Basements and cellars
Cellar steps are worn in the middle and the strings are firm. What trip hazard was seen, and what structural failure of the stair was not claimed?
The trip hazard is the treads worn in the middle. Structural failure of the stair was not claimed, because the strings are firm. Wear in the walking line makes a hollow that can catch a foot. The strings are the boards at each side that carry the treads, and they were firm. The survey has described a worn surface and sound-looking carriages. It has not said the stair is collapsing, and it has not load-tested the flight.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Cellar stairs often dish in the middle from years of use while the timber at the edges still holds. That dish is a trip. It is not, by itself, a broken string, a pulled wall fixing or a tread that has left its housing. The surveyor could see firm strings. Claiming structural failure would need more than a hollow in the timber surface. The report has not added that claim, and it has not calculated the stair.
If the hollow is deep enough to catch a foot, ask a joiner to ease or cover the worn treads, and keep that as a trip repair rather than a new staircase. Tell the solicitor the strings were firm and that structural failure was not claimed. Do not brief a lender with a failed stair the survey did not write. A later look would be needed only if the strings move, which was not the finding.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What trip hazard did the worn middle of the treads present?
- Why was structural failure of the stair not claimed?
- Were the strings firm, and was any load test left undone?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the hollow treads as a trip hazard.
- Do not describe the stair as a structural failure.
- Ask a joiner about the worn surface if the hollow catches a foot.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If a tread rocks, does that rewrite the firm strings?
A rocking tread would be a new observation. It was not the one written here. What was seen is wear in the middle and firm strings, and structural failure was not claimed. Do not add a rock the survey did not record. If you later feel movement, that is a reason to look again, not a finding already made.
Does firm timber mean the worn steps are safe to ignore?
Firm strings mean the survey did not claim structural failure. They do not fill the hollow in the walking line. The trip hazard remains the worn middle. The inspection has not load-tested the flight and has not called the surface harmless. A joiner can deal with the wear without a storey of new structure.