Edinburgh · Scotland
External & façade joints in Old Town, Edinburgh
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints in Old Town, with a one-year guarantee on every job. Call for a quick quote.
- Failed seals between different materials
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
Leave it or put it right?
Resealing a run of joints in one go is usually better than patching one at a time. Joints of the same age tend to fail together and it means sorting access once. Scottish rain finds any gap around a frame or wall joint, and in Old Town, damp can spread through stone and plaster before anyone sees it.
The cost depends on the amount of work, how much old material has to come out and how easy the joints are to reach. You’ll have a clear quote before any work starts, so you know where you stand.
Why Old Town customers choose us
- Rated 4.9 stars on Google
- Approved under the ARBOMaster scheme
- Homes, businesses and hotels
- Sealant colour chosen to suit
Read what affects the cost and what customers say.
External mastic in Old Town, done properly
Failed sealant is cut out, the depth set with closed-cell backing rod, and the joint resealed with a low-modulus sealant made for outside. We pick a colour that sits well with the wall so the line blends in. If you have rigid filler in a joint that should flex and old sealant gone brittle and cracked, we can help.
Gutters and downpipes on tall city tenements are a long way up, so a leaking joint can run down the stone for months before anyone notices. In Old Town, access needs planning, and work on shared parts may need the other owners’ agreement.
Our work is backed for twelve months, in Old Town and everywhere else we cover.
- Location
- Old Town (EH1, EH8, EH3)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- 12 months on all our work
- Price
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
Should I try it myself first?
The biggest DIY mistake is sealing over old sealant. Silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it peels away and traps moisture behind it. Everything old must be removed first.
If you’ve already had a go yourself, that is fine. We remove it and do the joint properly.
Keeping the joints in good condition
How long the joints last depends on use and care. Here’s what we suggest:
- Keep water from gutters off the wall
- Point out the joints to other trades
- Make sure movement joints are not pointed over
- Leave the joints unpainted unless we have said otherwise
Keep the joints clear of soil, plants and climbing growth. Damp material against the sealant shortens its life.
Act while the splits are small. At that stage it’s a simple cut out and reseal.
Old Town: your questions answered
Who arranges sealant work on the shared parts of a tenement in Old Town?
It generally goes through the owners together, or through the factor if the building has one. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 sets the rules for common parts if the deeds don’t.
I let a flat near Edinburgh Waverley station. Can you help?
Yes. We work for landlords and agents as well as householders. You can email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk with the details for a clear quote.
Can a movement joint be filled with mortar?
No. Rigid materials can’t move with the wall. Where a joint has been mortared, it can often be raked out and sealed properly.
Where is Mr Mastic based?
Our base is in Crawley, West Sussex, and we cover South East England, London and all of Scotland.
Will there be a smell?
There can be a smell while the sealant cures, but it fades. Opening a window helps.
How often do external joints need resealing?
It varies with how exposed the wall is and how much the joint moves. Look for splits, hardening or edges coming away and have them redone then.
What does external mastic cost?
The cost depends on the size of the job, access and how much old sealant has to come out. Ask us for a quote.
How do you reach high-level joints?
It depends on the building. Tell us the height, the number of joints and what’s below them and we will confirm how they can be reached safely.
Surface by surface
Cladding and façade panels
Panels heat up and cool down quickly, so the joints work hard every day. We choose the product to suit.
Concrete and blockwork
Big joints in concrete need careful depth control. Backing rod sized to the joint sets it.
Landlords, agents and businesses in Old Town
Whether it’s one flat or a portfolio, you get the same standard of work: old sealant fully removed, joints prepared properly and a one-year guarantee.
Mouldy or split sealant often shows up at the end of a tenancy, and it’s easy to sort out between tenants. Several properties can be quoted together.
What external mastic looks like in Old Town
Old Town 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. Both are hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, which can dry out and crack sooner where a building faces the weather. With historic houses such as Whitefoord House (about 0.7 miles north-east) nearby, there’s older building stock in the area around Old Town as well as newer homes. Where a home is older, older walls and rooflines need a sealant that moves with them and suits the material.
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. Homes close to Augustine Congregational Church include some older properties, and older walls, gutters and the joints where extensions meet them need a flexible sealant.
Old Town is about 1 mile north-east of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. From the centre of Old Town to the outskirts, external mastic is available for homes and businesses alike, from flats and houses to offices and hotels. Old Town is one of 175 towns and villages in Edinburgh where we work for external mastic.
Work in EH1, EH8 and EH3 is quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. You’ll find streets such as Meuse Lane, High Street and Meadow Lane, all of which we cover. We also cover Lauriston (1 mile south-west), Buccleuch (1 mile south-east), Holyrood (1 mile north-east), Dumbiedykes (1 mile east) and Canongate (1 mile north-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Queensferry (8 miles west), South Portobello (3 miles east), Southhouse (4 miles south-east), Gilmerton (4 miles south-east), Muirhouse (3 miles north-west) and Gracemount (3 miles south-east).
Local landmarks in Old Town
In Old Town, that means homes and buildings near St Cuthbert's Church, Greyfriars Bobby Bar and The Meadows and the streets around them. Other local landmarks include Old Royal High School (0.6 miles north-east) and National Museums Scotland Library (under half a mile south-east). Old Town has its own railway station: Edinburgh Waverley station. A little further out are Edinburgh Castle (within half a mile west) and Museum of Scotland (less than half a mile south-east). The countryside around Old Town includes Salisbury Crags and Dunsapie Loch.
How the visit works
On the day, we start by going over the job with you. Surfaces next to the work are protected before any work begins. The work normally takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Parking in city streets around Old Town 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 look at every joint and agree a colour to suit the wall.
- We take out the old sealant until the faces are sound.
- Closed-cell backing rod is pushed in so the sealant bonds to two sides only.
- We prime the faces where required.
- We gun in low-modulus sealant and tool it neatly.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about any water getting in
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
- Where the joints are inside, avoid wetting them before we arrive
How to get a quote
Call for a quick quote, or send an email if you’d rather. Tell us about the joints that need doing and we’ll explain what’s involved before giving you a price.
Read more
Common problems we fix in Old Town
If plants are growing out of a joint, the sealant has generally failed or was never there. Roots and dirt hold water against the wall and make things worse.
Keep an eye out for any of the following:
- Joints where the bead has come unstuck
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Water getting into walls through failed joints
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Tollcross Primary School, movement joints, cladding joints and gutters on larger buildings need the same care as a house’s.
Comparing quotes
- Are they insured?
- How much experience the applicator has
- Whether the sealant suits the joint
- Whether you can choose the colour