following (I'd like to know, too, looks strange to me).

Thanks East Bay 10. I wonder if there's some other way to address that potential issue? Kids visit maybe once a year. I hate that we can't open the patio doors all the way, hate both the way it looks and the way it limits the opening.

Get them to remove them. Makes no sense to me. Or get them to cut them down. I sense a little BS here.

It sounds like they might have been mis informed or passed some wrong information.

Those blocks are there to keep the window from “falling out”. When the stops or blocks are removed it lets the window go past the point of normal operation and you can remove the sash (moveable part of window) without having tension on it from the balance rod.

To further answer the question regarding the sliders. If the blocks were any smaller on the slider your door handle would slam into the in active door upon operating it. So that one is just there for function over form.

Contact window manufacture and discuss with them. They have “authorized installers” usually and they have vested interest in proper installation. I would also not want you to invalidate your warranty. So check first.

Wiltrack, thank you. Is there some way around that door handle issue? Maybe a different type of handle?

Ruth,
You could possibly see if they have an alternate style door handle but you may only gain up to 2 inches before the doors hit each other without any handle on at all. Do you know what brand the door is?

They are Amerimax doors and windows. I'll call the company to see if they have suggestions. I also want to see if there's some alternative to the blocks keeping the double hung windows from opening. That is such a small window in the first place, it almost defeats the purpose to have those blocks there.

I suspect the double hung windows have a locking latch at the center of the sash. the rubber stops prevent pushing the sash all the way up and hitting the lock at the top. The larger plastic stops are just that, plastic stops. Double hung windows are typically not intended to have the sashes pass each other under normal use. The best one can get the window open would be with sashes immediately in front of each other. the stop assure that there is always room to push the window from one end back to where it started. Just like the stops on the slider. the doors are not typically intended to completely nest with the egdes matching.

I assume that the picture with the "wavy" (privacy) glass is your bathroom. The top sash has a lip to push/pull the sash and the lip extends over the inner sash. The larger stops likely prevent one from opning the inner sash and contacting the lip on the outer sash. Looking at Amerimax's website their replacement window photos all show the stops that the installers put on your windows. You can modify them if you want but I suspect the assembly instructions direct installers to put them in to minimize the likelihood of sashes interfering with each other during typical operation. Without the stops the user needs to really pay attention to the potential interferences to avoid physical contact / damage. Stop are likely set to avoid conflict when tipping windows out for cleaning as well.