Scottish Borders · Scotland
External Mastic in Bowden
Our applicators work in Bowden on sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints. Old sealant removed completely, joints prepared properly and every job guaranteed for a year.
- Joints where the bead has come unstuck
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Gaps where render, brick and frames meet
What we’re called out for in Bowden
A lot of failed joints come down to preparation: dusty or wet faces, no primer where one was needed, or old sealant left in. The sealant never bonds properly.
Any of these means the joints need attention:
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Sealant pulling away from one side of the joint
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
- Joints with sealant missing in places
Homes close to Bowden 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
- How long the guarantee is
- How the colour is chosen
- What the quote includes, VAT included or not
- How hidden problems are handled
External mastic for homes and businesses in Bowden
Ground-floor and low-level joints are straightforward to reach. For joints higher up, give us some details of the building and we will confirm what’s needed to reach them safely. Common call-outs are for sealant that has lost its bond to the brick or render and failed sealant between panels on a façade, across façade panels, joints between brick and frames and render & cladding joints.
Outside joints can only be sealed when they’re dry, so work in Bowden depends on the weather, and longer journeys are planned in advance. Tell us how to reach each wall, gutter and roofline.
A one-year guarantee comes as standard.
- Location
- Bowden (TD6)
- Region
- Scottish Borders
- Cover
- One year on every job
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Bowden: your questions answered
I let a flat near Tweedbank station. Can you help?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. Just email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk with the address and what needs doing, and we will send you a clear quote.
Do you cover smaller places like Bowden?
Yes. Bowden is within the area we cover, which takes in towns, villages and rural addresses. Our work covers the whole of Scotland. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Do I need to be at home?
We need access to the joints, so we will agree that with you when we book. For inside work, that normally means someone being in.
Why do you put foam in the joint first?
Closed-cell backing rod sets the depth of the sealant and stops it sticking to the back of the joint. That way it bonds to the two sides only and can stretch.
Can I do it myself?
You can, for simple jobs. Preparation is everything: all the old sealant out, and a clean, dry joint. We can always put it right if it fails.
Can you seal over the old sealant?
No. Fresh sealant doesn’t stick to old sealant, and it traps any mould or water underneath. We remove it all first.
What’s an expansion joint in brickwork?
Walls move with heat, cold and moisture, so long walls have planned gaps to take that movement. The gap is sealed with a flexible sealant over backing rod.
Can you work on commercial sites?
Yes, regularly. We can plan bigger jobs in stages to suit the site.
What we cannot put right
Some problems need a builder, plumber or other trade rather than us:
- Rising or penetrating damp from elsewhere in the wall
- Subsidence or other structural problems
- Walls that need new movement joints cut into them
If you’re not sure, just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking.
What we seal
- Concrete & block
- Brickwork movement joints
- Copings & trims
- Render & cladding joints
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
How it works
A visit follows a simple pattern: we look at the joints together, mask and protect the surrounding surfaces, do the work and tidy away. It generally takes a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of joint and the access. Around Bowden, distance and access matter more than parking. Tell us how to find the property and how to reach the work, and the visit is planned around that.
- We start by walking round the building and agreeing the joints and the access.
- Every bit of old sealant and any mortar or debris is cut out.
- Joint faces are cleaned back and primed if the sealant needs it.
- Backing rod sized to the joint goes in to set the depth.
- We apply the sealant, tool it and check the whole run.
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking rules near the property
- For indoor joints, keep the area dry beforehand if you can
- Mention any sign-in or site rules at work premises
Get a quote
For external mastic in Bowden, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk. A short description of the job and where it is helps us quote, and we’ll agree the price before any work begins.
Related advice
How the job changes by surface
Joints between dissimilar materials
Different materials may need different primers. Both surfaces are cleaned and primed as the product requires.
Render joints
The face of render can be soft, so a low-modulus sealant is kinder to the joint edges. We prime where the product needs it.
External mastic in Bowden: local notes
Plenty of Scottish homes have harled walls, and where harling meets frames, pipes and other materials, the joint needs a flexible sealant that grips a rough surface. Under the Repairing Standard, private landlords in Scotland have to keep homes wind and watertight, and failed outside joints work against that.
For landlords with property near Tweedbank station, failed wall and movement joints let damp in, so they’re worth checking between tenancies.
Bowden is about 5 miles south-east of Galashiels, in the Scottish Borders. We carry out external mastic for householders, landlords and businesses in Bowden, as part of our work across the Scottish Borders. Bowden is one of 89 towns and villages in the Scottish Borders we cover for external mastic. You can also see our page for Edinburgh, about 32 miles away.
All of TD6 is covered for external mastic, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Commonside, Feuars Park and Brunton Park or a nearby road, our applicators can take on the job. Close by, we work in Newtown St Boswells (1 mile north-east), Melrose (2 miles north), Newstead (2 miles north), Midlem (3 miles south-west) and Darnick (3 miles north-west). We also work in nearby towns such as Galashiels (5 miles north-west), Hawick (10 miles south), Kelso (11 miles east), Selkirk (5 miles west), Jedburgh (9 miles south-east) and Wilton (10 miles south).
Around Bowden
For rail, the closest station is Tweedbank station, about 3.3 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are Commendators House Museum (2.2 miles north) and Castle Holydean (1.1 miles west). Not far away are Eildon Wester Hill and Bemersyde Moss.
What affects the cost of external mastic
Jobs vary more than people expect. What affects the quote:
- The type of sealant required
- Working hours on commercial sites
- Whether the work is at height
- The size of the job
Commercial jobs are quoted on the same basis as homes: how much there is to do, how we reach it and what it needs. Ask us for a quote and we’ll go through it with you.
Asking for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote. When you get in contact, it helps to mention:
- Pictures of the joints, sent by email
- How many joints, rooms or windows are involved
- If someone has resealed it before
- What’s wrong with the joints now
For a quick quote, get us on the phone, or send an email if you’d rather. Describe what needs sealing and we will talk you through the work before giving you a price.
Keeping the joints in good condition
A little care helps the new joints last. We recommend:
- Deal with leaking gutters that soak the joints below
- Don’t let climbing plants root in the sealant
- Never let anyone fill a movement joint with mortar
- Look over the joints every year, ideally after winter
Have a quick look at the joints each spring. Splits, gaps at the edges or plants in the joint are early warning signs.
Water getting behind cladding or render can go unnoticed for a long time. By the time there’s a damp patch, the damage can be well established, so it’s worth resealing at the first signs.
Why it’s worth doing now in Bowden
Sealing over the top of old mastic does not hold for long. The new layer can’t bond properly to old, weathered material, so we always take the old sealant out. When the nearest tradesperson is a drive away, it’s tempting to leave a small leak, but water behind a failed seal does the most damage when nobody’s watching.
Rather than a set price list, we look at what your job involves: how many joints, what’s in them now and how we reach them. The price is agreed before we begin.
Why book with us
- Any old sealant cut out fully, not covered over
- 180+ five-star Google reviews
- Full insurance on every job
- Quality sealants from Arbo and Everbuild
Read our cost guide and our reviews.