Edinburgh · Scotland
Craigleith External Mastic
Problem with your movement joints in Craigleith? We cut out the old, prepare the joints and apply the right sealant, with a 12-month guarantee.
- Gaps where render, brick and frames meet
- Panel joints letting water in
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
Landlords, agents and businesses in Craigleith
We work for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. Resealing between tenancies is a simple way to keep a property in good order.
We also work for property managers and facilities teams in Craigleith and across Edinburgh. We can quote a run of properties together, and we’re fully insured.
About our external mastic in Craigleith
As ARBOMaster approved applicators, we choose exterior sealants to suit the joint and the surfaces. Porous or awkward surfaces are primed where the sealant needs it and we use one wherever it does. If you are dealing with joints pointed up with cement by mistake and sealant that has lost its bond to the brick or render, we can help, whatever the surface.
Stone-built tenements in Scotland’s cities share their roof, gutters and outside walls between every flat in the building. In Craigleith, work on shared parts of a tenement is generally agreed between owners, often with a factor arranging it.
Every job is covered by our one-year guarantee.
- Where
- Craigleith (EH4, EH5, EH3)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- A year, on every job
- Quote
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
What happens if it’s left?
A properly done movement joint is an even line in a colour that suits the wall. A hurried job with smeared edges and no backing looks worse and fails sooner so it’s worth doing right. Scottish rain finds any gap around a frame or wall joint, and in Craigleith, damp can spread through stone and plaster before anyone sees it.
Leaving a failed joint generally makes the job bigger, not smaller, because water and mould keep working on it. If you’re 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 us?
- Old sealant always removed completely
- Domestic, commercial and hotel work
- Sealant colour chosen to suit
- White, clear, grey or coloured to suit, where the product allows
Read what affects the cost and our reviews.
Can I do it myself?
If you’ve already had a go yourself, that is fine. We cut it out and start again.
Some sealant jobs are within reach of a careful DIYer, like a short, easy-to-reach joint indoors. The common mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using far too much.
What we do, step by step
Most of a good job is in the preparation, so that’s where we spend the time. Every joint is cleaned and dried before new material goes in. In total, it generally takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Parking in city streets around Craigleith can be tight or controlled, so it helps to know about permits or nearby bays. For flats, mention the door entry system and any shared-stair arrangements.
- We inspect the joints and agree which need resealing and how they’ll be reached.
- We cut out the failed sealant and rake out any dirt or growth.
- The joint faces are cleaned and primed where the sealant needs it.
- Backing rod goes in next, setting the depth and keeping the sealant off the back of the joint.
- We gun in a flexible exterior sealant in a colour that suits the wall and tool it neatly.
Before we arrive
- Mention any leaks or damp you’ve noticed
- For indoor joints, keep the area dry beforehand if you can
- Tell us about access, such as stairs, a lift or high-level joints
Getting a quote
We do not publish a price list, because every job is different. Instead, we give you a clear price for your job. To arrange one, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Read more
Also near Craigleith
Other services in Craigleith
Common questions in Craigleith
How do repairs to the shared parts of a tenement in Craigleith 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 do not, and we can quote for the factor or the owners directly.
I let a flat near Haymarket station. Can you help?
Yes, we work for letting agents and landlords. Just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us about the property, and we’ll give you a clear quote.
Are you an approved applicator?
Yes. We are ARBOMaster approved, the scheme for applicators of Arbo sealants.
How long should I leave it?
It depends on the product and the conditions. Before we leave, we will tell you the cure time.
Do I need to be at home?
It depends on the job. Inside work needs someone to give us access, while outside work can sometimes be arranged differently.
What colours does the sealant come in?
The aim is a neat, even joint in a colour that suits the wall. We will talk through colour options before any work starts, matched as closely as the range allows.
Can you quote for more than one area?
Of course. Doing several areas at once is normally more efficient.
Do you work at height?
It depends on the building. We work on joints that can be reached safely. Tell us about the building and we’ll confirm what access is needed.
Outside joints around Craigleith
Craigleith is within about 1 mile of the coast, where wind-driven rain is a fact of life and, nearer the shore, so is salt air. That is hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, especially on the side facing the sea. Plenty of Scottish homes have harled walls, and joints where harling meets other materials need a sealant that can grip and flex.
Schools such as Broughton High School are buildings too, and larger buildings have long runs of movement joint that eventually need resealing. If you let a flat or house near Haymarket station, split movement joints are easy to miss on a rental until damp shows inside.
Craigleith is about 2 miles north-west of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. From the centre of Craigleith to the outskirts, we cover external mastic for every kind of property. Craigleith is one of 175 towns and villages in Edinburgh we cover for external mastic.
All of EH4, EH5 and EH3 is within our area for external mastic. External mastic is available to properties on Ferry Road, Orchard Road and Grigor Avenue. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include East Pilton (1 mile north-west), Comely Bank (1 mile south-east), Crewe Toll (1 mile north-west), Inverleith (1 mile north-east) and Stockbridge (1 mile east). Further out, we also cover Leith (3 miles north-east), Newington (3 miles south-east), Queensferry (7 miles west), Burgh Muir (3 miles south-east), Timber Bush (3 miles north-east) and Lochend (3 miles east).
Local landmarks in Craigleith
We work in homes and buildings around Hamilton's Bar & Kitchen, St Columba's Parish Church and Gabrielle Keiller Library, among other places. Other local landmarks include Stewart's Melville College (0.6 miles south) and King George V Park (1.2 miles east). Craigleith’s nearest station is Haymarket station, roughly 1.2 miles south of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Western General Hospital (less than half a mile west) and Edinburgh Castle (1.4 miles south-east). The countryside around Craigleith includes Corstorphine Hill and Dunsapie Loch.
Signs you need external mastic in Craigleith
Sometimes a movement joint was filled with mortar or a rigid filler. With the joint locked solid, the movement turns into cracks elsewhere in the wall.
The most common problems we see are:
- Brick movement joints where the sealant has split
- Joints where the bead has come unstuck
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Damp patches traced to an open external joint
In the older streets around Dean Parish Church, an extension built onto an older house moves differently, and the joint between them takes the strain.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether they’re fully insured
- How long to leave it before use
- What preparation is included
- How the colour is chosen
Different surfaces, different methods
Cladding and façade panels
Panel systems often rely on sealant between and around the panels. We reseal them with a sealant suited to the panel material.
Render joints
Render is weaker at the surface than brick, so a sealant that stretches easily protects the edges. We prime where the product needs it.
Looking after it afterwards
Once the sealant has cured, a few habits help it last:
- Show decorators and builders where the movement joints are
- Ask before painting over external sealant
- Check external joints each spring
- Have failed joints looked at early
Give the sealant the cure time we tell you before anything rubs against it. Most exterior sealants skin fast but take longer to cure right through.
An open movement joint lets rain into the wall every time it pours. That can lead to damp patches, staining and frost damage which cost more to put right than the joint.