Reading · England
Shinfield External Mastic
External mastic in Shinfield from a team with over 20 years’ experience. Rated 4.9 on Google from 180+ five-star reviews.
- Joints pointed up with cement by mistake
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Sealant that has lost its bond to the brick or render
How we handle external mastic in Shinfield
A movement joint is a deliberate break that lets a wall expand and contract. The sealant in it has to stretch and squeeze for years, so once it splits or hardens, the joint stops working and water gets in. We work on façade panels, joints between brick and frames and brickwork movement joints, and common reasons people get in touch are damp patches traced to an open external joint and failed seals between different materials.
Homes around Shinfield range from older cottages to newer houses, with walls and rooflines of every type. Older gutters and trims need their joints resealed; newer brick and render need their movement joints kept sound.
We guarantee the work for a year. If there’s a problem with our work within the year, let us know and we’ll sort it.
- Where
- Shinfield (RG2)
- Wider area
- Reading
- Guarantee
- One year on every job
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- Call
- 0345 464 0079
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
The process
Before we leave, we go over the finished joints with you. The visit itself normally takes a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of joint and the access, depending on the size of the job. A visit to Shinfield is planned like any other: the time, the access and where to park are agreed in advance. Outdoor jobs depend on a dry day, since sealant needs a dry surface.
- We start by walking round the building and agreeing the joints and the access.
- We cut out the old mastic and rake out anything in the joint.
- The faces are brushed clean and primed where the product requires it.
- We fit closed-cell backing rod to control the depth.
- The exterior sealant is applied, tooled and checked along its length.
Getting ready for the visit
- Move anything stored near the joints
- Mention if the joints have been sealed before
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
Get a quote
There’s no standard price list, because every job is different. Instead, your job gets its own clear quote. To arrange one, phone 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email.
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What affects the quote in Shinfield
We don’t publish a price list, because no two jobs are the same. What we look at:
- Access and height
- The type of sealant required
- Mould in or behind the old joints
- Any working-time requirements on site
Some things make a job bigger or smaller: the old material and how easily it comes out, any mould to treat, and whether we need extra access for height. Your quote takes all of that into account.
Asking for a quote
When you call or email, these details help:
- How many joints, rooms or windows are involved
- Photos by email, if that is easy
- Access, such as stairs, a lift or height
- The address or postcode of the job
Getting a quote is simple: let us know the job and the location. A few pictures by email make the job easier to understand, and we will take it from there.
Landlord and commercial work in Shinfield
In hotels, rooms out of use cost money, so the work can be planned room by room around your bookings where we can. We’ve worked in hotels as well as homes 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.
Towns and villages near Shinfield
What else we do in Shinfield
Honest limits
Honest advice matters more to us than a booking, so here’s what new sealant won’t do:
- Walls that need new movement joints cut into them
- Rising or penetrating damp from elsewhere in the wall
- Movement that’s more than a sealant joint can take
Not sure which it is? You can ring 0345 464 0079 or send us an email and we will tell you honestly.
What we seal
- Copings & trims
- Joints between brick and frames
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block
- Façade panels
- Brickwork movement joints
What the job involves on each surface
Cladding and façade panels
Cladding and façade panels are normally separated by sealed joints. Each joint gets a sealant that suits the panel and its movement.
Concrete and blockwork
Big joints in concrete need careful depth control. We size the backing rod to the gap.
Looking after it afterwards
A little care helps the new joints last. Our advice:
- Keep movement joints as flexible joints, not mortar
- Wash walls gently around the sealant
- Get split or bare joints resealed while the damage is small
- Ask before painting over external sealant
Follow the cure time we give you before the joint is knocked or disturbed. The surface skins over quickly, but full cure takes longer.
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.
External mastic in Shinfield: local notes
London and the South East are among the drier parts of the UK, but outside sealant still needs a dry, clean surface, so outdoor work is planned around the forecast. Historic houses like Stratfield Saye House (about 4.5 miles south-west) are a reminder that the area around Shinfield has older buildings as well as new. In older buildings, older brick and stone need a sealant that suits them, at the right joint depth.
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Shinfield Infant and Nursery School, larger buildings have long runs of movement joint that eventually need resealing. If you live in an older home near Church of St Mary the Virgin, older walls, gutters and the joints where extensions meet them need a flexible sealant. For landlords with property near Reading Green Park station, split movement joints are easy to miss on a rental until damp shows inside.
Shinfield is about 3 miles south of Reading, in Reading. Whether you’re in the middle of Shinfield or further out, external mastic is available for homes and businesses alike, from flats and houses to offices and hotels. Our Reading coverage runs to 34 places, Shinfield among them.
We work across the RG2 postcode area for external mastic. We cover properties on Teal Grove, Songbird Close and Skylark Way. If you’re just outside Shinfield, we cover Ryeish Green (1 mile south-west), Whitley Wood (1 mile north-west), Three Mile Cross (1 mile west), Great Lea Common (1 mile west) and Arborfield (2 miles east). We also work in nearby towns such as Caversham (5 miles north), Norcot (5 miles north-west), West Reading (4 miles north-west), Tilehurst Within (5 miles north-west), Arborfield Garrison (3 miles south-east) and Caversham Heights (5 miles north). Shinfield is among the bigger towns we cover in Reading.
Local landmarks in Shinfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Pearman's Copse, Ryeish Green School and Oakbank and the streets around them. The closest station to Shinfield is Reading Green Park station, about 2.6 miles north-west. Nearby you will also find Berkshire Library & Museum of Freemasonry (2.9 miles north-east) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (3.1 miles north). Green spaces nearby include Longwater and Sonning Hill.
Your questions about external mastic in Shinfield
I let a flat near Reading Green Park station. Can you help?
Yes. We work for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners, and several properties can go on one quote. Just phone 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email with the address and what needs doing, and we’ll give you a clear price.
Do you cover smaller places like Shinfield?
Yes, Shinfield is covered. Our work covers London and the South East, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes, for a year. If there’s a problem with our work in that time, tell us and we will put it right.
Is it worth trying it myself?
It depends on the job. High-level, external movement and fire-rated joints are professional jobs, while a short indoor joint may be within reach.
How long should I leave it?
It depends on the product. Before we leave, we will tell you the cure time.
Why is there a gap in my brick wall?
Most straight vertical gaps in brickwork are movement joints. It lets the bricks expand without cracking and needs a flexible seal, not mortar.
Why do you put foam in the joint first?
That is backing rod, a closed-cell foam. It stops the sealant going in too deep and bonding to three sides, which would stop it stretching.
What does external mastic cost?
It depends on the job, so we quote each one individually. For a quick quote, phone 0345 464 0079 or email us with a short description of the job.
Why it’s worth doing now in Shinfield
Running new sealant over the old bead rarely lasts. The new layer can’t bond properly to old, weathered material, so we always take the old sealant out. In an older home around Shinfield, damp from a failed joint can get into timber and plaster, which is far harder to put right than the sealant itself.
Combining jobs into one visit is generally more efficient than separate visits. We will send you a clear quote for the lot.
Why choose Mr Mastic in Shinfield
- Fully insured
- Old sealant always removed completely
- 20+ years of sealant experience
- Anti-fungal sanitary silicone in wet areas
Read how sealant jobs are priced or our reviews.