Essex · England
External & façade joints in Chelmsford, Essex
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints for Chelmsford, backed by a 12-month guarantee. Call for a quick quote.
- Rigid filler in a joint that should flex
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
Walls and rooflines in Chelmsford
Historic houses like Hylands (about 2.8 miles south-west) are a reminder that the area around Chelmsford has older buildings as well as new. In older buildings, older walls and rooflines need a sealant that moves with them and suits the material. Compared with the north and west, the South East gets less rain, though outdoor sealant still has to go onto a dry joint, so the forecast decides the day.
Letting a property close to Chelmsford station? Then outside joints that have cracked can let damp into a rental, so check them between lets. In the older streets around Church of the Holy Trinity, older walls, gutters and the joints where extensions meet them need a flexible sealant.
Chelmsford is about 30 miles north-east of London, in Essex. Across the CM1 area, we can carry out external mastic at your property. Chelmsford is one of 644 places in Essex where we work for external mastic.
Our applicators cover all of CM1, CM2, CM3 and CM4 for external mastic. We cover properties on Backnang Square, High Street and Barrack Square. Chelmsford sits on or near the A12 and A130, which makes travel easy. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include Moulsham (1 mile south-west), Patching (1 mile north-west), Widford (2 miles south-west), Broomfield (2 miles north) and Writtle (3 miles west). We also work in nearby towns such as Basildon (11 miles south), Braintree (11 miles north), Brentwood (11 miles south-west), Maldon (8 miles east), Canvey Island (15 miles south) and Billericay (8 miles south). Being one of Essex’s larger places, Chelmsford has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind.
Around Chelmsford
We work in homes and buildings around Our Lady Immaculate Church, The Boswells School and Chelmsford College, among other places. You will also find Chelmer Valley Riverside (0.5 miles north-west) and The Two Brewers Public House (within half a mile south-west). The nearest railway station is Chelmsford station, about 0.7 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Priory Hospital (under half a mile north) and Peter Edwards Museum And Library (0.8 miles south-west). For a walk, there’s Newland Grove.
External mastic in Chelmsford, done properly
We are ARBOMaster approved applicators, and each external joint gets a sealant suited to it. Some surfaces need a primer before sealing and we use one wherever it does. Common call-outs are for damp patches traced to an open external joint and panel joints letting water in, across render & cladding joints, brickwork movement joints and concrete & block.
In a large town like Chelmsford, plenty of buildings are rented or managed, and outside joints are easy to forget. The first sign is generally a dripping gutter end or a stain below a failed joint.
A one-year guarantee comes as standard, so you are covered after we’ve gone.
Chelmsford: your questions answered
Do you work for landlords with property near Chelmsford station?
Yes, we work for landlords and letting agents. Just phone 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email and tell us about the property, and we will give you a clear price.
Is external mastic in Chelmsford guaranteed?
All our work, in Chelmsford and everywhere else, comes with a 12-month guarantee. We’re also fully insured and ARBOMaster approved.
Can you do several jobs on one visit?
Yes. Just list everything you need and we will quote it together.
Can new sealant go over the old?
No, because it fails. The old sealant always comes out first.
Can you seal joints between render and window frames?
Yes. Joints between dissimilar materials are a big part of external work. The sealant is chosen to bond to both sides, primed where needed.
Will the old sealant be removed?
Yes, always, and completely. New sealant will not bond properly to old, so the joint is cleaned back first.
Should I point up the gap in my brickwork?
No. Rigid materials cannot move with the wall. Where a joint has been mortared, it can often be raked out and sealed properly.
Do you work for hotels and businesses?
Yes. We work in offices, washrooms, hotels and other commercial premises. We can talk about working times when we quote.
The process
Most of a good job is in the preparation, and we do not rush it. Every joint is cleaned and dried before new material goes in. All told, the work takes a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of joint and the access. Jobs in a place the size of Chelmsford range from town-centre flats to offices and family homes. Whichever it is, tell us how to get in, where to park and where the work is.
- We start by walking round the building and agreeing the joints and the access.
- We cut out the old mastic and rake out anything in the joint.
- Joint faces are cleaned back and primed if the sealant needs it.
- We fit closed-cell backing rod to control the depth.
- We apply the sealant, tool it and check the whole run.
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking rules near the property
- Mention any leaks or damp you’ve noticed
- Mention any tricky access
Ask for a quote
Getting a quote is simple: tell us what needs doing and where, and roughly how big it is. A few photos by email make the job easier to understand, and we’ll take it from there.
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How to look after the new joints
Once the sealant has cured, a few habits help it last:
- Check external joints each spring
- Don’t let climbing plants root in the sealant
- Act on the first splits you see
- Ask before painting over external sealant
Follow the cure time we give you before the joint is knocked or disturbed. Most exterior sealants skin fast but take longer to cure right through.
Act while the splits are small. Then it’s a straightforward cut-out and reseal before water has had years to get in.
When something else is needed
Some problems need a builder, plumber or other trade rather than us:
- Cracked brickwork or render that needs a builder or plasterer
- Movement that is more than a sealant joint can take
- Adding movement joints to masonry that has none
If you are not sure, just ring 0345 464 0079 or email us and we’ll give you a straight answer before you book.
Surfaces we seal
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block
- Brickwork movement joints
- Copings & trims
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
Signs you need external mastic in Chelmsford
Some movement joints have been pointed up with mortar by mistake. With the joint locked solid, the movement turns into cracks elsewhere in the wall.
Most people get in touch after spotting something like this:
- Joints with sealant missing in places
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
- Joints where the bead has come unstuck
Managing a site like Trinity Road Primary School? Then its movement joints, gutters and trims need looking after like any other building’s.
Before you book anyone
- Is VAT in the price?
- Who does the work, and how experienced they are
- How the colour is chosen
- How the surfaces are prepared before sealing
Towns and villages near Chelmsford
What else we do in Chelmsford
Should I try it myself first?
The difference is mostly in the preparation and the product. We take joints back to clean, dry surfaces, and the sealant is chosen for how the joint moves and where it is, then guaranteed for a year.
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 doesn’t work out, we can still put it right.
Why it’s worth doing now in Chelmsford
Mortar or ordinary filler might look like a quick way to close an open joint, but it locks the joint solid. The wall then cracks somewhere else. The correct repair is a flexible sealant with the right backing. For businesses in Chelmsford, a room closed because of a leak or mould costs more than the sealant, so it pays to replace failing joints before they get that far.
A failed joint rarely gets cheaper to fix by waiting. If you are not sure whether it needs doing, ring 0345 464 0079 or email us for an honest opinion and a quote.
Why book with us
- Homes, businesses and hotels
- A sealant colour to suit the surroundings
- Fully insured
- Over 20 years’ experience
Take a look at our cost guide or customer reviews.
How we quote for external mastic
For a quick quote, just ask. The main things that affect it are:
- The size of the job
- The number of rooms or windows
- Any mould that needs treating
- The old material and how stubborn it is
Some things make a job bigger or smaller: the old material and how easily it comes out, any mould to treat, and whether we need extra access for height. We take all of that into account in your quote.
What to tell us for a quote
When you contact us, these details help:
- Where the property is
- Pictures of the joints, sent by email
- Whether it’s a home or a business
- What’s wrong with the joints now
We quote each job on its own. Just ring 0345 464 0079 or email us with the details, and photos are welcome.