How to remove a sash window temporarily?

It's a relatively easy job for 2 people.
From the inside:
There are 4 strips of wood surrounding the inner frame that hold the lower sash in place. These are the staff beads.
There are 2 wood strips holding the upper sash in place. These are the parting beads.
Remove the vertical staff beads only. Prise them from the middle to free the mitred ends using a wide screwdriver or scraper.
This will allow the sash to tilt forward.
Pry out the nails holding the cord to the sash, and the sash is free.
Lower the weights into the box stiles, do not let them fall too hard.
For the upper sash, remove the 2 vertcal parting beads, lower the sash, tilt forward, etc.
Your sashes are now out.
While they're out it's a good time for maintenance. Clean off any excess paint around the pulley, oil the pulley, and remove any highspots if the window sticks. A touch of beeswax or candlewax along the sides of the sash and along the pulley stile works wonders.
To replace the cords there is a pocket on each pulley stile to access the weights. These pockets aren't usually fixed in place, but may have been painted over. There's sometimes a thin strip of wood separating the weights, this can be pushed aside easily.
You can get waxed sash cord from your local hardware store.
Use the existing cords to measure the length, mark the cord with a marking pen, but do not cut the cord until after you have attached the weight with a figure-of-eight knot.
Replacing the sashes is pretty much a reverse of the above procedure.

Big Softy
March 2007