Casement windows · Mississauga
Casement windows: fix the crank, swap the glass or replace the window
A casement is the window you open by turning a crank. It's common in houses built from the 1980s on, such as the semis of Churchill Meadows, and in many condo suites. When one stops working, the cause is usually a single part. We're a referral service: we pass your request to an independent local window pro, who inspects, quotes and does the work.
- Crank and operator repairs
- Glass-only swaps for a fogged sash
- Same-size replacement explained
Know the parts
How a casement works and what wears out
Most people say crank. Pros say operator, and order parts by that name. The operator's gearbox pushes an arm that swings the sash out on hinges. A lever lock pulls it back against the weatherstrip.
Turning the crank does nothing
Worn teeth inside the gearbox, or an arm loose from its track. It's a common casement repair.
The sash drags or won't lock
Worn hinges let the sash sag, rub the frame and miss the lock keepers. New hinges and an adjustment usually cure it.
Drafts or a wet sill
A flattened weatherstrip, the window seal you can see, lets in air and water.
Hardware repairs
Operator, hinge and lock repairs
Often the operator is the only thing wrong, and a new one is the whole job. The catch is fit: operators differ in arm style, length and handing. A photo with the cover off lets the pro match the part.
In a condo suite the window may belong to the corporation, so ask the management office first. Our condo owners' page explains who approves what. Other hardware is on window repair, and every window type is on the windows overview.
Foggy glass
Fogged casement glass
Haze between the panes means the glass unit, which pros call the sealed unit, has lost its seal. The pro we match you with suggests one of these:
New sealed unit, same sash
Only the glass is remade. The usual fix when frame and hardware are sound; see foggy window repair.
New sash
For a sash that is warped or worn as well as fogged.
New window
If the frame itself is soft, or glass and hardware are all tired.
Replacement
Replacing casements: same-size swaps
The City of Mississauga's permit page says a same-size window doesn't need a building permit; a new or bigger opening does, and zoning applies either way.
Condos and the two heritage villages add their own approvals; see the heritage village guide. Retrofit and full-frame installs are compared on replacement windows.
Quote factors
What goes into a casement quote
- Which part failed: operator, hinges, lock, weatherstrip or glass
- How easy the operator is to match
- Sash size, and double or triple glass
- Upstairs, suite or ladder access
- For a new window, the install method and frame
A photo of the crank with its cover off, and one of the whole window, help.
Summer cooling
Air conditioning with casement windows: what works
A standard window unit needs a sash that slides down onto it. A casement swings out, so the usual routes are a panel kit that fills the opening and vents a portable unit, or a unit made for crank-out windows. A panel must be sealed against rain and insects. In a condo, ask the management office what the building allows. We don't sell air conditioners.
Screens
Screens on casements
Since the sash swings out, its screen clips into the inner face of the frame and lifts out from indoors. Torn mesh can be replaced in the same frame; see window screen repair.
Questions
Casement window questions
Explore your options
Related window help
Casement work comes up across the city, especially in newer subdivisions and tower suites, including Churchill Meadows, Erin Mills, Meadowvale and City Centre.
Send a photo of the crank and the glass
Say whether it's a house, townhouse or condo suite, and which window. We'll pass it to an independent local pro who repairs and replaces casements. If a new operator will do, that's what you should be quoted for.