Essex · England
Sand mastic for sash & case windows in Foster Street, Essex
Sand mastic in Foster Street from a team with over 20 years’ experience. 180+ five-star Google reviews and a 4.9 rating.
- Wind and rain getting in round a sash window
- Cracked mastic round a front door frame
- Open joints round the window box
About our sand mastic in Foster Street
Traditional burnt sand mastic that sits naturally against stone and brick. It suits period and listed homes, where modern sealant can look out of place. Common call-outs are for modern sealant on a period surround and tired mastic found when preparing windows for paint, on sash and case windows, stone surrounds and timber door frames.
In a village or hamlet like Foster Street, older cottages and farmhouses often have timber windows set in stone or brick. Older buildings like these don’t always suit modern silicone, so the sealant has to be chosen to suit the building.
All of our work is guaranteed for twelve months, and the guarantee is the same wherever you are.
- Where
- Foster Street (CM17)
- Region
- Essex
- Cover
- One year on every job
- Quote
- A clear price before work begins
- Telephone
- 0345 464 0079
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
What sealant work can’t fix
It helps to know what we cannot do:
- Whether work needs listed building consent
- Crumbling stone or brickwork round the window
- Cracked or broken glass
Not sure which it is? You can ring 0345 464 0079 or email us and we’ll tell you honestly before you book.
Joints and surfaces we work on
- Timber door frames
- Brick reveals
- Stone surrounds
- Sash and case windows
- Period & listed homes
- Tenement windows
Foster Street: your questions answered
Do older homes in Foster Street need their sealant replacing?
If it hasn’t been replaced for some years, it’s generally worth it. Sealant is a maintenance item: how long it lasts depends on use, cleaning and exposure, and many homes in Foster Street may already be on their second or third set.
Do you work for landlords with property near Harlow Mill station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for, and several properties can be quoted together. Just call 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email with the address and what needs doing, and we’ll give you a clear quote.
What do you need from me for a quote?
A short description and the location, plus pictures if you have them. We will ask anything else we need to know.
Is it messy?
No. We protect the surfaces around the joints, and we clear up the old sealant and our materials before we leave.
Should I try DIY first?
For a simple, easy-to-reach joint, a careful DIYer can do a reasonable job. Most DIY failures come from sealing over old material, wet joints or too much sealant.
How long does sand mastic take to harden?
It skins over fairly quickly but takes longer to harden fully. We’ll tell you what to expect for your job.
Is it OK to seal over old sealant?
No. New silicone will not bond to old silicone, and anything trapped underneath, including mould and water, stays there. We remove it all first.
Can I choose the sealant colour?
Generally, yes. White, clear and grey are common, and other colours are available for many products, and we will agree it with you first.
Common problems we fix in Foster Street
Paint, silicone or cement used over old mastic causes problems. They don’t suit the joint and we normally remove them.
It’s worth asking for a quote if you see:
- Draughty sash windows at the surround
- Cement or filler used on old window joints that has cracked
- Gaps where the frame meets the masonry
- Mastic worn away on windows facing the weather
Homes close to Church of All Saints include some older properties, and the joint between an old wall and a newer frame is normally the first place rain gets in.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether all the old sealant comes out first
- How long the guarantee is
- What product goes in the joint
- How long to leave it before use
Looking after it afterwards
Good habits help new joints last longer. Our tips:
- Ask the planning authority about consent for listed or conservation-area homes
- Keep modern sealant off the mastic
- Look over the window mastic once a year
- Go gently near the mastic when preparing windows
Keep gutters and sills clear so water runs away from the surround. Water sitting against the mastic shortens its life.
Gaps round a sash box let in draughts and rain. Left, the gap tends to get bigger.
Places near Foster Street
More services for Foster Street
How the job changes by surface
Stone surrounds
Sand mastic sits naturally against stone. It finishes to look like part of the surround.
Tenement and terrace windows
Where a building is shared, window work may involve neighbours, so check who is responsible first.
DIY versus a professional finish
If you are set on DIY, put the effort into preparation: take out all the old sealant, make sure the joint is clean and dry, and give it the full cure time. If it does not work out, we can still put it right.
What a professional job adds is preparation and the right product. Joints are cleaned back to sound surfaces and dried, and the sealant is matched to the joint and its conditions, and the work is guaranteed for a year.
Foster Street homes and the weather
Foster Street is part of Harlow, one of the post-war new towns. Many homes date from the post-war decades, and many will have had their original windows replaced. That mastic ages as well, and sills and frame heads are where leaks start. Rainfall in the South East is lower than in much of the UK, yet outdoor joints still have to be sealed dry, so jobs are booked with the weather in mind.
If you let a flat or house near Harlow Mill station, cracked sand mastic around sash windows lets in the draughts tenants complain about. Managing a site like Henry Moore Primary School? Then the mastic around its windows and doors needs looking after like any other building’s.
Foster Street is about 2 miles east of Harlow, in Essex. We provide sand mastic to homes and businesses in Foster Street and the surrounding area, as part of our work across Essex. Our Essex coverage runs to 644 places, Foster Street among them. You can also see our page for Chelmsford, about 14 miles away.
Every address in CM17 is within our area for sand mastic. If you need sand mastic at a property on Foster Street, Highfield Close and Hastingwood Park or a nearby road, we can help. We also cover Hastingwood (1 mile south), Newhall (1 mile north-west), Latton (1 mile west), Magdalen Laver (1 mile east) and Housham Tye (2 miles north-east). Larger places within reach include Chelmsford (14 miles east), Brentwood (11 miles south-east), Billericay (15 miles south-east), Loughton (9 miles south-west), Waltham Abbey (8 miles south-west) and Great Dunmow (12 miles north-east).
Around Foster Street
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to John Barleycorn Public House, Passmores Academy and Brays Grove, among other places. Foster Street’s nearest station is Harlow Mill station, about 2.3 miles north-west. Other landmarks nearby include Princess Alexandra Hospital (3 miles west) and Harlow Mill (2.4 miles north-west). Green spaces nearby include Gernon Bushes.
Landlords, agents and businesses in Foster Street
Mouldy or split sealant often shows up at the end of a tenancy, and it’s easy to sort out between tenants. Several properties can be quoted together.
From a single let to a portfolio, you get the same standard of work: old sealant fully removed, joints prepared properly and a one-year guarantee.
The process
At the end, we look at the finished work together. The visit itself generally takes anything from a few hours to a full day, depending on how many windows, depending on how much there is to do. In a small place like Foster Street, access is normally the main thing to plan. If the job is outside, mention outbuildings, exposed walls and how to reach them.
- We check the window surrounds and agree which joints need renewing.
- We rake out the old mastic and clean the joint.
- Large voids are packed out first, so the mastic is not too thick.
- The mastic is mixed, pressed into the joint by hand and shaped.
- The mastic is finished to sit tidily against the stone or brick.
Getting ready for the visit
- Tell us about any previous sealing or DIY attempts
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
- Clear the area around the work
Get a quote
For a quote, ring 0345 464 0079 or email us and tell us where the job is and what the problem looks like. You’ll have a clear quote before work begins.