Timber decay and woodworm
The lining behind a front-door architrave is soft and the door leaf is sound. What timber is decayed, and what damp path at the threshold was noted with it?
The decayed timber is the door lining behind the architrave, not the door leaf. The lining is soft and the leaf is sound, so the defect sits in the hidden frame lining rather than in the door you swing. The survey noted that softness together with a damp path at the threshold. It has not said the whole frame is rotten, and it has not uncovered every face of the lining behind the architrave.
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?
Architrave covers the joint between lining and wall, which is exactly where splash and a worn threshold let water sit. Soft timber there can be wet rot fed from the threshold, while the leaf, being a separate piece, stays firm. The survey could feel the lining it reached. It did not remove all the architrave, so the full extent around the jamb is not mapped. The damp path at the threshold is part of the same note: water at the bottom of the opening, not a vague damp house.
Ask a joiner to see how much lining is soft once the architrave can be released, and to deal with the threshold path that is feeding it. Tell the solicitor the leaf was sound and the decay found is the lining. Do not price a new door from this note. Until more of the lining is seen, the survey has not measured how far the softness runs.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Is the soft timber the lining behind the architrave, not the door leaf?
- What damp path at the threshold was noted with that softness?
- How much of the lining stayed hidden behind the architrave?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the decay as the lining, with the door leaf sound.
- Ask a joiner to expose how far the soft lining extends.
- Deal with the threshold damp path rather than assuming a new door.
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 the architrave is painted and firm, is the lining sound?
Paint on the architrave describes the architrave. The lining behind it was soft where the survey reached it. A firm leaf does not harden that lining, and the damp path at the threshold was noted with it. Soft lining is the timber that matters.
Does a new mat over the threshold close the damp path?
A mat covers the floor. It does not repair the threshold or dry the lining. The survey noted damp at the threshold together with the soft lining. Covering it is not a repair of either. The lining stays soft underneath.