seen these strippers remove 8 to 12 layers of paint at one time. The most important thing to remember when using a stripper is to let it sit on the paint long enough to do it's job. For built up paint I leave it 8 to 24 hours.

Don't worry about using paint stripper on lead paint. The biggest problem with lead paint is paint dust or chips which can become airborne. The stripper will remove the paint as a wet mass which can be disposed of in plastic bags. Sanding and/or chipping lead paint can be dangerous.