Friction stay | Chalkline

A friction stay is the sliding-pivot hinge arm that holds a casement or awning sash open at any position. One end pivots on a fixed pin at the frame; the other end carries a slider that rides a track on the sash. Friction in the slider holds the sash against wind load without a chain or prop. A calibration screw on the slider sets the resistance: tighten if the sash drifts shut, loosen if it resists closing.

Sizing. The two parameters are arm length and stack height (the gap the arm creates between frame face and sash face when closed). Whitco residential stays come in 200 mm, 300 mm, 400 mm, and 500 mm arm lengths; the standard residential stack height is 13 mm (verified Keeler Hardware 2026-06-11). The Whitco standard range suits sashes up to about 12 kg; heavy-duty commercial stays (ALSPEC, 16 mm stack) are rated to 34-37 kg. Always size to the manufacturer’s sash-weight table; an undersized stay sags and loses friction over time.

Stainless grades for coastal use. Standard residential stays are 304 stainless or zinc-plated steel. Zinc-plated hardware corrodes within a few years in salt-spray exposure. For locations within roughly 1 km of breaking surf, specify 316 stainless throughout; Doric and Maco both supply 316-grade friction stays for marine environments (verified Doric 2026-06-11). Mixing zinc-plated stays with aluminium frames in coastal locations also accelerates galvanic corrosion in both metals.

Restrictor interaction. Some friction stay models include a built-in limit pin that restricts opening to 125 mm, satisfying the AS 5203 child-safety requirement for windows 2 m or more above the surface below. The pin must be releasable via a deliberate two-step action to comply. Not all limit-pin stays are formally tested to AS 5203; confirm compliance before specifying the stay as the restrictor device.

Also known as: friction hinge, casement stay, awning stay.

Category: Materials / window hardware.

Window hardware

Related

See also

Related articles