Orkney Islands · Scotland
External & façade joints in St Mary's, Orkney Islands
Movement joints in St Mary's need attention? We cut out the old, prepare the joints and apply the right sealant.
- Failed sealant between panels on a façade
- Failed seals between different materials
- Rigid filler in a joint that should flex
External mastic in St Mary's, done properly
Joints between dissimilar materials, like brick against render or concrete against a steel frame, see movement from both sides. A flexible exterior sealant takes up that movement where mortar or filler would crack. If you are dealing with moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left and leaking joints around cladding and façade panels, we can help, on brickwork movement joints, façade panels and render & cladding joints alike.
Older stone buildings need a sealant that suits the stone, not an acetoxy product that can mark or attack it. On newer homes, the movement joints and roofline trims are what need watching.
Whatever the size of the job, you get the same one-year guarantee in St Mary's and across the Orkney Islands.
- Place
- St Mary's (KW17)
- Wider area
- Orkney Islands
- Cover
- 12 months on all our work
- Price
- A clear price before work begins
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Updated
- 26 October 2026
Keeping the joints in good condition
No joint lasts for ever, but care makes a real difference. Our tips:
- Fix overflowing gutters above sealed joints
- Avoid pressure-washing directly into sealant joints
- Tell anyone working on the walls about the movement joints
- Check the sealant is paintable before painting near it
Make sure anyone working on the wall later knows where the movement joints are. They must stay as flexible joints, never rendered or pointed over.
Gaps, plants or missing sealant in a joint are worth getting looked at. Earlier resealing means a smaller job and a better result.
Do you need external mastic in St Mary's?
Joints sealed without backing rod, or far too deep, rarely last. If the sealant sticks to the back as well as the sides, it cannot stretch and tears as soon as the joint widens.
The problems people normally mention when they call are:
- Damp patches traced to an open external joint
- Failed sealant between panels on a façade
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
Whether the job is in St Mary's itself or nearby, the right material for each joint matters as much as a neat finish.
What your quote should include
- How hidden problems are handled
- What the cure time is
- Whether VAT is included
- Who does the work, and how experienced they are
What affects the cost of external mastic
The price is agreed before any work begins. It takes into account:
- Whether the work is at height
- The number of rooms or windows
- The number and length of the joints
- Any working-time requirements on site
Rather than a set price list, we price the job in front of us: the amount of work, the old material and the access. The price is agreed before we begin.
Helping us quote
When you contact us, these details help:
- If it’s domestic, commercial or a hotel
- Access, such as stairs, a lift or height
- Where the job is, and your postcode
- A few pictures by email, if you can
We quote each job on its own, so the first step is telling us about yours. Simply send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and describe the job.
What external mastic looks like in St Mary's
St Mary's is close to 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. Private landlords in Scotland must meet the Repairing Standard, which includes keeping a home wind and watertight, and sound outside sealant is part of that.
In and around St Mary's, as anywhere, good external mastic starts with a clean, dry, properly prepared joint.
St Mary's is about 6 miles south of Kirkwall, in the Orkney Islands. We provide external mastic to homes and businesses in St Mary's. Across the Orkney Islands, we cover 51 places, and St Mary's is one of them.
Work in KW17 is quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. Local streets include Station Square, St Mary's Road and Storehouse Place. Other places close to St Mary's include Upper Sanday (3 miles east), Burray Village (4 miles south), Toab (4 miles north-east), Grimness (5 miles south) and St Margaret's Hope (5 miles south). Being one of the Orkney Islands’s larger places, St Mary's has homes, rented property and businesses of every kind. Remote and island addresses need a little more planning, so please mention your location when you email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Landmarks near St Mary's
Well-known places in the area include Balfour Hospital (5.8 miles north) and Graemeshall Museum (0.5 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Gaitnip Hill and Loch of Ayre.
Places near St Mary's
More services for St Mary's
DIY sealant or a professional job?
If you’ve already had a go yourself, that’s fine. We remove it and do the joint properly.
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.
How it works
You don’t need to clear the whole room or building before we come, just the space around the work. Everything nearby is protected, and the job takes anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building in most cases. For a place like St Mary's, longer drives are planned in advance. Tell us about tracks, gates, a ferry crossing or anything unusual about getting there.
- We inspect the joints and agree which need resealing and how they’ll be reached.
- Old sealant and any debris are cut and raked out.
- Both sides are cleaned back to sound material and primed if needed.
- Backing rod goes in next, setting the depth and keeping the sealant off the back of the joint.
- We gun in a flexible exterior sealant in a colour that suits the wall and tool it neatly.
How to prepare
- Tell us about any water getting in
- Clear the area around the work
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
Getting a quote
Want a quote for external mastic? Please email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk with a few details. We’ll explain what we’d do and send you a clear quote before any work starts.
Related advice
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. If that’s happened, we rake it out and reseal it properly if the joint can be cleared.
For landlords and businesses
From a single let to a portfolio, the work is the same standard: old sealant fully removed, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee.
A neglected joint can let water reach the structure, which is a bigger problem in a rented property. Resealing at the right time is simple maintenance.
St Mary's: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like St Mary's?
Yes, St Mary's is covered. We work across all of Scotland, islands included, and smaller places are part of that. The journey is planned ahead, so it helps to know about access.
Is external mastic in a coastal place like St Mary's any different?
Near the coast, wind-driven rain and, nearer the shore, salt air make outside sealant work harder. The right product, a clean joint and the right depth all help it cope.
How do you reach high-level joints?
It depends on the height and the site. Ground-floor joints are simple; for higher work, tell us about the building and we’ll confirm what’s needed.
When is the sealant fully cured?
Many sealants skin over quickly but take longer to cure fully. We will tell you how long to leave the joint.
What’s an expansion joint in brickwork?
It’s a deliberate gap that lets the wall expand and contract without cracking. It should be filled with flexible sealant, never mortar.
Can you seal over the old sealant?
No, it won’t last. It may look fine at first, but the new bead soon lifts. The old sealant has to come out completely.
What do you put in the joint?
We choose the sealant for the joint, not the other way round. Movement, water and weather all affect the choice, and we will explain our choice.
Do you work for landlords and businesses?
Yes. As well as homeowners, we work for landlords, agents, businesses and hotels in St Mary's.