Good point about silicone spray—I had a similar experience. PTFE worked wonders on my older vinyl windows, but when I tried it on the aluminum sliders in the garage, it didn't seem to do much. Switched to silicone, and it was night and day difference. Guess it's all about trial and error depending on your setup and local climate. Glad you found something that worked for you too... nothing beats finally having smooth windows again!
"Guess it's all about trial and error depending on your setup and local climate."
Exactly my experience. I spent ages fiddling with PTFE spray on my basement windows—vinyl frames, but older style with metal tracks. Thought it'd be a sure thing, but nope, still had to wrestle them open every time. Finally tried silicone after a neighbor recommended it, and it worked like magic. Seems the metal tracks just didn't respond to PTFE the same way plastic did. Lesson learned, every window has its quirks...
"Seems the metal tracks just didn't respond to PTFE the same way plastic did."
Yeah, silicone spray usually does the trick better on metal surfaces—PTFE can sometimes leave a dry residue that metal doesn't glide smoothly against. Another thing I've noticed is dirt buildup in the tracks can be a sneaky culprit. Before spraying anything, wiping the tracks down thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or even mild soap and water helps a ton. Clean first, then silicone... usually saves a headache later.
Good call on the silicone spray. I've had similar experiences with PTFE—it seems great in theory, but metal tracks just don't seem to like it much. I think you're onto something with the dirt buildup too. It's surprising how much grime can accumulate in those tracks over time, especially if you live near a busy road or construction area.
I recently tackled a similar issue at my place. My windows were getting annoyingly stiff, and I initially thought it was just age or poor installation. But after reading around a bit, I decided to give them a thorough cleaning first—just some warm water and dish soap, nothing fancy. You wouldn't believe the amount of dirt and gunk that came out of there... pretty gross actually.
After drying everything off, I went with silicone spray as well, and it made a noticeable difference right away. Windows glide smoothly now, and I'm guessing they'll stay that way longer since there's less dirt to gum things up.
One thing I'm curious about though—has anyone tried graphite powder on metal window tracks? I've used it successfully on door locks and hinges before because it doesn't attract dust like some sprays can. Wondering if it'd work well here too or if it'd just make a mess...
Anyway, good job figuring out what works best for your windows. It's always satisfying when you find a simple fix that actually lasts.
- Had a similar issue with my windows when I moved into my place. Thought it was just cheap windows or something installed wrong.
- Tried PTFE first because everyone online raved about it, but honestly... didn't do much for me either. Glad I'm not alone on that.
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Yep, same here. It was like mud after cleaning mine out, especially the ones facing the street."You wouldn't believe the amount of dirt and gunk that came out of there... pretty gross actually."
- Silicone spray made a noticeable difference afterward, windows open smoothly now. Still skeptical about how long it'll last though—feels like dirt finds its way back pretty quick around here.
- About graphite powder, I used it once on door hinges and it worked great, but it's messy as hell if you're not careful. Wouldn't want to risk getting black smudges everywhere around window frames.
- Might stick with silicone for now and see how long it holds up.
Had the same experience with PTFE—lots of hype, minimal results. Silicone spray definitely improved things for me too, but you're right about dirt buildup returning quickly. One thing I've found helpful is periodically wiping down the tracks with a damp cloth to keep grime from accumulating. It's a bit tedious, but it extends the effectiveness of the silicone quite a bit. Graphite powder... yeah, effective but messy—learned that lesson on my garage door hinges!