I get why you tried—sometimes it feels like you *should* be able to make those old aluminum sliders work again. Honestly, I’ve seen a few folks manage to revive them, but it’s rare they end up gliding like new. The scratches are frustrating, but you’re not alone there. If the window’s frame is still pretty solid and you just want it to move a little smoother, sometimes a deep clean and silicone spray (not WD-40) helps for a bit. But I’ll admit, if there’s warping or corrosion, you’re fighting a losing battle. No shame in calling it and moving on to something newer.
I’ve wrestled with these old aluminum sliders more times than I care to admit. In theory, a little elbow grease and some silicone lube should bring them back to life, but honestly, it’s usually a temporary fix. Once the tracks are pitted or the rollers are shot, you’re really just delaying the inevitable. I tried rehabbing one in my 70s split-level—ended up with sore hands and a window that still stuck every time it rained. Sometimes it’s just not worth the hassle, especially if drafts or leaks are creeping in too.
I tried rehabbing one in my 70s split-level—ended up with sore hands and a window that still stuck every time it rained.
- Been there. Tried the “elbow grease and some silicone lube” trick too—worked for a couple months, then right back to sticking and rattling.
- Replaced the rollers once, but the tracks were too far gone. Ended up more frustrated than before.
- If you’re dealing with drafts or leaks, I’d skip straight to replacement. Sometimes old is just... old.
If you’re dealing with drafts or leaks, I’d skip straight to replacement. Sometimes old is just... old.
That hits home. I spent last winter battling a 1980s aluminum slider in my kitchen—tried cleaning out the tracks, used some dry lube, even adjusted the stops. It’d glide okay for a week, then right back to sticking and whistling every time the wind kicked up. The condensation was the real headache, though. Waking up to puddles on the sill isn’t my idea of “charm.”
I get wanting to save money by rehabbing, but after sinking hours into it (and still freezing at breakfast), I finally bit the bullet and replaced it with a new double-pane vinyl unit. Night and day difference. No more drafts, and my hands thanked me too.
That said, if the frame’s still solid and you’re just dealing with minor sticking, sometimes a deep clean and new rollers can buy you a couple years. But once there’s corrosion or leaks, replacement starts looking like the less painful option.
I hear you on the frustration, but I’m not totally convinced replacement is always the answer. We’ve got original aluminum windows in our place from the early 90s—yeah, they’re not airtight, but after swapping out the weatherstripping and running a bead of silicone around the frame, things improved a lot. Sure, it’s not perfect, but dropping thousands for new windows just wasn’t in the cards for us. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough, especially if you’re saving for bigger projects.
I get the appeal of making do, but there are a few technical things to keep in mind with old aluminum windows:
- Aluminum is a notorious thermal conductor. Even with fresh weatherstripping and silicone, you’re still losing a ton of heat/cool through the frame itself, not just the gaps.
- Condensation can be a problem—if you’re in a humid climate or keep your indoor temps low, those frames can sweat and even lead to hidden mold around the sill. I learned that the hard way in our last place.
- Older glass units (single-pane especially) just can’t compete with modern low-e double or triple glazing for energy savings. Our heating bill dropped noticeably after we finally bit the bullet and upgraded.
That said, your fix is way better than nothing if full replacement isn’t possible right now. But if you plan to stay long-term, it might be worth budgeting for new units eventually... especially if you’re already seeing drafts or condensation. Sometimes “good enough” works for a while, but it’s not always a long-term win, at least from an energy standpoint.
Yeah, I hear you on the energy loss. We did the weatherstripping/silicone route with our 70s-era aluminum sliders a few years back—helped with drafts, but the frames still felt ice-cold in winter. I was always wiping up condensation, even with a dehumidifier running. I get not everyone can swing new windows right away (we couldn’t for a while), but honestly, patching only got us so far. Anyone else notice how much louder outside noise is with those old frames too?
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I got more mileage out of adding those heavy thermal curtains than any of the window patching tricks. Didn’t fix the cold frames or the noise entirely, but it made winter a lot more tolerable for us. The condensation thing still drove me nuts though...
Didn’t fix the cold frames or the noise entirely, but it made winter a lot more tolerable for us. The condensation thing still drove me nuts though...
Thermal curtains are solid for quick comfort, but I gotta say, patching up the old aluminum frames made a bigger dent in my heating bill than I expected. Had a client last year swear by the “shrink film and caulk” combo—looked goofy but her windows stopped sweating like a gym locker. Curtains help, but that cold draft still sneaks around the edges unless you seal it up.
That shrink film trick really does work, even if it looks a bit slapdash. I used it on my 70s-era sliders one winter—didn’t win any style points, but the living room finally stopped feeling like a walk-in fridge. I do think aluminum frames are just stubborn with condensation, though. No matter what I tried, there was always a little moisture by morning. Sealing up the gaps made the biggest difference for me, more than curtains or anything else. Funny how something as simple as caulk can help more than a fancy fix sometimes.