Highland · Scotland
Merkinch External Mastic
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints in Merkinch, with a one-year guarantee on every job. Ask us for a quote.
- Weathered mastic that no longer stretches
- Plants rooting in failed movement joints
- Failed seals between different materials
About our external mastic in Merkinch
Short cuts in external joints show up within a season or two. Overfilled joints, missing backing rod and sealant laid over old sealant rarely last long. We strip the joint back and start again. We work on brickwork movement joints, joints between brick and frames and façade panels, and the jobs we see most are joints with sealant missing in places and plants rooting in failed movement joints.
Outside joints can only be sealed when they’re dry, so work in Merkinch depends on the weather. Tell us how to reach each wall, gutter and roofline.
Whatever the size of the job, it’s backed by our 12-month guarantee in Merkinch and across Highland.
- Place
- Merkinch (IV3, IV1, IV2)
- Wider area
- Highland
- Cover
- One year on every job
- Quote
- Quoted before any work starts
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
DIY versus a professional finish
If you are set on DIY, put the effort into preparation: remove every trace of old sealant, clean and dry the joint, and follow the product’s cure time. If it fails, we can still redo it.
Not every job suits DIY: work at height, external movement joints, fire-rated sealant and large areas need the right product, the right access and the right method.
How the job changes by surface
Joints between dissimilar materials
Where a frame or panel meets masonry, water often finds a way in. We cut out the old sealant and reseal with a product suited to both surfaces.
Brickwork movement joints
Brick movement joints are often mistaken for a missing mortar line. Where one has been mortared, we cut it out and reseal it with sealant where it can be done safely.
Aftercare tips
Aftercare is simple:
- Keep movement joints as flexible joints, not mortar
- Avoid pressure-washing directly into sealant joints
- Leave the joints unpainted unless we’ve said otherwise
- Keep water from gutters off the wall
If you have more work done on the wall, such as new render, cladding or an opening, show the contractor the movement joints. They must stay as flexible joints, never rendered or pointed over.
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.
When something else is needed
Some problems need a builder, plumber or other trade rather than us:
- Damp from another source, such as a leaking gutter or a bridged damp-proof course
- Cutting new joints into brickwork, which is building work rather than sealant work
- Movement that’s more than a sealant joint can take
Not sure which it is? You can drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will tell you honestly.
What we seal
- Concrete & block
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
- Copings & trims
- Brickwork movement joints
- Render & cladding joints
The process
At the end, we look at the finished work together and explain the cure time. The work normally takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation, depending on the size of the job. For a place like Merkinch, longer drives are planned in advance. Tell us about tracks, gates, a ferry crossing or anything unusual about getting there.
- We start by walking round the building and agreeing the joints and the access.
- Every bit of old sealant and any mortar or debris is cut out.
- 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.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
- Mention any sign-in or site rules at work premises
- Let us know about stairs, lifts or work at height
Get a quote
We don’t publish a price list. Instead, we give you a clear quote for your job. To get started, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Related advice
Why deal with it now?
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. When the nearest tradesperson is a drive away, it’s tempting to leave a small leak, but water behind a failed seal does the most damage when nobody’s watching.
The cost depends on the amount of work, how much old material has to come out and how easy the joints are to reach. We give a clear quote before work begins, so you know where you stand.
Why Merkinch clients choose us
- Full insurance on every job
- A 12-month guarantee on all work
- You choose the colour before work begins
- Neat joints and a tidy finish
Take a look at our cost guide or our reviews.
What else we do in Merkinch
Outside joints around Merkinch
Merkinch is close to 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. Historic houses like Old Allangrange House (about 3.9 miles north-west) are a reminder that the area around Merkinch has older buildings as well as new. Where a home is older, older brick and stone need a sealant that suits them, at the right joint depth.
In the older streets around St Michael & All Angels, the joints between older walls, newer extensions and the roofline need a sealant that can move. For landlords with property near Inverness station, outside joints that have cracked can let damp into a rental, so check them between lets. Schools such as Inverness High School are buildings too, and its movement joints, gutters and trims need looking after like any other building’s.
Merkinch is about 1 mile north-west of Inverness, in Highland. From the centre of Merkinch to the outskirts, we cover external mastic for every kind of property. Merkinch is one of 253 places in Highland where we work for external mastic.
Postcode districts we cover here for external mastic: IV3, IV1 and IV2. Whether your property is on Swan Lane, Shoe Lane and Canal Road or a nearby road, our applicators can take on the job. With the A862 close by, Merkinch is easy for our applicators to reach for external mastic. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include Longman (1 mile east), Inverness (1 mile south-east), Ballifeary (1 mile south), Millburn (1 mile east) and Crown (1 mile south-east). Larger places within reach include Nairn (15 miles north-east), Cradlehall (4 miles east), Dingwall (11 miles north-west), Alness (15 miles north), Invergordon (15 miles north) and Muir of Ord (8 miles west). As one of the bigger places in Highland, Merkinch has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind. For island and remote addresses, the job takes a little more planning, so let us know when you get in touch.
Around Merkinch
In Merkinch, that means homes and buildings near 1 Grant Street pub and Cavell Gardens, among other places. The nearest railway station is Inverness station, about 0.8 miles east of the centre. A little further out are Inverness Castle (0.9 miles south-east) and Royal Northern Infirmary (1 mile south-east). Open spaces near Merkinch include Tomnahurich.
Questions from Merkinch
Will you come out to Merkinch?
Yes, we do. Our work covers the whole of Scotland, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
I let a flat near Inverness station. Can you help?
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 work begins.
What does external mastic cost?
We don’t publish prices, because the cost depends on the job: how much there is, what’s there now, how we reach it and what it needs. We agree the price before any work begins.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes: twelve months. If anything isn’t right with the work within the year, let us know and we’ll sort it.
Are you an approved applicator?
Yes. ARBOMaster is the approved applicator scheme for Arbo sealants, and we’re part of it.
How long will you be here?
Typically it takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Bigger jobs take longer, and we’ll tell you how long to expect.
What information do you need?
A short description and the location, with photos by email if possible. If we need more, we’ll ask.
Do I have to be there?
For indoor joints, yes, someone needs to let us in. After that, you can carry on with your day.
Work for landlords, hotels 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 Merkinch, jobs at different addresses can be quoted together. Send us the addresses and the work at each, and pictures by email help.