TL;DR
A sash lock is the cam-action latch mounted at the meeting rail of a double-hung or sliding window that pulls the two sashes tightly together as it rotates closed. Beyond security, that clamping action compresses the weatherstripping, so a loose or misaligned one is a common cause of drafts and rattles.
What it means
A sash lock is the cam-action latch mounted at the meeting rail of a double-hung or sliding window that pulls the two sashes tightly together as it rotates closed. Beyond security, that clamping action compresses the weatherstripping, so a loose or misaligned one is a common cause of drafts and rattles. Replacement is a simple screw-mounted repair, but the keeper and lock must be aligned or the cam will not draw the rails snug.
Where it sits in the glossary
Sash lock is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
License: CC-BY-4.0 — quote freely with attribution to ProFix Editorial Team / ProFix Directory.