You know you need sash window hardware, but you’re not exactly sure what. If you’ve been faced with that dilemma on site then Mighton Products is on hand
Owning a small building business requires a multitude of skills but that doesn’t mean you’ll ever be an expert on everything. This is where the best manufacturers can really do you a service by supplying all the support you need to specify and install the right product – and Mighton can certainly be considered in that category.
“Knowing what weights and balances are required for a sash window build or restoration is far from a straight-forward proposition,” explains Managing Director, Mark Fortune, “This is where our Product Calculators are invaluable tools. Accessed via our website, they radically simplify the process of specification, ensuring that the builder or joiner gets the right product for their build or installation. Whether it’s sash weights or sash balances, simply enter the properties and dimensions of the sash window and we will determine the products you need.”
Crucially, for the site-based trades, these installer-friendly resources can be accessed via a mobile, as well as on desktop, and it’s not just for sash windows either, with a separate Bi-fold Calculator and Casement Calculator available. In addition, each of these internet-based tools can accommodate multiple submissions so, if you’re specifying for a whole house – and there are, for instance, ten different windows you can calculate the hardware required for all of them, all in one place.
Sash weights are amongst the best selling solutions in what is a very extensive Mighton portfolio. At the same time the Cambridgeshire based firm is the largest UK supplier of Assisted Lift Spiral Sash Balances. Integral to sash window construction, sash weights are required to perfectly counterbalance the weight of each panel to ensure that they stay where they are positioned. Heritage projects where the homeowner wants to switch from single to double glazing – are a big market. Upgrading the glazing will usually increase the weight of the sash and in turn affect the sash weights required.
Mighton has been a leader in this type of hardware for a very long time and that’s reflected in its Weight Calculator, where the accumulated history of frame sizes, glass weight and much more is all contained. Drawing on all that data, it can accurately calculate the sash window weights. In more modern windows spiral sash balances make use of a spring mechanism to do the same job as the weights, and Mighton’s Balance Calculator will select what strength of spring is required.
Installer-friendly
Mighton can also point to a long tradition of innovation in hardware. Former joiner, Mike Derham founded the business on the basis that he was in a much better position to provide the trades with more installer friendly solutions – and more than forty years of success has proved him right. “It was Mike who came up with the idea of using steel for sash weights, rather than lead,” reveals Mark. “Steel can be more than 40 per cent cheaper than lead, and we now hold steel weights in stock from 6– 32lb. Again, the calculator is on-hand to determine exactly what you need.”
“What we strive for as a business is to have all the tools in place so that our customers can be confident they have specified the right product for their project. Our calculators are educational tools that will help builders navigate a process that they are not necessarily familiar with.”
“Building on Mike’s original concept, we have developed an intelligent system which guides the user through the process and eradicates any errors along the way,” explains Mighton’s Digital Marketing Director – Sam Middleton. “Once you’ve entered the dimensions of one sash, for example, it knows what the possible parameters of the second will be and will flag up any potential discrepancies in the manual measurements a builder has taken. Essentially, if something doesn’t make sense then it will tell you.
“A diagram illustrates exactly which parts of a window needs to be measured, and there’s a list of calculation top tips. It’s then simply a matter of entering the required fields – including whether the frames are soft or hardwood, single or double glazed – and pressing calculate. The system will calculate the weight of both sashes – top and bottom – and the hardware you need for the job will appear in your basket ready to confirm the order. There’s also an advisory at the end of the process that asks the builder to ensure that the steel weights, which are larger than the traditional lead ones, will fit into the sash box. The price can then be built into the quote for the work, providing more accurate figures for all parties.”
Time-saving solution
“Prior to the Calculators, if you wanted to establish the sash weights, you would need to remove them and weigh them” adds Mark, “which inevitably meant a lot of additional work and time”. In addition to the Product Calculators, Mighton can also promise the personal touch with dedicated experts available who know the range inside out. “What we strive for as a business is to have all the tools in place so that our customers can be confident, they have specified the right product for their project,” concludes Mark. “Our calculators are educational tools that will help builders navigate a process they are not necessarily that familiar with and, with the power of AI, we’re confident that we can develop the concept still further.”
To view the Product Calculators on the Mighton website visit Product Calculators – Mighton Products.
