Edinburgh · Scotland
Abbeyhill External Mastic
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Abbeyhill. ARBOMaster approved applicators, fully insured, with a one-year guarantee.
- Rigid filler in a joint that should flex
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
- Plants rooting in failed movement joints
External mastic in Abbeyhill
We cut out failed sealant, set the joint depth with closed-cell backing rod and reseal with a low-modulus exterior sealant. The colour is chosen to suit the brick or render. We work on copings & trims, concrete & block and façade panels, and common reasons people get in touch are joints pointed up with cement by mistake and gaps where render, brick and frames meet.
Gutters and downpipes on tall city tenements are a long way up, so a leaking joint can run down the stone for months before anyone notices. In Abbeyhill, access needs planning, and work on shared parts may need the other owners’ agreement.
A 12-month guarantee comes with the work, just as it does everywhere we cover.
- Place
- Abbeyhill (EH7, EH6, EH8)
- Region
- Edinburgh
- Cover
- 12 months on all our work
- Price
- A clear price before we start
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
Why deal with it now?
A properly done movement joint is an even line in a colour that suits the wall. A rushed bead with no backing looks untidy and doesn’t last so it’s worth doing right. Wind-driven rain gets into any failed joint on the outside of a city building, and in Abbeyhill, damp can spread through stone and plaster before anyone sees it.
Homes and businesses are quoted the same way: the amount of work, how we reach it and what it needs. Ask us for a quote and we’ll explain what it covers.
What you get with us
- An ARBOMaster approved applicator
- Colour picked to suit the job
- One-year guarantee on every job
- We leave the area clean and tidy
Other services in Abbeyhill
Landlord and commercial work in Abbeyhill
We regularly work with letting and managing agents. Send the address, what’s needed and the access arrangements and we will quote.
We also work for property managers and facilities teams. We can quote a run of properties together, and we are fully insured for the work.
Looking after it afterwards
Aftercare is simple:
- Check external joints each spring
- Clear growth from the base of walls and joints
- Never let anyone fill a movement joint with mortar
- Fix overflowing gutters above sealed joints
If you have more work done on the wall, such as new render, cladding or an opening, show the contractor the movement joints. They must stay as flexible joints, never rendered or pointed over.
Leave a failed movement joint and water keeps getting into the wall. Over time it can mean damp inside, stained render or frost-damaged brick, all bigger jobs than a reseal.
When it is not the sealant
We’d rather tell you now than do work that will not last, so here’s what sealant cannot put right:
- Adding movement joints to masonry that has none
- Render that is blown, hollow or coming away
- Cracked brickwork or render that needs a builder or plasterer
If you are not sure, just send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll give you a straight answer.
Surfaces we seal
- Brickwork movement joints
- Copings & trims
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block
Signs you need external mastic in Abbeyhill
Weeds, moss and debris in a joint are a sign the sealant has gone. Dirt and roots then trap moisture in the joint and make things worse.
Signs it’s time to call us include:
- Joints with sealant missing in places
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Joints where the bead has come unstuck
- Cracked joints where brick meets render or frames
If you live in an older home near London Road Church, the joints between older walls, newer extensions and the roofline need a sealant that can move.
What to look for in a quote
- When the joint can take water or movement
- The length of the guarantee
- How the joint is cleaned and prepared
- How the colour is chosen
Questions from Abbeyhill
Is external mastic in a coastal place like Abbeyhill any different?
Coastal homes put outside sealant through more weather than inland ones, so preparation and the right sealant matter all the more. It’s worth checking the walls that face the sea first.
How do repairs to the shared parts of a tenement in Abbeyhill get organised?
Most tenements arrange shared repairs through the owners or a property factor. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 covers the common parts where the deeds don’t.
How often do external joints need resealing?
There’s no fixed answer: sunny, exposed elevations and busy joints wear faster. Check them each year and reseal when they split or harden. Our work comes with a one-year guarantee.
Can I do it myself?
That depends on the joint. Work at height, movement joints, fire-rated gaps and large areas are best left to a professional, while a short indoor joint may be within reach.
Do you take out the old sealant first?
Always. Sealing over old sealant is the main reason resealing fails early, and it’s something we never do.
What does external mastic cost?
There’s no set price, as it depends on the job: its size, the old material, access and the product needed. We agree the price before any work begins.
What is backing rod for?
That is backing rod, a closed-cell foam. It keeps the sealant at the right depth and bonded to the sides only.
Do I need to be at home?
If the work is inside, we need someone to let us in. Once we have agreed the job, you don’t need to watch us work.
Should I try it myself first?
A careful DIYer can reseal a simple joint, such as a straightforward joint indoors. The common mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using far too much.
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.
How it works
At the end, we look at the finished work together and tell you how long to leave it. The visit itself normally takes anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building, depending on the amount of work. Parking in city streets around Abbeyhill can be tight or controlled, so it helps to know about permits or nearby bays. If you’re in a flat, let us know how we get in at the street door.
- First, the joints are inspected and the access agreed.
- Every bit of old sealant and any mortar or debris is cut out.
- The faces are brushed clean and primed where the product requires it.
- We fit closed-cell backing rod to control the depth.
- We apply the sealant, tool it and check the whole run.
How to prepare
- Clear the area around the work
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
- Let us know about stairs, lifts or work at height
Getting a quote
We quote each job on its own, so start by telling us what you need. Just send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk with the details, and photos are welcome.
Related advice
Outside joints around Abbeyhill
Abbeyhill 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 movement joints and outside wall joints, especially on the side facing the sea. Under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, shared parts of a tenement, such as the roof and outside walls, are looked after by the owners together, often through a property factor. The title deeds set out which parts are common.
If you let a flat or house near Edinburgh Waverley station, split movement joints are easy to miss on a rental until damp shows inside. If you look after a building such as Mannafields Christian School, larger buildings have long runs of movement joint that eventually need resealing.
Abbeyhill is about 2 miles north-east of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Whether you’re in the middle of Abbeyhill or further out, external mastic is available for homes and businesses alike, from flats and houses to offices and hotels. Abbeyhill is one of 175 towns and villages in Edinburgh we cover for external mastic.
Here we cover the EH7, EH6 and EH8 postcode area for external mastic. External mastic is available to properties on Abbey Lane, Calton Road and Hutton Road and the roads around them. You’ll find Abbeyhill on the A900, so it’s easy for us to get to. Nearby, we also carry out external mastic in Meadowbank (1 mile east), Lochend (1 mile north-east), Canongate (1 mile south-west), Greenside (1 mile west) and Holyrood (1 mile south-west). Larger places within reach include Queensferry (9 miles west), Southhouse (4 miles south), Gilmerton (4 miles south-east), Shandon (3 miles south-west), Muirhouse (3 miles west) and Slateford (3 miles south-west).
Near you in Abbeyhill
Around Abbeyhill, our work takes us to homes and buildings near Scottish Poetry Library, Old Royal High School and 1 pub. Also close by are London Street Primary School (0.7 miles west) and Lochend Park (within half a mile north-east). Abbeyhill’s nearest station is Edinburgh Waverley station, about 0.9 miles south-west of the centre. A little further out are Edinburgh Castle (1.3 miles south-west) and Royal Public Dispensary of Edinburgh (1 mile south-west). Green spaces nearby include Whinny Hill and Dunsapie Loch.