Midlothian · Scotland
External Mastic in Birkenside
We cover Birkenside for sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints. Old material cut out, joints cleaned and sealed neatly and every job guaranteed for a year.
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
- Rigid filler in a joint that should flex
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
When something else is needed
New sealant cannot fix everything, and we’ll tell you before work begins. It won’t solve:
- Adding movement joints to masonry that has none
- Subsidence or other structural problems
- Rising or penetrating damp from elsewhere in the wall
If you are not sure, just email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will give you a straight answer before booking.
Where we work in Birkenside
- Brickwork movement joints
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block
- Façade panels
- Copings & trims
- Joints between brick and frames
About our external mastic in Birkenside
Ground-floor and low-level joints are straightforward to reach. For joints higher up, give us some details of the building and we’ll confirm what’s needed to reach them safely. We are often asked to deal with rigid filler in a joint that should flex and joints where the bead has come unstuck, on joints between brick and frames, concrete & block and façade panels.
In and around a place like Birkenside, many buildings face open ground and take the full weather. Gutter joints and wall joints take a battering.
Our work is backed for twelve months, in Birkenside and everywhere else we cover.
- Place
- Birkenside (EH23)
- Wider area
- Midlothian
- Cover
- A year, on every job
- Quotes
- Quoted before any work starts
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
Birkenside: your questions answered
Do you work for landlords with property near Gorebridge station?
Yes, rental work is part of what we do. You can send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk with the address and a few details, and we will give you a fixed price before any work starts.
Do you cover smaller places like Birkenside?
Yes, Birkenside is covered. Our work covers the whole of Scotland, from towns to the smallest places. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is it OK to seal over old sealant?
No, because it fails. The old sealant always comes out first, so the new sealant bonds properly.
What do you put in the joint?
Each joint gets the product that suits it. Where it moves, gets wet or faces the weather makes a difference, and we will tell you what we are using.
Can you match the colour of my brickwork?
Exterior sealants are made in a range of colours, from greys and browns to whites and stone shades. We choose the closest to your brick or render.
Do I need to be at home?
If the work is inside, we need someone to let us in. After that, you can carry on with your day.
What should I tell you?
A short description and the location. We’ll ask anything else we need to know.
Are you fully insured?
Yes. Mr Mastic is fully insured, and we’ve been doing sealant work for more than 20 years.
What happens if it’s left?
Running new sealant over the old bead rarely lasts. The new layer can’t bond properly to old, weathered material, so the old joint is cut out fully first. In an older home around Birkenside, damp from a failed joint can get into timber and plaster.
A failed joint rarely gets cheaper to fix by waiting. If you are not sure whether it needs doing, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will give you an honest view and a quote.
Why Birkenside clients choose us
- 4.9 on Google from 180+ five-star reviews
- Full insurance on every job
- Neat joints and a tidy finish
- A 12-month guarantee on all work
Different surfaces, different methods
Copings and trims
Joints in copings, parapets and trims are exposed to the worst of the weather. We reseal them with an exterior sealant suited to the material.
Joints between dissimilar materials
Brick against render, concrete against metal, stone against timber: every change of material is a joint. We seal the joint with a flexible exterior sealant.
Walls and rooflines in Birkenside
Under the Repairing Standard, private landlords in Scotland have to keep homes wind and watertight, and failed outside joints work against that. Harled (roughcast) walls are common in Scotland, and where harling meets frames, pipes and other materials, the joint needs a flexible sealant that grips a rough surface.
If you let a flat or house near Gorebridge station, failed wall and movement joints let damp in, so they’re worth checking between tenancies.
Birkenside is about 3 miles south-east of Bonnyrigg, in Midlothian. Jobs in Birkenside get the same care as everywhere else we work: old sealant removed completely, careful preparation and a one-year guarantee. Birkenside is one of 33 places in Midlothian where we work for external mastic. There’s also a page for Edinburgh, roughly 10 miles from Birkenside.
Here we cover the EH23 postcode area for external mastic. Streets in the area include Main Street, Vogrie Road and Private Road. If you’re just outside Birkenside, we cover Arniston (1 mile south), Gorebridge (1 mile north), North Middleton (1 mile south-east), Gowkshill (2 miles north) and Carrington (2 miles west). Within a short drive, we also cover Bonnyrigg (3 miles north-west), Dalkeith (4 miles north), Penicuik (7 miles west), Loanhead (5 miles north-west), Shawfair (6 miles north) and Danderhall (6 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Birkenside
Birkenside has its own railway station: Gorebridge station. A little further out are Midlothian Community Hospital (3.5 miles north-west) and Catcune Castle (0.5 miles south-east). For a walk, there’s Edgelaw Reservoir.
The process
All our tools and materials come with us in the van, so you don’t need to buy or prepare anything. After a quick look at the joints together, we protect the area and start. Most jobs take a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of joint and the access. Outside jobs in Birkenside need a dry day, because sealant will not bond to a wet joint, so an outdoor job can move if the forecast changes. Indoor work goes ahead whatever the weather.
- First, the joints are inspected and the access agreed.
- We cut out the old mastic and rake out anything in the joint.
- The faces are brushed clean and primed where the product requires it.
- Backing rod sized to the joint goes in to set the depth.
- The exterior sealant is applied, tooled and checked along its length.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
- Mention any leaks or damp you’ve noticed
- Tell us about any previous sealing or DIY attempts
Get a quote
Asking for a quote is easy: let us know the job and the location and its rough size. A few pictures by email make the job easier to understand.
Read more
Signs you need external mastic in Birkenside
The wrong product in a moving joint is a classic cause. A high-modulus or general-purpose sealant can be too rigid for a busy joint, and it tears off the sides.
If you can see any of these, it’s time to have the joints looked at:
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
- Water getting into walls through failed joints
- Gaps where render, brick and frames meet
Homes close to Hunterfield Road Church include some older properties, and older walls, gutters and the joints where extensions meet them need a flexible sealant.
What to look for in a quote
- What guarantee comes with the work
- How the joint is cleaned and prepared
- What the cure time is
- How the colour is chosen
Keeping the joints in good condition
No joint lasts for ever, but care makes a real difference. A few tips:
- Look over the joints every year, ideally after winter
- Point out the joints to other trades
- Keep water from gutters off the wall
- Keep soil, plants and ivy away from the joints
Don’t paint over the new sealant unless we have said the product is paintable. Many exterior sealants aren’t designed to be painted and spoil the finish.
A joint that has stopped moving pushes the movement elsewhere, usually as cracking in the brickwork or render nearby. Catch it early and you reduce the risk.
Also near Birkenside
Other services in Birkenside
Landlords, agents and businesses in Birkenside
We work for letting agents and landlords as well as householders. Sealant work between tenants is a simple way to keep a property in good order before the next move-in.
If you manage several properties in or around Birkenside, several properties can go on one quote. Just tell us the addresses and what each one needs, and pictures by email help.