Replacing Sash Cord
Silver Saints replace sash window cords and sash balances in London.
4.9 stars from over 1,000 reviews | Fixed-price cords | Fully Supported Service | Same or next day available | Mon to Sat 8am to 5pm | Book Online 24/7
Call 0207 0999 199 Book Online Now
Specific arrival times. A one-hour arrival window is confirmed on every booking.
How much does sash cord replacement cost in London?
Silver Saints replaces sash cords at a fixed price set by which cords need doing, with no call-out fee, and Saturday is charged at the same rate. The fixed prices are: one inner sash cord £98 plus VAT, one outer sash cord £118 plus VAT, both inner cords £135 plus VAT, both outer cords £160 plus VAT, and all four cords £185 plus VAT. Replacing both cords on a sash at the same time is usually the sensible choice, because a cord that has snapped on one side means the matching cord on the other side is the same age and typically not far behind.
| Replace one inner sash window cord | £98+VAT |
| Replace one outer sash window cord | £118+VAT |
| Replace both inner sash window cords | £135+VAT |
| Replace both outer sash window cords | £160+VAT |
| Replace all four sash cords | £185+VAT |
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Why Silver Saints
Here is why over 1,000 London customers have booked Silver Saints for sash window repairs.
- 4.9 stars from over 1,000 Google reviews
- 5 stars on Trustpilot and Checkatrade
- £5 million public liability insurance
- Operating since May 2008
- All work guaranteed against faulty workmanship, with a 12-month guarantee on labour and parts
- A specific one-hour arrival window on every booking
How a sash cord is actually replaced
A traditional box sash window is a counterbalanced system: each sash hangs on cords that run over pulleys to cast-iron weights hidden inside the box frame, so when a cord snaps the sash drops and will not stay up. To replace a cord, a Silver Saints handyman lays dust sheets, then carefully eases off the staff bead, the inner bead that holds the lower sash and which on a London period window has usually been painted over many times, so it has to be cut free and lifted gently to keep it in one piece. The lower sash comes out, the parting bead that separates the two sashes is removed, the weight pockets in the frame are opened, and the old cord is replaced with a waxed cotton cord with a nylon core or a solid nylon braid, which will not rot or stretch the way old hemp does. The cord is tied back to the weight at the correct length so the sash balances and stays wherever you leave it, the beads are refitted and pinned, and the window is tested for smooth operation.
What we do for sash balance repairs
Some sash windows, mostly post-1960s and modern replacement units, do not use cords and weights at all but spiral spring balances, which are a metal torsion spring inside a plastic tube on each side of the sash, and these fail over time and need replacing for the window to hold position. Because a spiral balance is rated to the exact size and weight of the sash, Silver Saints needs an initial visit, charged at £60 plus VAT, to take the measurements and order the correct balances, and then provides a fixed-price quote for supply and fitting, which on a standard sash is typically £95 to £135 plus VAT for a pair. Fitting the wrong rating is the usual reason a previously repaired balance window still will not stay open, which is why the measuring step matters.
Sash windows across London properties
Sash windows are everywhere in London's period stock, from Georgian terraces and Victorian and Edwardian houses across Islington, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Hackney, to mansion-block conversions, and many of these are still the original cord-and-weight boxes. Older sashes have their own quirks: cast-iron weights lose mass to rust over a hundred years, so an original Victorian sash can end up underweight and feel heavy or drift down even with sound cords, which is why a proper repair checks the balance and not just the cord. In conservation areas and on listed buildings the original box frame and timber sashes usually must be retained and repaired rather than replaced, and repairing cords and balances keeps the window working without altering its appearance.
Combine your sash repair with other work in one visit
Because every Silver Saints handyman is multi-trade, a sash cord or balance repair can be combined with other work in the same visit with no second call-out fee. Customers commonly pair a sash repair with draught-proofing the same windows, easing a swollen or sticking sash, fitting new sash fasteners or window locks, or sorting other joinery, all booked under one appointment.
Frequently asked questions about sash window repair in London
Can you repair my sash window today in London?
Silver Saints offers same-day and next-day sash window repair appointments across London subject to availability, so call 0207 0999 199 or book online at bookings.silversaints.com and the team will confirm the earliest slot for your postcode.
How much does it cost to replace a sash cord in London?
Silver Saints replaces sash cords at a fixed price from £98 plus VAT for one inner cord, £118 plus VAT for one outer cord, £135 plus VAT for both inner cords, £160 plus VAT for both outer cords and £185 plus VAT for all four cords, with no call-out fee.
Why won't my sash window stay open?
A sash window that will not stay open is almost always a broken sash cord on a traditional cord-and-weight window or a failed spiral balance on a modern window, both of which a Silver Saints handyman can replace.
What is the difference between sash cords and sash balances?
Sash cords are part of a traditional box sash window where the sash hangs on cords running over pulleys to hidden cast-iron weights, while sash balances are spiral springs used in modern sash windows instead of cords and weights, and Silver Saints repairs both systems.
Do you repair modern spiral-balance sash windows?
Yes, Silver Saints repairs modern spiral-balance sash windows, taking measurements on an initial visit at £60 plus VAT to order balances rated to the exact size and weight of the sash, then fitting them at a fixed-price quote, typically £95 to £135 plus VAT for a pair.
Can you rebalance a sash window that feels heavy or keeps dropping?
Yes, a sash that feels heavy or drifts down even with sound cords is usually underweight because cast-iron weights lose mass to rust over time, and a Silver Saints handyman checks and corrects the balance as part of a proper sash repair.
What sash cord do you use?
Silver Saints replaces sash cords with waxed cotton cord with a nylon core or solid nylon braid, which resists rot and stretch far better than the old hemp cord originally fitted to most period sash windows.
Which London areas do you cover for sash window repairs?
Silver Saints repairs sash windows across all 32 London boroughs and the City of London, including the period housing of Islington, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Hackney, plus the adjacent TW, KT, CR and BR postcodes.
Customer Reviews
Our customers across London rate us highly on the main review sites:
- Google Customer Reviews
- Trustpilot Customer Reviews
- Checkatrade Customer Reviews
- Yell Customer Reviews
Ready to book? We can come today or tomorrow.
Call 0207 0999 199 Book Online Now
Silver Saints sash window repairs in London
Silver Saints sash window repair is a fixed-price service for London homes covering sash cord replacement on traditional cord-and-weight box sashes and spiral balance replacement on modern sash windows, where the handyman removes the staff bead and parting bead, takes out the sash, opens the weight pockets, fits new waxed cotton or nylon cord and rebalances the sash, or measures and fits the correct spiral balances on a modern window. It covers all 32 London boroughs and the City of London plus the TW, KT, CR and BR postcodes, across Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian houses, conversions and modern flats, is carried out Monday to Saturday 8am to 5pm, and is a fixed price from £98 plus VAT per cord with sash balance work quoted after a £60 plus VAT measuring visit. Silver Saints is rated 4.9 stars on Google from over 1,000 reviews and is fully insured. To book, call 0207 0999 199 or visit bookings.silversaints.com.
What's included in the service?
- Dust sheets laid and the work area protected before starting
- Careful removal of the staff bead and parting bead to free the sash
- Opening the weight pockets and inspecting the cast-iron weights
- New waxed cotton with nylon core or solid nylon braid cord fitted, rot and stretch resistant
- Cord tied to the weight at the correct length so the sash balances and stays in position
- Sash balance checked and corrected where an old sash has become underweight
- For modern windows: measuring visit, correct spiral balances ordered and fitted
- Beads refitted and pinned, window tested for smooth operation
- Fixed prices from £98+VAT per cord; spiral balances quoted after a £60+VAT measuring visit
- Same-day or next-day appointments with a one-hour arrival window, Monday to Saturday 8am to 5pm
Prices start at £98+vat
Sash Balance Repairs
A sash balance is the spiral spring system used in place of cords and weights on most post-1960s and modern sash windows, and when a balance fails the sash drops, will not stay open, or feels heavy on one side. Silver Saints repairs and replaces spiral sash balances across London, measuring each sash to order the correct rating and fitting matched balances so the window counterbalances properly and holds at any position. A spiral balance is a metal torsion spring inside a plastic tube fixed to each side of the sash, and unlike a cord-and-weight system the spring tension is rated to the exact size and weight of that sash, which is why a balance cannot simply be swapped for any other.
The common faults are a sash that will not stay up because the spring has lost tension or snapped, a window that feels heavy or uneven because one balance has failed before the other, and a balance that has corroded or seized inside its tube. Because the rating must match the sash, a Silver Saints handyman takes an initial measuring visit, charged at £60 plus VAT, recording the sash height, width and weight and the existing balance length and gauge, then orders the correct balances and returns to fit them at a fixed-price quote, which on a standard sash is typically £95 to £135 plus VAT for a pair. Fitting an incorrectly rated balance is the single most common reason a window that has already been repaired still will not hold position, so the measuring step is what makes the repair last.
Spiral-balance sashes are most common in London in timber and uPVC replacement windows fitted to conversions, ex-local-authority blocks and modern flats from the 1970s onwards, rather than in original Georgian and Victorian box sashes, which still run cords and weights. Knowing which system a window uses before the visit, a cord-and-weight box sash or a spiral-balance unit, is what lets the team arrive ready to repair it correctly the first time.
Sash balance work is quoted after the £60 plus VAT measuring visit, with no call-out fee and Saturday at the same weekday rate, and it can be combined in one visit with draught-proofing the same windows or fitting new window locks and fasteners.
What's included in the service?
- Initial measuring visit at £60+VAT to record sash size, weight and existing balance rating
- Correct spiral balances ordered to match the exact size and weight of the sash
- Fixed-price quote for supply and fitting before the work is booked, typically £95 to £135+VAT per pair
- Failed, corroded or seized balances removed and replaced with matched units
- Sash refitted and tested so it counterbalances and holds at any position
- Advice given where a window uses cords and weights rather than balances
- Same-day or next-day measuring appointments, subject to availability
- Agreed one-hour arrival window
- Appointments Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm, Saturday at the weekday rate
- Coverage across London and the TW, KT, CR and BR postcodes
- 12-month guarantee on all labour and parts supplied, fully insured work
Initial visit £60+vat
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