Help & Advice

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If you need 100% guaranteed installation by a certain date, your installer may well be able to accommodate you by taking on extra staff or putting more than one installation team on the job (this may incur a charge and you should always agree this up front).

You may find your installer can offer a more competitive price if you are willing to be more flexible on the installation date.

Occasionally there may be a cancellation or someone has good reason to defer a contract without much warning. It may be that you are offered an earlier installation at a discount if you are able to react quickly. Always discuss the details and your own flexibility with the installer when you order your windows.

Typically it takes a week or two for your installer to arrange a survey and a further week to check the detail and process the order.

As manufacturers, we generally take 4-6 weeks to make and deliver windows (lead times are longer for special services like colour spraying or non-standard items like arched windows).

Do not assume your installer will be able to fit the windows as soon as they receive them. Often there may be a gap of another week or two before you installation can take place.
Most installers will fit two finished windows per day if removing the old box sash window first, but if your project is a new build or an extension they may be able to fit more.

Always make sure you agree the timeline for your installation in advance with your chosen installer.

Removing windows is a disruptive job, it will disturb plaster work, architraves and window surrounds and if you have shutters they may need to be removed and either refitted or replaced. 

The installers we recommend are experienced with sash window replacement and will often be willing to make good any damaged plaster and may offer you extra finishing to paintwork or woodwork. 

There may be an extra cost involved for extensive finishing, so make sure you discuss this up front and agree any required detail with your installer.

We supply many companies with our classic windows, but the installation of these products can’t always be monitored. If we approve a Master Installer and allow them to fit Bygone windows, we will always check to ensure they are a reputable company, that they follow our recommendations on best practice and that their fitting complies with British standards.

If we are recommending a Master Installer, we will stand by their workmanship and they must answer to us if there are complaints of any description. Customer feedback is continually monitored and we will consider terminating approved status should we feel an installer has failed to meet our expectations.

If there is a problem, please report it immediately to your installer, however we do retain a highly experienced service engineer for those odd occasions when our direct assistance is needed.

Installation will only take place by arrangement and with your agreement for a specified date and for a pre-agreed duration.

Occasionally installers will receive a cancellation, or someone else may have good reason to defer a contract without much warning, therefore if you are willing to have windows installed at very short notice, it may be that your installation could take place earlier than predicted.

Installers are very happy to discuss every option until you are completely happy. You will undoubtedly have thought about what you’d like to spend on windows, so your installer will work to find you a specification that suits your property and your budget.

A Master Installer will not inflate their prices initially to then offer you a false discount.
Some Installers will be able to negotiate based on the size of your prospective order or if you are willing to be flexible with regards the installation, but typically they offer will offer best price at the first time of asking.

Make sure you check through all the options, sometimes you installer might suggest a cheaper range on the back of your house, or agree to do the project in smaller phases. Talk to them, they will help you to the best of their ability.

Each Installer will have their own way of charging; make sure you discuss this with them in advance.

Most will ask for a deposit in the region of 25% – 35% as they will have upfront costs to pay materials to order for your project.

Many also ask for stage payments, such as 25% at the start with a further 50% when the windows are made, in order to pay the manufacturer. This typically leaves 25% as a final payment to cover their fitting charges.

Some installers will complete all the work before any payment is made, some may not, please check this with them before agreeing to the terms of the contract.

It is compulsory for installers to offer you deposit insurance, but you are not obligated to take it out if you don’t wish to. Considering the sums involved in window replacement we do consider it prudent to do so.

Many installers will offer you insurance already within their price, so it is always worth asking them about insurance backed guarantees at the start of any consultation.

Whilst some companies within the industry have been known to rip out every window at once, or leave them unfinished overnight, a Master Installer will always aim to finish the windows they start each day. This is not always possible, but it is the preferred method of working. It may mean they quote for a longer period of fitting in order to maintain the quality of the finishing, but they certainly won’t rush the installation or cut corners.

Always ask your installer how they operate in advance and agree the level of finish included in the price of installation. Any installer we recommend will protect your carpets and possessions, but some will go to the extra trouble of putting down plastic sheeting first and dust sheets on top to provide complete peace of mind, others may not. We would expect all of them to vacuum, tidy up after themselves and clean the windows down for you when finished.

We have no desire to overcharge you for your windows and hope you are pleased with the service you receive and that you recommend us to your friends and neighbours.

Installers will happily discuss any aspect you’re interested in, whether it is security or thermal efficiency and give a breakdown of their costs. They will also provide you with a detailed proposal based on these discussions and your decisions.

Our installers don’t offer inflated starting prices or huge discounts they’ll offer you their best price the first time round. They’ll advise you of any specification features that could affect the price, should you decide they are non-essential, rather than offering artificial reductions.

We would much prefer you to purchase a basic product and be happy with your choice, than to purchase sash windows with unnecessary costly extras that may not be necessary for your project.

Firstly, searching out the very cheapest option would mean choosing something other than sash windows.

Other window designs, such as casements or tilt & turn windows are far simpler to make and install. However, if you are determined that sash windows would complement the period style of your home or you live in a conservation area, other window types may not be suitable.

If you are considering lower-cost sash window alternatives to Masterframe, you may find they are cheaper for a reason, so always see a sample first and check they offer all the features and benefits you are expecting.

If your budget is stretched, but you don’t want to compromise, why not consider phasing the work into two or three parts. Alternatively it may be worth asking your installer about having different specifications of window between the front and rear of the property. If some of the sashes in your windows don’t need to open, this can be another good way of managing costs; a fixed window will always be cheaper than one that slides.

We refuse to cut corners in manufacturing and all of our products are made using the best components we have on offer and are produced to the highest standard.

The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has independently tested all of our products for a ‘whole of life’ rating and they achieve a life cycle in excess of 30 years.

We are confident in the rigorous testing of our products, but also guarantee the work of our Master Installers, which is why the Bygone Collection carries an unprecedented 12 year guarantee.

Not all double glazed windows will complement the period aesthetic of your home or be suitable if you live in a conservation area, but Masterframe sash windows can fulfil both these requirements.

Each component has been skilfully designed and rigorously tested and inspected, before, during and after manufacture, giving you complete peace of mind.

Each step of the manufacturing process is checked and all windows are thoroughly quality controlled at the end of the process. All windows are then cleaned again and protected ready for dispatch on our own vehicles.

Installers will always protect the floor where they are working, although each Installer will protect the working environment differently. All will use dust sheets but some will lay plastic or spare carpets to protect the edges. Don’t be afraid to ask an installer how they intend to protect your home during installation.

Once the installer has finished fitting the windows they will clean them and then ask you to inspect them, to make sure you’re happy with them. They’ll also show you how to slide them and how to use the tilt to clean facility if applicable. Please always ask you installer for a copy of our sash window care and maintenance guide that contains some important information on how they should be cleaned and cared for.

Your contract is with your installer, so they should always be your first point of contact as they are already familiar with you and your home. However if this is not possible you can always speak to us, and in the unlikely event the installer you used has ceased trading we will find a way to resolve any issues you have.