West Berkshire · England
Swallowfield External Mastic
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints for homes and businesses in Swallowfield and across West Berkshire. Fully insured, ARBOMaster approved and guaranteed for a year.
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Joints with sealant missing in places
- Weathered mastic that no longer stretches
How we handle external mastic in Swallowfield
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. We work on copings & trims, joints between brick and frames and concrete & block, and the jobs we see most are plants rooting in failed movement joints and damp patches traced to an open external joint.
External sealant needs dry, clean surfaces, so work around Swallowfield is planned for dry weather. Tell us about access to all sides of the building, including outbuildings and garages.
All of our work is guaranteed for twelve months, in Swallowfield and everywhere else we cover.
- Where
- Swallowfield (RG7)
- Wider area
- West Berkshire
- Cover
- A year, on every job
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- Phone
- 0345 464 0079
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
External mastic in Swallowfield: local notes
Historic houses like Stratfield Saye House (about 2.6 miles south-west) are a reminder that the area around Swallowfield 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. Rainfall in the South East is lower than in much of the UK, but outside sealant still needs a dry, clean surface, so outdoor work is planned around the forecast.
Letting a property close to Mortimer station? Then failed wall and movement joints let damp in, so they’re worth checking between tenancies. For an older house near a landmark such as Church of All Saints, older walls, gutters and the joints where extensions meet them need a flexible sealant.
Swallowfield is about 5 miles south of Reading, in West Berkshire. Jobs in Swallowfield get the same care as everywhere else we work: old sealant removed completely, careful preparation and a one-year guarantee. 155 places in West Berkshire are on our list.
Postcode districts we cover here for external mastic: RG7. You’ll find streets such as The Street, Hornbeams and Fieldfare Court. Other places close to Swallowfield include Riseley (1 mile south), Spencers Wood (1 mile north), Beech Hill (2 miles west), Farley Hill (2 miles east) and Grazeley (2 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Thatcham (13 miles west), Burghfield Common (5 miles west), Calcot (6 miles north-west), Shaw (15 miles west), Burghfield Hill (4 miles west) and Theale (6 miles north-west).
Local landmarks in Swallowfield
Locally, jobs take us to homes and businesses close to Oakbank, Swallowfield Meadow and The Crown pub. For rail, the closest station is Mortimer station, roughly 3.3 miles west. Well-known places in the area include Beaumys Castle (0.9 miles west) and Royal Berkshire Hospital (5 miles north). The countryside around Swallowfield includes The Marshes Local Nature Reserve and Longwater.
Common questions in Swallowfield
Do you work for landlords with property near Mortimer station?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for, and several properties can be quoted together. You can call 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email with the details for a clear quote.
Do you cover smaller places like Swallowfield?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. We work across London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
What do you put in the joint?
Products from Arbo and Everbuild, among others, picked for each joint. We explain the product when we quote.
Do you seal joints where cladding meets other materials?
Yes. The old joint is removed, both surfaces cleaned and primed where needed, and a flexible sealant applied. We pick a colour that works with both materials.
Do the sealants smell?
That depends on the sealant. Some products have a noticeable smell, others very little, and any smell fades as they cure.
Do you work at height?
It depends on the building. Tell us the height, the number of joints and what’s below them, and we’ll confirm what access is needed.
How long will you be here?
Most jobs take a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Your quote will say how long we expect yours to take.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes. There’s a 12-month guarantee on every job.
How to look after the new joints
Looking after new joints is easy:
- Keep movement joints as flexible joints, not mortar
- Deal with leaking gutters that soak the joints below
- Tell anyone working on the walls about the movement joints
- Don’t let climbing plants root in the sealant
Only paint over the joint if we’ve confirmed the sealant can take paint. Paint can crack on a flexible joint, and paint can crack as the joint moves.
If you can see gaps, plants or bare sections in a joint, have it checked. Earlier resealing means a smaller job and a better result.
The process
There isn’t much for you to do on the day. Show us the job and we’ll take it from there. The job generally takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation, including the tidy-up. Somewhere like Swallowfield needs a little journey planning: tell us about narrow lanes, gates, long drives and where we can park. We bring what the job needs, so it can be finished in one trip where possible.
- We look at every joint and agree a colour to suit the wall.
- Failed sealant is removed back to clean, sound faces.
- Closed-cell backing rod is pushed in so the sealant bonds to two sides only.
- Primer is applied wherever the sealant needs it.
- A low-modulus exterior sealant is gunned in and tooled to a neat finish.
How to prepare
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
- Let us know about parking restrictions
- Let us know about stairs, lifts or work at height
Get a quote
Asking for a quote is easy: tell us what needs doing and where and its rough size. A few photos by email make the job easier to understand, and we’ll take it from there.
Advice
Work for landlords, hotels and businesses
If you manage several properties in or around Swallowfield, jobs at different addresses can go on one quote. Just tell us the addresses and what each one needs.
We also work for businesses, from offices to washrooms and kitchens. On commercial sites, working times can be discussed when we quote.
DIY sealant or a professional job?
Overfilling a joint is a classic DIY mistake. A heavy bead looks messy and copes badly with movement, and getting the depth right matters as much as the look.
The biggest DIY mistake is sealing over old sealant. Silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it lifts and traps water and mould underneath. Everything old must be removed first.
What sealant work cannot fix
We’d rather tell you now than do work that won’t last, so these are the limits:
- Rising or penetrating damp from elsewhere in the wall
- Cracking across the wall rather than at a joint
- Loose or hollow render, which needs re-rendering
If you’re not sure, just ring 0345 464 0079 or email us and we will give you a straight answer.
Where we work in Swallowfield
- Render & cladding joints
- Brickwork movement joints
- Joints between brick and frames
- Façade panels
- Copings & trims
- Concrete & block
Signs you need external mastic in Swallowfield
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.
Common reasons people contact us are:
- Failed seals between different materials
- Failed sealant between panels on a façade
- Sealant pulling away from one side of the joint
- Plants rooting in failed movement joints
For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Lambs Lane Primary School, movement joints, cladding joints and gutters on larger buildings need the same care as a house’s.
Before booking anyone
- Whether the sealant suits the joint
- What the quote includes, VAT included or not
- What insurance they hold
- How much experience the applicator has
Quotes for external mastic in Swallowfield
The price is agreed before any work begins. It’s based on:
- The old material and how stubborn it is
- Any mould that needs treating
- How many areas need sealing
- Which sealant suits the joint
A failed joint rarely gets cheaper to fix by waiting, because water and mould keep working on it. If you are unsure, call 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email for an honest opinion and a quote.
What to tell us for a quote
When you call or email, it’s useful to know:
- Any previous sealing or DIY work
- The rough size of the job
- A few pictures by email, if you can
- Access, such as stairs, a lift or height
If you’re in Swallowfield and need external mastic, ring 0345 464 0079 or email us. A short description of the job and where it is helps us quote, and you’ll get a clear quote before work begins.