Orkney Islands · Scotland
Rackwick External Mastic
Professional external mastic in and around Rackwick, with every bit of old sealant taken out first and a 12-month guarantee.
- Movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
- Sealant pulling away from one side of the joint
External mastic in Rackwick
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. The colour is chosen to suit the brick or render. If you have rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint and failed sealant between panels on a façade, we can help.
External sealant needs dry surfaces, so outdoor work around Rackwick is planned around the weather, and longer journeys are planned in advance. Tell us how to reach each wall, gutter and roofline.
The work is covered for a year after we finish. If anything isn’t right with it, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk.
- Where
- Rackwick (KW17)
- Region
- Orkney Islands
- Cover
- A year, on every job
- Price
- A clear price before any work starts
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
When it is not the sealant
It helps to know what we can’t do too:
- Failed render or damaged cladding panels
- Rising or penetrating damp from elsewhere in the wall
- Structural movement, which needs a surveyor or engineer
If in doubt, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will say what we think before booking.
What we seal
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
- Brickwork movement joints
- Render & cladding joints
- Copings & trims
- Concrete & block
The process
The work is kept neat and contained to the area we are working on, so you can carry on as normal. The job normally takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. For a place like Rackwick, longer drives are planned in advance. Tell us about tracks, gates, a ferry crossing or anything unusual about getting there.
- Each joint is checked and the colour of the new sealant agreed.
- Failed sealant is removed back to clean, sound faces.
- Backing rod goes in so the sealant can stretch between the two faces.
- Primer is applied wherever the sealant needs it.
- We gun in low-modulus sealant and tool it neatly.
How to prepare
- Plan for the work area to be out of bounds to pets and children
- For business premises, tell us about site rules or sign-in
- For indoor joints, keep the area dry beforehand if you can
Get a quote
Quotes start with a quick conversation. Tell us what’s wrong, where it is and how much there is, and we will explain how we’d tackle it. Whenever you are ready, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Related advice
Nearby places to Rackwick
More services for Rackwick
When to call us in Rackwick
UV, rain and frost all age exterior sealant. In time it goes hard, crazes on the surface and stops stretching, so the next time the wall moves, it splits or pulls away.
It’s worth asking for a quote if you see:
- Gaps where render, brick and frames meet
- Plants rooting in failed movement joints
- Water getting into walls through failed joints
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
For an older house near a landmark such as Baptist Church, an extension built onto an older house moves differently, and the joint between them takes the strain.
Questions to ask before booking
- The length of the guarantee
- How hidden problems are handled
- Whether VAT is included
- How the joint is cleaned and prepared
Surface by surface
Brickwork movement joints
Brick moves with heat and moisture, and grows a little over time. The movement joint takes that up, so the sealant in it must stay soft and stretchy.
Joints between dissimilar materials
Where a frame or panel meets masonry, water often finds a way in. The old joint is removed and a sealant that bonds to both sides goes in.
What external mastic looks like in Rackwick
Rackwick 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. Both are hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, which can dry out and crack sooner where a building faces the weather. Under the Repairing Standard, private landlords in Scotland have to keep homes wind and watertight, and sound outside sealant is part of that.
Around Rackwick, as everywhere, external mastic is only as good as the preparation behind it.
Rackwick is about 24 miles north of Kirkwall, in the Orkney Islands. Rackwick gets the same service as everywhere we cover: old sealant removed completely, careful preparation and a one-year guarantee. Across the Orkney Islands, we cover 51 places, Rackwick among them.
We work across KW17 for external mastic and the streets around it. If you are just outside Rackwick, we cover Pierowall (1 mile south), Brinian (14 miles south), Broughtown (14 miles east), Evie (16 miles south) and Lady (16 miles east). If you’re somewhere remote, a little more planning is needed, so mention it when you ask for a quote.
Landmarks near Rackwick
Other landmarks nearby include Noltland Castle (1.3 miles south-west). Not far away are Couters Hill and North Hill RSPB reserve.
Should I try it myself first?
Not every job suits DIY: work at height, external movement joints, fire-rated sealant and large areas call for the right materials, safe access and experience.
If you are set on DIY, put the effort into preparation: take out all the old sealant, make sure the joint is clean and dry, and give it the full cure time. If it fails, we can still redo it.
Landlords, agents and businesses in Rackwick
Water getting past a failed joint can damage the building, which is a bigger problem in a rented property. Keeping joints in good order is simple maintenance that we can handle for you.
Mouldy or split sealant often shows up at the end of a tenancy. We can quote for more than one property at once.
Questions from Rackwick
Can you do external mastic in Rackwick?
Yes. Our work covers the whole of Scotland, and Rackwick is part of that. You can email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us what needs doing.
Does living near the coast affect external mastic in Rackwick?
Near the sea, outside joints face more wind, rain and salt than they would inland, so preparation and the right sealant matter all the more. Walls facing the sea are generally the first to need attention.
What is a movement joint?
Walls move with heat, cold and moisture, and planned joints take up that movement. The gap is sealed with a flexible sealant over backing rod.
How long does the job take?
As a guide, most jobs take a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Larger jobs naturally take longer, and we’ll tell you how long to expect.
Are you fully insured?
Yes. We are fully insured.
How long does external mastic last?
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. Every job carries our 12-month guarantee.
Can tenants book the work?
Yes, but check with your landlord or agent first. Many landlords are glad to have it sorted.
How much does external mastic cost in Rackwick?
There’s no set price, as it 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.
What happens if it’s left?
Done well, a resealed joint is a neat, straight line that suits the wall. A hurried job with smeared edges and no backing looks worse and fails sooner. In a place like Rackwick, small leaks are easy to put off, but water behind a failed seal does the most damage when nobody’s watching.
No two jobs are quite the same, so we quote each one individually. Size, access and the product the joint needs all play a part, and we’ll explain the quote if you ask.
Why Rackwick clients choose us
- Old sealant always removed completely
- One-year guarantee on every job
- White, clear, grey or another colour, product permitting
- A sealant colour to suit the surroundings
Read how sealant jobs are priced and our reviews.