Windows, doors and glazing
What should you ask if a sash window will not stay open because of the cords or the weights?
Ask about the cords, the pulleys and the weights, not about rot and not about the locks. A sash that slides shut, or will not stay up, often has a broken cord or a weight off the cord, while the glass and the timber can still be sound. A home survey does not open the weight pocket, a painted-shut sash was not tested, and failing to stay open is not by itself a test of the security ironmongery.
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 balances on two cords and two weights. When one cord snaps, the sash hangs crooked or drops. That is a maintenance defect in the balancing gear. It is not a rotten style unless the timber was soft when tested, and it is not a misted unit unless the glass was misted. The surveyor may not operate every sash. Painted-in sashes, furniture and sealed rooms all limit the check. The report should say which windows were opened and which were not.
Splicing a cord and rehanging a weight is ordinary joiner’s work. There is no RICS price, and it is not a reason to replace the window with a new frame. Ask for the sashes that will not stay open to be listed. Do not accept a quote that starts from new windows because a cord is broken. If the pockets are buried in later plaster, say so: the weight may be inaccessible, which is a different limitation from a cord you can see hanging loose.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which sashes did you open, and which would not stay?
- Did you see a broken cord, or only the symptom?
- Is the timber soft, or is this only the balance?
What are the typical next steps?
- Ask a joiner to rehang cords before you price new windows.
- Do not paint the sash shut again before that repair.
- List the windows that were not opened so they are not treated as tested.
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
Is a missing weight a security failure?
No. Security is whether the fastener holds. The survey does not test locks as a locksmith would. A dropping sash is a balance fault.
Can one cord be broken and the other sound?
Yes. Sashes have a cord each side. One can fail. Ask which side was seen.