Medway · England
Sand Mastic in Lower Higham
Traditional burnt sand mastic around sash and case windows and doors in stone and brick for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Lower Higham. ARBOMaster approved applicators, fully insured, with a 12-month guarantee.
- Silicone on a period window that looks wrong
- Wind and rain getting in round a sash window
- Weathered mastic on the most exposed windows
How to look after the new joints
To keep the joints looking good and working properly:
- Ask a joiner to look at soft timber first
- Leave the new mastic unpainted
- Find out about consent before window work on a listed home
- Look over the window mastic once a year
Leave the new mastic alone while it firms up. It skins over quickly but needs longer to fully harden.
Gaps round a sash box let in draughts and rain. The longer it’s left, the more the joint opens.
How we handle sand mastic in Lower Higham
If your home is listed or in a conservation area, check with your local planning authority if consent is needed before window work. Sand mastic is often favoured as a like-for-like material. We work on timber door frames, brick reveals and period & listed homes, and common reasons people get in touch are crumbling sand mastic round a window and cement or filler used on old window joints that has cracked.
Mastic can only go onto a dry, clean joint, so window work in Lower Higham is booked around the forecast. Tell us about access to every side of the house, including upper-floor windows.
A 12-month guarantee comes as standard, so you’re covered after we’ve gone.
- Where
- Lower Higham (ME3)
- Region
- Medway
- Cover
- A year, on every job
- Quotes
- Quoted before any work starts
- Telephone
- 0345 464 0079
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
Signs you need sand mastic in Lower Higham
Some old mastic was never deep enough. A thin layer doesn’t hold well so we make sure the new mastic is the right thickness.
Look out for any of the following:
- Mastic dropping out of the joint
- Draughts and rain around sash boxes
- Mastic round period door frames that has failed
- Gaps where the frame meets the masonry
Managing a site like Higham Primary School? Then larger buildings have plenty of frames, and the mastic around each one ages.
Questions to ask before you book
- Whether they seal over old material or remove it
- How long the guarantee is
- Which colour the sealant will be
- Whether they’re fully insured
How the visit works
There’s no need to move everything out, just the space around the work. We protect the rest, and the job takes a few hours for a single window, longer for several in most cases. For a village or hamlet like Lower Higham, the journey is planned in advance: let us know about lanes, gates and parking. We bring what the job needs, so it can be finished in one trip where possible.
- Each surround is checked first.
- The joint is raked out and cleaned.
- Large voids are packed out.
- New sand mastic is applied and shaped by hand.
- The finish is dressed neatly.
Before we arrive
- Tell us if parking is tricky
- Tell us about access, such as stairs, a lift or high-level joints
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
How to get a quote
To get a quote, call 0345 464 0079 or send us an email and tell us where the job is and what the problem looks like. We’ll send you a clear quote before any work starts.
Related advice
Lower Higham homes and the weather
Lower Higham is close to the coast, and homes near the sea take more wind-driven rain, with salt in the air closer to the shore. That’s hard on the mastic around older windows and doors, especially on the side facing the sea. 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.
For an older house near a landmark such as St Mary's Church, frames set in older brick or stone need a sealant that suits the wall as well as the frame. Rented homes near Higham station change hands often, and older sash windows in a rental need their mastic kept sound to keep the weather out.
Lower Higham is about 3 miles north-west of Rochester, in Medway. Anywhere in ME3, we cover sand mastic for homes and businesses. Lower Higham is one of 68 towns and villages in Medway we cover for sand mastic. There’s also a page for Chelmsford, about 21 miles away.
Every address in ME3 is covered for sand mastic, from the main roads to the quietest streets. If you need sand mastic at a property on Canal Road, Chalk Road and Chequers Street or anywhere close by, we can help. We also cover Church Street (1 mile north), Higham (1 mile south), Mockbeggar (1 mile east), Gadshill (1 mile south) and Cliffe Woods (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Gillingham (6 miles south-east), Chatham (6 miles south-east), Rochester (3 miles south-east), Rainham (8 miles south-east), Strood (3 miles south) and Luton (5 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Lower Higham
Typical jobs here are in homes near Strood Academy, Broomhill Park and The Chequers pub. Lower Higham has its own railway station: Higham station. Other landmarks nearby include French Hospital (3.3 miles south-east) and Upnor Castle (3.1 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
What affects the quote in Lower Higham
You will get a clear quote before any work starts. It takes into account:
- The product the joint needs
- Whether the work is at height
- Mould in or behind the old joints
- The number of rooms or windows
Rather than a set price list, we price the job in front of us: the amount of work, the old material and the access. You will know the price before we begin.
What to tell us for a quote
When you contact us, it’s useful to know:
- What the problem is, such as mould, gaps, leaks or cracking
- How many joints, rooms or windows are involved
- Whether it’s a home or a business
- Where the job is, and your postcode
The more we know about the job, the more useful the quote. Tell us where the job is, what’s wrong and how much there is, and add photos by email if you can.
What sealant work can’t fix
It helps to know what we can’t do too:
- Masonry that needs repairing
- Sash cords, weights and draught-proofing of the sashes
- Whether work needs listed building consent
If you’re not sure, just phone 0345 464 0079 or email us and we will give you a straight answer.
Joints and surfaces we work on
- Sash and case windows
- Stone surrounds
- Timber door frames
- Tenement windows
- Brick reveals
- Period & listed homes
Work for landlords, hotels and businesses
We also work for businesses, from offices to washrooms and kitchens. On commercial sites, working times can be discussed when we quote.
We work for landlords and letting agents as well as householders. Sealant work between tenants is a simple way to keep a property in good order before the next move-in.
Your questions about sand mastic in Lower Higham
Is Lower Higham within the area you cover?
Yes. Lower Higham is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our work covers London and the South East. Just mention lanes, gates or anything else about the route when you book.
Does the coastal weather in Lower Higham affect outside sealant?
Near the coast, wind-driven rain and, nearer the shore, salt air make outside sealant work harder. The right product, a clean joint and the right depth all help it cope.
Do I need permission for sand mastic on a listed building?
It’s best to ask your local planning authority first. Sand mastic is often favoured as like for like, but they decide.
Do you remove the old sealant?
Yes. Sealing over the old bead is the commonest cause of early failure, so we never do it.
Do you work for letting agents?
Yes. As well as homeowners, we work for landlords, agents, businesses and hotels across Medway.
Is sand mastic better than silicone for my windows?
That depends on your windows. Period windows in stone or brick normally suit sand mastic and newer frames usually get a flexible sealant.
Is it messy?
Very little: the area around the joints is protected first, and we tidy up before we go.
Can you replace silicone on a period window with sand mastic?
Normally, yes. Once the silicone is out and the joint prepared we point it with sand mastic.
Places near Lower Higham
What else we do in Lower Higham
DIY versus a professional finish
If you do try it yourself, take your time over the preparation: take out all the old sealant, make sure the joint is clean and dry, and give it the full cure time. If it fails, we can still redo it.
Not every job suits DIY: work at height, external movement joints, fire-rated sealant and large areas need the right product, the right access and the right method.