Edinburgh · Scotland
External & façade joints in Inch, Edinburgh
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints in Inch, with a 12-month guarantee on every job. Ask us for a quote.
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Old sealant gone brittle and cracked
- Rigid filler in a joint that should flex
Looking after it afterwards
So the new joints stay in good condition:
- Show decorators and builders where the movement joints are
- Keep water from gutters off the wall
- Clear growth from the base of walls and joints
- Keep movement joints as flexible joints, not mortar
Don’t paint over the new sealant unless we’ve said the product is paintable. Many exterior sealants are not designed to be painted, and paint can crack as the joint moves.
Water getting behind cladding or render can go unnoticed for a long time. When it finally shows inside, the joint may have been open for years, so it’s worth resealing at the first signs.
External mastic in Inch, done properly
Short cuts in external joints show up within a season or two. New sealant over old, joints packed with mortar and beads with no backing all tend to fail early. We take the old material out and do it properly. We’re often asked to deal with old sealant gone brittle and cracked and moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left, on brickwork movement joints, copings & trims and joints between brick and frames.
On a four-storey tenement, gutter joints are a long way from the street, and a slow drip can stain and soak the stone for a long time before it’s spotted. In Inch, access needs planning, and work on shared parts may need the other owners’ agreement.
A one-year guarantee comes as standard.
- Location
- Inch (EH16, EH17, EH9)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- One year on every job
- Price
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
What happens if it’s left?
The longer a joint stays open, the more water the wall takes in. In cold weather, frost can damage wet brick and render, so the problem grows beyond the joint itself. In a Scottish city tenement, failed sealant affects more than one flat: water can reach the flat below, and gaps in shared walls or fire-stopping affect the whole stair.
No two jobs are quite the same, so each one gets its own quote. The number of joints, how easy they are to reach and the sealant needed all make a difference.
Why Inch customers choose us
- We leave the area clean and tidy
- An ARBOMaster approved applicator
- Any old sealant cut out fully, not covered over
- We’re fully insured
When to call us in Inch
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.
Common reasons people contact us are:
- Damp patches traced to an open external joint
- Failed sealant between panels on a façade
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Gaps where render, brick and frames meet
Schools such as Liberton High School are buildings too, and its movement joints, gutters and trims need looking after like any other building’s.
What your quote should include
- How long to leave it before use
- What product goes in the joint
- What the quote includes, VAT included or not
- How long the guarantee is
Also in Inch
DIY sealant or a professional job?
The biggest DIY mistake is sealing over old sealant. New silicone will not bond to old, so it peels away and traps moisture behind it. All the old material has to come out first.
What a professional job adds is preparation and the right product. We take joints back to clean, dry surfaces, and the sealant is chosen for how the joint moves and where it is.
External mastic in Inch: local notes
Inch is within about 3 miles of the coast, where wind-driven rain is a fact of life and, nearer the shore, so is salt air. That’s hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, especially on the side facing the sea. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 sets out how owners share the upkeep of common parts like the roof and outside walls, often through a property factor. Your title deeds say which parts are shared.
Homes close to Liberton Parish Church include some older properties, and an extension built onto an older house moves differently, and the joint between them takes the strain. Rented homes near Edinburgh Waverley station change hands often, and failed wall and movement joints let damp in, so they’re worth checking between tenancies.
Inch is about 2 miles south-east of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Our applicators cover external mastic for homes and businesses in Inch and nearby, as part of our work across Edinburgh. Inch is one of 175 places in Edinburgh where we work for external mastic.
Every address in EH16, EH17 and EH9 is covered for external mastic. Streets in the area include Ross Road, Lady Road and Orrok Lane, and we cover them all. Close by, we work in Bridge End (1 mile north), Cameron Toll (1 mile north-west), Liberton (1 mile south-west), Little France (1 mile east) and Prestonfield (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Leith (4 miles north), Bonnington (3 miles north), Greenside (3 miles north-west), Broughton (3 miles north-west), Bellevue (3 miles north-west) and Silvermills (3 miles north-west).
Near you in Inch
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to St Margaret's School and Inch Park and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley station, about 2.5 miles north-west. Well-known places in the area include Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (0.7 miles east) and Cameron Toll Shopping Centre (0.5 miles north-west). Not far away are The New Leaf Co-op and Duddingston Loch.
What happens on the day
Every visit runs the same way: we check the joints, mask and protect the surrounding surfaces, carry out the job and clear up. Most jobs take anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. Parking in city streets around Inch can be tight or controlled, so it helps to know about permits or nearby bays. If you are in a flat, let us know how we get in at the street door.
- First, the joints are inspected and the access agreed.
- Every bit of old sealant and any mortar or debris is cut out.
- 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.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about stairs, lifts or work at height
- For indoor joints, keep the area dry beforehand if you can
- Let us know about parking restrictions
Get a quote
Asking for a quote is easy: let us know the job and the location and its rough size. A few photos by email make the job easier to understand, and we will come back to you with a quote.
Read more
When something else is needed
Some problems need a builder, plumber or other trade rather than us:
- Failed render or damaged cladding panels
- Adding movement joints to masonry that has none
- Cracking across the wall rather than at a joint
If you’re not sure, just email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll give you a straight answer.
What we seal
- Copings & trims
- Concrete & block
- Render & cladding joints
- Brickwork movement joints
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
Inch: your questions answered
Does living near the coast affect external mastic in Inch?
Coastal weather is harder on outside sealant: there’s more wind-driven rain and, closer to the shore, salt in the air. The right product, a clean joint and the right depth all help it cope.
Can you help a landlord with a rental near Edinburgh Waverley station?
Yes, we work for landlords and letting agents. You can drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk with the address and a few details, and we’ll give you a fixed price before we start.
Will the new joint stand out?
There’s a good range of exterior colours, including greys, browns, whites and stone tones. We choose the closest to your brick or render so it does not stand out.
Do you cover Inch?
Yes. We work in Inch and the rest of Edinburgh, as part of our work across South East England, London and Scotland. For a quote, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
When will the joints need doing again?
It varies from wall to wall: joints on exposed walls or with a lot of movement age sooner. Check them each year and reseal when they split or harden. Our work comes with a 12-month guarantee.
How long does the job take?
As a guide, most jobs take anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. Larger jobs naturally take longer.
Do I have to be there?
For indoor joints, yes, someone needs to let us in. Once we’ve agreed the job, you don’t need to watch us work.
Should I point up the gap in my brickwork?
No, not where the gap is a movement joint. Filling it with mortar defeats its purpose and can lead to cracking. We’ll reseal it with a flexible sealant.
Work for landlords, hotels and businesses
We also work for property managers and facilities teams in Inch and across Edinburgh. We can quote a run of properties together, and we are fully insured for the work.
Whether it’s one flat or a portfolio, you get the same standard of work: the old material taken out, careful preparation and a 12-month guarantee.