Scottish Borders · Scotland
Stirches External Mastic
Problem with your movement joints in Stirches? We cut out the old, prepare the joints and apply the right sealant.
- Old sealant gone brittle and cracked
- Plants rooting in failed movement joints
- Joints pointed up with cement by mistake
How it works
Our applicators work methodically: protection first, then preparation, sealing and a tidy-up. Typically it takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. For a place like Stirches, longer drives are planned in advance. Mention tracks, gates, ferries or anything else about the route.
- 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.
- The faces are brushed clean and primed where the product requires it.
- We fit closed-cell backing rod to control the depth.
- We apply the sealant, tool it and check the whole run.
Preparing for the visit
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
- Mention any parking rules near the property
- Mention any leaks or damp you’ve noticed
Get a quote
For a quote, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us where the job is and what the problem looks like. You’ll have a clear quote before work begins.
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How we handle external mastic in Stirches
We cut out failed sealant, set the joint depth with closed-cell backing rod and reseal with a low-modulus exterior sealant. The colour is chosen to suit the brick or render so the joint doesn’t stand out. We are often asked to deal with movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant and leaking joints around cladding and façade panels, on brickwork movement joints, copings & trims and joints between brick and frames.
Across smaller places in Scotland, stone and harled cottages, farm buildings and newer houses often stand exposed to wind and rain. Outside joints on exposed walls work hard, so they need a sealant that moves with the building.
Whatever the size of the job, it’s backed by our one-year guarantee.
- Where
- Stirches (TD9)
- Wider area
- Scottish Borders
- Cover
- 12 months on all our work
- Price
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
Work for landlords, hotels and businesses
For anyone letting property in or around Stirches, jobs at different addresses can go on one quote. Just tell us the addresses and what each one needs, and photos by email help.
In hotels, rooms out of use cost money, so we plan the work room by room around your bookings where we can. We have worked in hotels as well as homes and businesses.
Keeping the joints in good condition
So the new joints stay in good condition:
- Point out the joints to other trades
- Wash walls gently around the sealant
- Walk round the building once a year and look at the joints
- Keep water from gutters off the wall
If you have more work done on the wall, such as new render, cladding or an opening, show the contractor the movement joints. They must stay as flexible joints, never rendered or pointed over.
An open movement joint lets rain into the wall every time it pours. Over time it can mean damp inside, stained render or frost-damaged brick, all bigger jobs than a reseal.
Can I do it myself?
Too much sealant is as bad as too little. A heavy bead looks messy and copes badly with movement, and getting the depth right matters as much as the look.
A careful DIYer can reseal a simple joint, like a short, easy-to-reach joint indoors. The common mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using far too much.
Walls and rooflines in Stirches
Under the Repairing Standard, private landlords in Scotland have to keep homes wind and watertight, and sound outside sealant is part of that. Harled (roughcast) walls are common in Scotland, and where harling meets frames, pipes and other materials, the joint needs a flexible sealant that grips a rough surface.
If you look after a building such as Hawick High School, its movement joints, gutters and trims need looking after like any other building’s.
Stirches is about 1 mile north-west of Hawick, in the Scottish Borders. Stirches gets the same service as everywhere we cover: the old material taken out, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee. Stirches is one of 89 towns and villages in the Scottish Borders where we work for external mastic. There’s also a page for Edinburgh, about 39 miles away.
We cover every part of TD9 for external mastic. Whether your property is on Bowden Road, Stirches Road and Atkinson Road or anywhere close by, our applicators can take on the job. If you’re just outside Stirches, we cover Wilton (1 mile south), Hawick (1 mile south-east), Wilton Dean (1 mile south-west), Burnfoot (1 mile east) and Woll (4 miles north-west). Larger places within reach include Galashiels (12 miles north), Selkirk (8 miles north), Jedburgh (10 miles east), Melrose (12 miles north), Earlston (15 miles north) and Langlee (12 miles north).
Around Stirches
In Stirches, that means homes and buildings near The Bourtree pub. A little further out are Borders Textile Towerhouse (0.9 miles south) and Hawick Community Hospital (0.7 miles south). For a walk, there’s Ashkirk Hill and Ashkirk Loch.
When it is not the sealant
To be straight with you, some problems need a different trade:
- Failed render or damaged cladding panels
- Cutting new joints into brickwork, which is building work rather than sealant work
- Structural movement, which needs a surveyor or engineer
Not sure which it is? You can email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will tell you honestly before booking.
What we seal
- Façade panels
- Brickwork movement joints
- Render & cladding joints
- Joints between brick and frames
- Concrete & block
- Copings & trims
Other services in Stirches
Common questions in Stirches
Is Stirches within the area you cover?
Yes, Stirches is covered. We work across all of Scotland, from towns to the smallest places. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
What guarantee comes with external mastic in Stirches?
Every job comes with our one-year guarantee, wherever it is. We’re fully insured, and an ARBOMaster approved applicator.
How long does external mastic take?
That depends on the amount of work, but as a guide it takes anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. We’ll give you a better idea when we quote.
What is backing rod for?
Backing rod controls the sealant depth and keeps it off the back of the joint. That way it bonds to the two sides only and can stretch.
Is there any odour?
Possibly a little. It fades as the sealant cures, and ventilation helps.
Where do you work from?
Our base is in Crawley, West Sussex, and we work across South East England, London and Scotland.
How often do external joints need resealing?
It depends on the exposure, the movement and the product. Sealant is a maintenance item, so check the joints once a year and renew it when it starts to fail.
Can you quote for more than one area?
Yes, and it often makes sense. Doing several areas at once is normally more efficient, so mention them when you ask for a quote.
What we are called out for in Stirches
Every building moves. Brickwork grows a little over the years, blockwork and concrete shrink, and all of it moves with heat and moisture. The sealant in the movement joints takes that strain.
Signs it’s time to call us include:
- Failed sealant between panels on a façade
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Rain getting behind render or cladding at a joint
- Movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant
For an older house near a landmark such as Wilton Parish Church, old and new materials meet at the roofline and walls, which is where sealant earns its keep.
What to look for in a quote
- Who does the work, and how experienced they are
- What happens if they find a problem under the old sealant
- Are they insured?
- How the joint is cleaned and prepared
Quotes for external mastic in Stirches
Every job gets its own quote. This is what makes a difference:
- How many rooms, windows or areas are involved
- How much old sealant there is and how hard it is to remove
- How much there is to do
- When we can work, for business premises
What it costs depends on the size of the job, how hard the old material is to remove and how easy the joints are to reach. We give a clear quote before we start.
What we need to know
You don’t need to know the technical terms. Just tell us:
- Photos by email, if that is easy
- If it’s domestic, commercial or a hotel
- What’s wrong with the joints now
- How we’d reach the joints
Want a quote for external mastic? Please send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk with a few details. You will know what we plan to do, and what it will cost, before any work begins.