Casement Window Stays
To keep your casement windows in excellent condition you'll need a good quality casement window stay. These handy devices are what keeps your windows open and stops them from closing in the wind. Usually the stays are more functional rather than an addition to your decor and style. But with the right ones that can look excellent and add a lot to your windows. There are a few other items that you may need to have your windows looking perfect, such as casement fasteners that can keep the windows closed and secure.
All the cement window stays that are available in our online shop have been chosen for their style and finish. The style that you choose for your stays should reflect your overall theme of your home. Most homes that have a casement window fall into the traditional category, as these windows are most often seen on those homes, but you can see them on a few others home designs as well.
As a restoration project casement windows are usually one of the first things you’ll need to replace, as they’ll see a high amount of weathering and use. By replacing the casement window stay, you should be able to tell if the window is suitable for repair or it needs to be replaced. The stay is often the weak point as it gets the most amount of use. It has several moving parts and if it hasn’t been looked after it can become rusted, jammed, or just plain broken. Once a stay is broken it’s almost totally useless and can stop the window from being opened. While it will still be possible to open the window, unless the stay is badly bent, the stay will not be able to stop the window from being closed and it may slam shut in a breeze; which may result in the window being shattered.
You have quite a bit of choice in getting the best casement window stay for you windows, although as an overall design they are quite similar. Ideally you should focus on the finish that you prefer. We have stocked a wide variety of styles, and some of these include, antique brass or copper, black, chrome, polished brass or nickel, rumbled nickel, satin brass or chrome, and satin nickel or steel. Generally, no finish is better than the other, it’s more of a personal choice. But we’d recommend finding a finish that compliments the rest of your home. It could also depend on what style of window you have. A stay should blend into the window, as the casement window itself is the star of the show.
What is a Window Stay?
A casement window stay is a piece of window hardware that keeps your window open at a predetermined angles. Usually they will have a few different settings and you can push the window out and then using a pin lock you can stop it from opening further or being closed. Window stays are made of metal and with the right amount of maintenance they will last for many years.
How to Install a Casement Window Stay?
A casement window stay is reasonably easy to replace, unless the wood they have been installed into is rotten or in need of repair. Most commonly you’ll replace a stay that has is either, bent, rusted or broken. All of these will make the window difficult to open and essentially useless.
If your window stay is still secured tightly, replacing it will usually take a few minutes. Unscrew the old stay and remove it from the window. It’s best practice to clean the window before installing the new one and you can give the area a light sand if required.
Hold the new stay in position, ideally the screw holes should line up, if they don’t, you’ll need to mark them and drill new screw holes. If everything looks good use a screwdriver (you can use a drill with a bit but be careful not to strip the screw head) and attach the stay to the window. Next, test that the stays work properly, you can do this by opening the window and locking the stay, then try to close the window, if it won't budge then that's perfect!
If the screw holes in the old stay are worn out, you’ll need to repair the frame. If you want to use the same spot as the old stay the best way is to drill out the hole and glue a wooden dowel in place. Once that is dry, you’ll be able to drill a new hole for the replacement stays screws. You might need to use wood filler and repaint or stain the window if the repair patch is too noticeable.
Buying Your Casement Window Stay
At Restoration Online you can buy a casement window stay in our online shop. We have a complete selection of a variety of styles and finishes. We can ship Australia wide, and we offer our customers a 21 day returns policy, so if the stays are not suitable you can arrange for a return.
If you're restoring a home that has casement windows, or any other style of windows, you can have a look around our shop, and you may find a few other items that you’d like. We have sash window lifts and fasteners, fanlight transom hardware, awning hardware, and curtain fittings. You can find all of these in our window hardware section.