Edinburgh · Scotland
External Mastic in Drumbrae
Movement joints in Drumbrae need attention? We cut out the old, prepare the joints and apply the right sealant.
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Weathered mastic that no longer stretches
- Leaking joints around cladding and façade panels
External mastic in Drumbrae, done properly
A movement joint is only as good as its depth. Backing rod controls how deep the sealant goes and keeps it off the back of the joint, leaving it bonded to two faces so it can move with the wall. Common call-outs are for movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant and failed seals between different materials, on render & cladding joints, façade panels and copings & trims.
In a Scottish city tenement, the roof, gutters and outside walls are shared by all the flats. In Drumbrae, work on shared parts of a tenement is usually agreed between owners, often with a factor arranging it.
A one-year guarantee comes as standard, so you are not left on your own once the job is done.
- Where
- Drumbrae (EH4, EH12)
- Region
- Edinburgh
- Cover
- One year on every job
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
How to look after the new joints
So the new joints stay in good condition:
- Tell anyone working on the walls about the movement joints
- Make sure movement joints aren’t pointed over
- Leave the joints unpainted unless we’ve said otherwise
- Act on the first splits you see
Only paint over the joint if we have confirmed the sealant can take paint. Paint can crack on a flexible joint.
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.
What we do, step by step
Most of a good job is in the preparation, so that’s where we spend the time. Joints are cleaned back and dried before anything new goes in. All told, the work takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Inside a flat in Drumbrae, the job is planned with you; outside, shared parts may need the factor or other owners involved. Tell us which applies when you book.
- First, the joints are inspected and the access agreed.
- 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.
- Backing rod sized to the joint goes in to set the depth.
- The exterior sealant is applied, tooled and checked along its length.
Before we arrive
- Clear the area around the work
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
- Let us know about parking restrictions
Getting a quote
To get a quote, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk with the location and a short description of the problem. You will have a clear quote before work begins.
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For landlords and businesses
From a single let to a portfolio, the work is the same standard: old sealant fully removed, joints prepared properly and a one-year guarantee.
If you manage several properties in or around Drumbrae, several properties can go on one quote. Send us the addresses and the work at each.
When to call us in Drumbrae
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.
If you can see any of these, it’s time to have the joints looked at:
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Sealant pulling away from one side of the joint
- Leaking joints around cladding and façade panels
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
Historic houses such as Caroline Park, about 2.8 miles north-east, show how far back building around Drumbrae goes.
Before you book anyone
- Whether they’re fully insured
- The length of the guarantee
- How the surfaces are prepared before sealing
- Is the old sealant removed completely?
Quotes for external mastic in Drumbrae
There’s no set price list, because no two jobs are the same. The quote depends on:
- Mould in or behind the old joints
- The amount of work
- The type of sealant required
- The number of rooms or windows
A failed joint rarely gets cheaper to fix by waiting, because water and mould keep working on it. If you are unsure, drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll give you an honest view and a quote.
What we need to know
When you call or email, these details help:
- What the problem is, such as mould, gaps, leaks or cracking
- Photos by email, if that’s easy
- The type of property
- Any previous sealing or DIY work
Need a quote? Please send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk with a few details. We’ll explain what we’d do and give you a clear price before any work starts.
How the job changes by surface
Render joints
Render is weaker at the surface than brick, so a sealant that stretches easily protects the edges. Priming is done where the sealant calls for it.
Cladding and façade panels
Where a cladding system has its own specified sealant, we follow it. Send us any details you have about the façade.
Walls and rooflines in Drumbrae
Drumbrae is within about 2 miles of 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. Historic houses like Caroline Park (about 2.8 miles north-east) are a reminder that the area around Drumbrae 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.
Rented homes near South Gyle station change hands often, and outside joints that have cracked can let damp into a rental, so check them between lets. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Craigmount High School, larger buildings have long runs of movement joint that eventually need resealing.
Drumbrae is about 3 miles west of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. For external mastic in and around Drumbrae, please drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk for a quick quote. We cover Edinburgh from our Crawley base. Across Edinburgh, we cover 175 places, Drumbrae among them.
We cover every part of the EH4 and EH12 postcode area for external mastic and the streets around it. Streets in the area include Oak Lane, Rannoch Road and Hillview Road, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include Clermiston (1 mile north-east), Parkgrove (1 mile north), Corstorphine (1 mile south), Craigcrook (1 mile east) and Davidson's Mains (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Edinburgh (3 miles east), Leith (5 miles east), Bonnington (4 miles east), Greenside (4 miles east), Broughton (4 miles east) and Bellevue (4 miles east).
Around Drumbrae
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to The Torfin pub. Drumbrae’s nearest station is South Gyle station, about 1.3 miles south of the centre. A little further out are Corstorphine Hospital (1.1 miles south-east) and War Poets Collection (2.1 miles south). Green spaces nearby include The New Leaf Co-op and Dundas Loch.
Common questions in Drumbrae
Do you work for landlords with property near South Gyle station?
Yes, rental work is part of what we do. Just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us about the property, and we’ll give you a clear quote.
Who arranges sealant work on the shared parts of a tenement in Drumbrae?
Shared parts of a tenement, such as the roof and outside walls, are generally repaired with the agreement of the owners, often through a property factor. Where the title deeds are silent, the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 fills the gaps. Windows often belong to the individual flat, but it’s worth checking your deeds.
Which products do you use?
It depends on the joint: sanitary silicone where it gets wet, and sealants suited to movement or weather elsewhere. We use products from Arbo and Everbuild.
Do you work in Drumbrae?
Yes. We cover Drumbrae, as part of our work across South East England, London and Scotland. For a quote, drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Do the sealants smell?
It depends on the product. Some smell for a while, some hardly at all.
What colours does the sealant come in?
There’s a good range of exterior colours, including greys, browns, whites and stone tones. We pick the one that suits your wall best so it doesn’t stand out.
Can I add another job to the visit?
Yes. More than one area can be quoted together.
What’s an expansion joint in brickwork?
A movement joint is a planned break in the wall that absorbs expansion and shrinkage. It’s sealed with a flexible sealant, not mortar.
What happens if it’s left?
Low-modulus sealants stretch easily, so they put less strain on the joint edges. That matters on brick, render and concrete, which can be weaker at the face. A stiffer product can damage the joint edge as it fails. In a Scottish city tenement, failed sealant affects more than one flat: a leak can come through the ceiling below, and gaps in shared walls or fire-rated joints matter to every flat.
Instead of a standard rate, we price the job in front of us: how many joints, what’s in them now and how we reach them. The price is agreed before we begin.
Why choose Mr Mastic in Drumbrae
- We leave the area clean and tidy
- Anti-fungal sanitary silicone in wet areas
- 20+ years of sealant experience
- Any old sealant cut out fully, not covered over