How can I get old painted shut windows to open?

Question

I just moved into a house last week and like the inspector noted, a lot of the windows are painted shut and will not open. I know that this is dangerous in the case of a fire, and I would also like to get some fresh air in once in a while. Also, the house was built before 1978, so I want to be careful about chipping paint on the windows due to the lead based paint factor and my young child.

Answer 1

Use a razor knife and cut the paint between the frame and the sash. Cut slow and go over each cut repeatedly until the windows operate. For the lead hazard vacumn all the paint debris.

Answer 2

try asking someone in your local hardware store or try a little paint thinner and a razor blade