Windows, doors and glazing
The pulley stile of one sash is soft and the sash itself still slides. Which piece of timber has the survey called decayed?
The survey has called the pulley stile decayed, not the sash. The stile is soft, which is the piece beside the sash that carries the pulleys. The sash itself still slides, so the moving sash was not the timber described as decayed. The inspection has named the stile from the softness it found. It has not taken the sash out, not probed every rail, and not said the whole window is rotten because one stile gives. The decayed piece, on this note, is the pulley stile.
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?
A sash window is a set of parts. The stile is part of the frame. The sash is the glazed frame that runs up and down. Softness in the stile can leave the sash able to slide for a while, which is why a window that still opens is not a window with sound timber. The survey judged the stile by probing where it was soft. The finding stays on the piece that failed the probe.
Ask a joiner to look at that pulley stile and to say what of the frame needs repair, without being told the sash has been condemned. Tell the solicitor the survey called the stile decayed and found the sash still sliding. Do not replace the whole window in your mind on the strength of one soft stile. The report named a piece. Let the joiner say how far the decay runs.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which piece did you call decayed, the pulley stile or the sash?
- Did the sash still slide when you tried it?
- Did you stop short of condemning every timber in the window?
What are the typical next steps?
- Name the pulley stile as the decayed piece.
- Do not describe the sliding sash as the failed timber.
- Ask a joiner how far the soft stile extends.
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 paint is intact, can the stile still be the decayed piece?
Yes. Paint can hide soft wood, and the survey called the stile decayed because it was soft, not because the paint had failed. The sash still slides, which is a different piece. Intact paint does not overturn a probe on the stile.
Does one soft stile mean every window on the elevation matches it?
No. The survey called this pulley stile decayed. Other windows were not given that sentence unless the report says so. A soft stile is one piece in one frame. It does not travel along the elevation by implication. It stays on this window.