Orkney Islands · Scotland
Isbister External Mastic
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints for householders, landlords and businesses in Isbister. Fully insured, ARBOMaster approved and guaranteed for a year.
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Gaps where render, brick and frames meet
- Movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant
About our external mastic in Isbister
Joints in render and cladding are easy to overlook until a damp patch appears. We look over the joints, agree the ones to renew and reseal with a flexible, weatherproof product in a matching colour. We work on concrete & block, façade panels and joints between brick and frames, and people most often call us about weeds or debris growing in open joints and failed seals between different materials.
In and around a place like Isbister, many buildings face open ground and take the full weather. Outside joints on exposed walls work hard, so they need a sealant that moves with the building.
Your job is guaranteed for a year, as with all our work.
- Location
- Isbister (KW17)
- Wider area
- Orkney Islands
- Guarantee
- One year on every job
- Price
- A clear price before we start
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Common questions in Isbister
Do you cover smaller places like Isbister?
Yes, we do. We work across all of Scotland, islands included, from towns to the smallest places. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Does the coastal weather in Isbister affect outside sealant?
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.
What is a movement joint?
A vertical gap in a long brick wall is usually a movement joint. It gives the wall room to move.
Are you insured?
Yes. We’re fully insured, and we can confirm the details when we quote.
Do you work for hotels and businesses?
Yes. We can plan bigger jobs in stages to suit the site.
Can landlords and businesses book you?
Yes. Domestic, commercial and hotel work are all part of what we do.
Will the old sealant be removed?
Yes, always, and completely. New sealant won’t bond properly to old, so any old material comes out before anything new goes in.
Can I do it myself?
Some simple jobs can be done by a careful DIYer. The usual mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using too much.
Walls and rooflines in Isbister
Isbister is within about 1 mile of the coast, and homes near the sea take more wind-driven rain, with salt in the air closer to the shore. That is hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, especially on the side facing the sea. Private landlords in Scotland must meet the Repairing Standard, which includes keeping a home wind and watertight, and failed outside joints work against that.
In and around Isbister, as anywhere, good external mastic starts with a clean, dry, properly prepared joint.
Isbister is about 6 miles north-west of Kirkwall, in the Orkney Islands. Across the KW17 area, we cover external mastic for homes and businesses. Our the Orkney Islands coverage runs to 51 places, and Isbister is one of them.
Here we cover the KW17 postcode area for external mastic. We also cover the places around Isbister: Norseman (1 mile west), Gorseness (2 miles north-east), Settiscarth (2 miles west), Tingwall (3 miles north) and Finstown (4 miles south-west). If you’re somewhere remote, a little more planning is needed, so let us know when you get in touch.
Landmarks near Isbister
Well-known places in the area include Langskaill House (3.3 miles north-east). Open spaces near Isbister include Enyas Hill and Birsay moors RSPB Reserve.
DIY sealant or a professional job?
Too much sealant is as bad as too little. A heavy bead looks messy and copes badly with movement, and getting the depth right matters as much as the look.
A careful DIYer can reseal a simple joint, such as a straightforward joint indoors. Where it goes wrong is sealing over the old bead, working on a wet joint or overloading the gap.
What we cannot put right
We’d rather tell you now than do work that will not last, so here’s what sealant cannot put right:
- Rising or penetrating damp from elsewhere in the wall
- Movement that is more than a sealant joint can take
- Cracks in the bricks or render themselves, away from the joints
If you’re not sure, just send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will give you a straight answer before you book.
Where we work in Isbister
- Façade panels
- Brickwork movement joints
- Joints between brick and frames
- Copings & trims
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block
Looking after it afterwards
Joint life depends on how it’s used and looked after. Here’s what we suggest:
- Have failed joints looked at early
- Never let anyone fill a movement joint with mortar
- Fix overflowing gutters above sealed joints
- Wash walls gently around the sealant
Look over the joints once a year, ideally after winter. 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 early resealing is worth it.
Towns and villages near Isbister
More services for Isbister
Leave it or put it right?
Pointing a movement joint with mortar might seem a neat fix, but it locks the joint solid. The movement then cracks the brickwork or render nearby. A flexible sealant over backing rod is what the joint needs. Out of town in Scotland, exposed walls take a lot of weather, and damp in stone or harled walls takes a long time to dry once water gets behind a joint.
Leaving a failed joint normally makes the job bigger, not smaller, as water and mould keep getting in. If you’re not sure whether it needs doing, drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk for an honest opinion and a quote.
What you get with us
- A sealant colour to suit the surroundings
- 4.9 on Google from 180+ five-star reviews
- Arbo and Everbuild products
- Domestic, commercial and hotel work
The process
A visit follows a simple pattern: we check the joints, mask and protect the surrounding surfaces, do the work and clear up. Most jobs take anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. For a place like Isbister, longer drives are planned in advance. Mention tracks, gates, ferries or anything else about the route.
- Each joint is checked and the colour of the new sealant agreed.
- We take out the old sealant until the faces are sound.
- Backing rod goes in so the sealant can stretch between the two faces.
- We prime the faces where required.
- A low-modulus exterior sealant is gunned in and tooled to a neat finish.
Preparing for the visit
- Let us know about earlier repairs to the joints
- Mention any tricky access
- Let us know about parking restrictions
How to get a quote
Call for a quick quote, or email us if that’s easier. Describe what needs sealing and we will explain what’s involved and send you a clear quote.
Read more
What we are called out for in Isbister
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 new sealant then lets go long before it should.
Most people get in touch when they notice something like this:
- Damp patches traced to an open external joint
- Joints pointed up with cement by mistake
- Sealant pulling away from one side of the joint
- Old sealant gone brittle and cracked
Whether the job is in Isbister itself or nearby, the right material for each joint matters as much as a neat finish.
What to look for in a quote
- Who turns up on the day
- How hidden problems are handled
- Which colour the sealant will be
- Is the old sealant removed completely?
What affects the quote in Isbister
Call for a quick quote. The main things that affect it are:
- Mould in or behind the old joints
- When we can work, for business premises
- How many areas need sealing
- The product the joint needs
We do not show prices on the website, because the cost depends so much on the job itself. Call for a quick quote and we will talk you through it.
What to tell us for a quote
Photos by email are helpful but not essential. Try to tell us:
- Roughly how big the job is
- Pictures of the joints, sent by email
- What’s wrong with the joints now
- Any access issues, like height or stairs
A good description makes for an accurate quote. Tell us where the job is, what’s wrong and how much there is, and add photos by email if you can.