Windows, doors and glazing
The landing sash will not stay up because a cord is broken. Is that a decoration item, or a window the survey has marked for a joiner rather than a painter?
Not a landing sash that will not stay up, because a cord is broken, is a decoration item. It is a window the survey has marked for a joiner rather than a painter. The sash needs a cord, and the weights set again, and a falling sash on a landing is a safety matter, not a scuffed finish. Paint will not hold it open. The visit records the broken cord. It does not choose a colour scheme, and it does not convert the repair into a decorating allowance.
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?
Cords perish and break, often on one side first, so the sash racks and will not balance. The repair is to open the pocket, fit a new cord and resettle the weights. Beads may have to come off to do it. That is a joiner's job. A painter who fills and coats the staff bead is doing a finish afterwards, or instead of the repair if you allow it. The survey has pointed at the cord, not at the paint film.
Ask the joiner to confirm the cord and to say whether pulleys or meeting rails need work the report did not claim. Do not accept a decorator's quote that leaves the broken cord in place. Keep the landing sash on the repair list until it stays up by itself. Decoration of the lining can follow. It is not the item that was marked, and it does not make an unrestrained sash safe.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which cord has broken, and does the sash drop when it is released?
- Did you see rotten timber in the frame, or only a sash that will not stay up?
- Have you marked this window for a joiner, or for decoration?
What are the typical next steps?
- Instruct a joiner to renew the broken sash cord so the sash will stay up.
- Do not accept a painting quotation as the repair of this landing window.
- Leave the item open until the sash has been shown to stay up on its own.
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
Can a painter sort a sash whose cord is broken?
No. Paint does not replace a cord. The survey has marked the window for a joiner, so that the sash will stay up, not for a coat of decoration.
Is a sash that will not stay up only a matter of appearance?
No. On a landing a sash that drops is a safety repair. That is why a broken cord is not listed as decoration for a painter.