Edinburgh · Scotland
Ratho External Mastic
Problem with your movement joints in Ratho? We remove the old material, prepare the joints and seal them properly, and the work is guaranteed for a year.
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Weathered mastic that no longer stretches
- Leaking joints around cladding and façade panels
Honest limits
To be straight with you, there are a few things sealant won’t fix:
- Subsidence or other structural problems
- Walls that need new movement joints cut into them
- Cracks in the bricks or render themselves, away from the joints
If in doubt, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll say what we think.
What we seal
- Copings & trims
- Façade panels
- Render & cladding joints
- Brickwork movement joints
- Joints between brick and frames
- Concrete & block
External mastic in Ratho
Ground-floor and low-level joints are straightforward to reach. Where joints are higher up, tell us about the building when you get in touch and we’ll confirm what’s needed to reach them safely. We work on joints between brick and frames, render & cladding joints and façade panels, and the jobs we see most are movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant and weeds or debris growing in open joints.
Older stone buildings need a sealant that suits the stone, not an acetoxy product that can mark or attack it. Newer houses need their movement joints and roofline trims kept sound.
All of our work is guaranteed for twelve months, in Ratho and everywhere else we cover.
- Place
- Ratho (EH28)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- 12 months on all our work
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
Ratho: your questions answered
Can you do external mastic in Ratho?
Yes, Ratho is within the area we cover. We work across all of Scotland. You can email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us what needs doing.
Do you work for landlords with property near Edinburgh Gateway station?
Yes, rental work is part of what we do. Just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us about the property, and we’ll give you a clear price.
Is there a guarantee?
Yes. There’s a 12-month guarantee on every job.
Can a movement joint be filled with mortar?
No. A mortar-filled joint can’t move, so the movement cracks the wall elsewhere. Use a flexible sealant with backing rod.
What should I tell you?
The location, the problem and the rough size of the job. Photos by email help too.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. Mr Mastic is fully insured, and we’ve been doing sealant work for more than 20 years.
How long does external mastic take?
Typically it takes anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. Bigger jobs take longer.
Where is Mr Mastic based?
We work from Crawley. Our applicators cover Ratho.
Places near Ratho
Other services in Ratho
What we do, step by step
All our tools and materials come with us in the van, so you do not need to buy or prepare anything. After a quick look at the joints together, we protect the area and start. Most jobs take a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. For a place like Ratho, 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.
- We apply the sealant, tool it and check the whole run.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about any previous sealing or DIY attempts
- Clear the area around the work
- Keep pets and children clear of the area while we work
Ask for a quote
To get a quote, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk with the location and a short description of the problem. We’ll give you a clear quote before any work starts.
Read more
Common problems we fix in Ratho
Sometimes a movement joint was filled with mortar or a rigid filler by mistake. The joint cannot move, so the wall cracks somewhere else instead.
People usually contact us after spotting something like this:
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Weeds or debris growing in open joints
- Sealant that has lost its bond to the brick or render
- Weathered mastic that no longer stretches
In the older streets around Ratho Parish Church and Lady's Well, an extension built onto an older house moves differently, and the joint between them takes the strain.
Comparing quotes
- How the colour is chosen
- The length of the guarantee
- Are they insured?
- How the joint is cleaned and prepared
DIY versus a professional finish
The biggest DIY mistake is sealing over old sealant. New silicone won’t bond to old, so it lifts and traps water and mould underneath. Everything old must be removed first.
Some sealant jobs are within reach of a careful DIYer, 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.
Why act early in Ratho
A failed movement joint lets water into the wall, behind render and cladding. Dealing with it early keeps the repair to the joint, rather than the wall around it. Around Ratho, water from a failed joint in an older stone home can soak into timber and plaster.
What you pay reflects the work, not guesswork. That’s why we ask a few questions first.
Why choose Mr Mastic in Ratho
- Approved under the ARBOMaster scheme
- Fully insured
- 180+ five-star Google reviews
- We leave the area clean and tidy
See our cost guide or what customers say.
Looking after it afterwards
How long the joints last depends on use and care. We suggest:
- Fix overflowing gutters above sealed joints
- Check the sealant is paintable before painting near it
- Tell anyone working on the walls about the movement joints
- Act on the first splits you see
If you have more work done on the wall, such as new render, cladding or an opening, show the contractor the movement joints. They should be kept open and resealed, not filled.
If you can see gaps, plants or bare sections in a joint, have it checked. Early work is quicker and leaves a better finish.
Ratho buildings and the weather
Harled (roughcast) walls are common in Scotland, and joints where harling meets other materials need a sealant that can grip and flex. Under the Repairing Standard, private landlords in Scotland have to keep homes wind and watertight, and sound outside sealant is part of that.
Rented homes near Edinburgh Gateway station change hands often, and failed wall and movement joints let damp in, so they’re worth checking between tenancies.
Ratho is about 6 miles east of Livingston, in Edinburgh. Across the EH28 area, our applicators can take on external mastic. Ratho is one of 175 places in Edinburgh where we work for external mastic. There’s also a page for Edinburgh, roughly 7 miles from Ratho.
Here we cover the EH28 postcode area for external mastic. You’ll find streets such as Main Street, Dalmahoy Road and Lidgate Shot. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include Ratho Station (1 mile north), Ingliston (1 mile north), Warriston (2 miles south-east), Gogar (2 miles north-east) and Hermiston (2 miles east). Larger places within reach include Edinburgh (7 miles east), Leith (9 miles north-east), Bonnington (8 miles north-east), Greenside (8 miles east), Broughton (8 miles east) and Bellevue (8 miles east).
Landmarks near Ratho
Ratho’s nearest station is Edinburgh Gateway station, roughly 2.7 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include The Gyle Shopping Centre (2.8 miles north-east) and Illieston Castle (2.4 miles west). Open spaces near Ratho include Dundas Loch and Warklaw Hill.
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 its sealant has to stay flexible.
Copings and trims
Coping and trim joints face rain and sun head on. Each is resealed with a weatherproof, flexible sealant.