Window Balance & Sash Cord Repair. It Stays Where You Put It.
A window that slams shut or needs a stick to stay open has worn balances or a broken sash cord. We replace them — the window stays.
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Why a Window Won't Stay Up
A window that slams shut, creeps down or needs a stick to stay open has a failed balance system — the hidden parts that carry the sash's weight. The window itself is almost always fine.
Every sliding-sash window (double-hung and single-hung) has something inside the side jambs holding the sash up. Newer vinyl, clad and wood windows use spring balances: spiral rods, block-and-tackle springs or coil springs connected to the sash by small pivot shoes.
Older wood windows use sash cords and weights — a rope over a pulley with an iron weight hidden in the wall. Springs lose tension and pivot shoes crack after 15 to 25 years; cords fray and snap.
The fix is to replace the failed parts — usually both sides at once so the sash moves evenly. On old weight-and-cord windows, new cord goes on the original weights and pulleys, which keeps the window authentic and lasts decades.
Casement and awning windows don't use balances; if one won't stay open, the crank operator or hinges are the cause — see window hardware repair.
People search for this in different ways: window won't stay up, window balance replacement, broken window spring, sash cord replacement, or a window that falls shut. It's the same repair family.
Not sure this is your problem? Use our window triage guide — pick the symptom and see the likely cause and cost. Related reading: Window sash repair · Double-hung window repair
Slams shut or won't stay up
Springs have lost tension or a cord has snapped.
Creeps down slowly
Balances weakening — usually both sides.
Sash tilts or hangs crooked
One side failed, or a pivot shoe cracked.
Cord hanging loose or missing
Old weight-and-cord window with a broken sash cord.
- Cord & weight — older wood windows: a cord runs over a pulley to a hidden weight in the wall. When the cord breaks, the sash drops. Common before about 1950.
- Spiral balance — a twisted rod inside a tube in the side channel. When it loses tension, the sash drifts down.
- Block & tackle — a spring and pulley system in the channel, common on vinyl windows. Worn cords or springs mean the sash won't stay up.
All three can be repaired or replaced — the window stays.
Balance & Sash Cord Repair, Step by Step
Identify the system
Spiral, block-and-tackle, coil spring or cord and weight — each needs its own matching part.
Match the parts
Balances are sized to the sash weight and length; the right match is what makes the sash stay put.
Replace both sides
Old balances or cords out, new ones in, pivot shoes and clips replaced as needed.
Adjust & test
Tension set so the sash stays anywhere you leave it and locks tight.
Window Balance Repair Cost
Typical prices
Per window · typical local prices| Spring or block-and-tackle balances (both sides) | $150 – $350 |
| Pivot shoes, clips & balance hardware | $20 – $150 |
| Sash cords & weights (old wood windows) | $150 – $700 |
Balance replacement is one of the most cost-effective window repairs there is: a new window typically costs $800–$2,500+ installed, while a pair of balances typically runs $150–$350. Several windows done in one visit share the minimum service charge, so the cost per window drops.
What we see in McHenry County windows
The 1990s–2000s subdivisions in Lake in the Hills, Huntley and Algonquin are full of double-hungs whose original spring balances are now 20 to 30 years old — past the 15 to 25 years they typically last, which is why so many windows there have started dropping shut. Older homes in Crystal Lake and Woodstock still have weight-and-cord windows that only need new cord.
What You Can Check Yourself
Safe to do yourself
- Prop a dropping sash safely with a cut piece of wood until it is repaired.
- Check whether one side or both sides fail — it tells us what's broken.
- Clean the side tracks and use a dry silicone spray — never oil or grease.
- Look for a brand label or size stamp on the balance tube if you can see one.
Call a pro
- Removing or replacing spring balances — they are under strong tension and can snap back.
- Taking out a weight-and-cord sash — the weights can drop inside the wall.
- Forcing a stuck sash up or down — rails and glass can crack.
Warranty on Balance Repairs
Parts we don't make (cranks, balances, locks) carry only their supplier's warranty. Leaks from roofs, flashing or siding aren't window defects. Full warranty terms → · Read our reviews
Got a quote to replace these windows?
Send it to us before you sign. We'll tell you — free — whether a repair would solve it for less.
Window Balance Questions
Balance & Sash Cord Repair in these towns and more
Based in Lake in the Hills, serving homes within about 40 miles.
Make It Stay Where You Put It.
Call, text, or send a photo. You'll know what's wrong and roughly what it costs — before anyone comes out.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 145+ reviews · 20-year glass warranty · Price match