Essex · England
The Common External Mastic
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints in The Common, with a 12-month guarantee on every job. Ask us for a quote.
- Damp patches traced to an open external joint
- Plants rooting in failed movement joints
- Movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant
What the job involves on each surface
Concrete and blockwork
Concrete faces can be dusty and porous, so preparation is key. We prime where the sealant needs it before sealing.
Brickwork movement joints
Brick walls have vertical movement joints to absorb expansion. They’re resealed over backing rod with a low-modulus sealant in a colour to suit the brick.
External mastic in The Common
External mastic is a job where short cuts show quickly. New sealant over old, joints packed with mortar and beads with no backing all tend to fail early. We take the old material out and do it properly. If you are dealing with cracked joints where brick meets render or frames and panel joints letting water in, we can put it right, on façade panels, concrete & block and copings & trims alike.
Outside joints can only be sealed when they’re dry, so work in The Common is booked around the forecast. Tell us about access to all sides of the building, including outbuildings and garages.
All our work comes with a 12-month guarantee, wherever you are in Essex.
- Location
- The Common (CB10)
- Region
- Essex
- Guarantee
- A year, on every job
- Price
- A clear quote up front
- Phone
- 0345 464 0079
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Towns and villages near The Common
What else we do in The Common
Signs you need external mastic in The Common
A lot of failed joints come down to preparation: joint faces that were dusty or damp, unprimed where they needed it, or still carrying old sealant. The sealant never bonds properly.
Signs it’s time to call us include:
- Rigid filler in a joint that should flex
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Water getting into walls through failed joints
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
Managing a site like Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School? Then larger buildings have long runs of movement joint that eventually need resealing.
Questions to ask before booking
- Is VAT in the price?
- What insurance they hold
- Who turns up on the day
- Whether the sealant suits the joint
What affects the cost of external mastic
Your quote is based on your job. We take into account:
- How easy the joints are to reach
- The old material and how stubborn it is
- Any mould that needs treating
- The number and length of the joints
No two jobs are quite the same, so we quote each one individually. Size, access and the product the joint needs all play a part.
What we need to know
What to tell us when you ask for a quote:
- Pictures of the joints, sent by email
- Whether it’s a home or a business
- The problem you’ve noticed
- Roughly how big the job is
The more we know about the job, the more useful the quote. Let us know the location, the problem and roughly how many joints, and add pictures by email if you can.
What we do, step by step
A visit follows a simple pattern: we check the joints, protect the area around them, do the work and clear up. It normally takes a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. In a small place like The Common, access is normally the main thing to plan. For outside work, also let us know about exposed walls and any outbuildings involved.
- We look at every joint and agree a colour to suit the wall.
- We take out the old sealant until the faces are sound.
- Closed-cell backing rod is pushed in so the sealant bonds to two sides only.
- We prime the faces where required.
- A low-modulus exterior sealant is gunned in and tooled to a neat finish.
Getting ready for the visit
- For indoor joints, keep the area dry beforehand if you can
- Mention if the joints have been sealed before
- Keep pets and children clear of the area while we work
Ask for a quote
Quotes start with a quick conversation. Tell us what’s wrong, where it is and how much there is. When it suits you, ring 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email.
Read more
DIY versus a professional finish
If you’ve already had a go yourself, that’s fine. We remove it and do the joint properly, so tell us about it when you ask for a quote.
The biggest DIY mistake is sealing over old sealant. New silicone will not bond to old, so it peels away and traps moisture behind it. Everything old must be removed first.
Honest limits
Some problems need a builder, plumber or other trade rather than us:
- Loose or hollow render, which needs re-rendering
- Structural movement, which needs a surveyor or engineer
- Damp that is not coming from the joint
Not sure which it is? You can call 0345 464 0079 or email us and we will tell you honestly before you book.
What we seal
- Concrete & block
- Render & cladding joints
- Joints between brick and frames
- Façade panels
- Brickwork movement joints
- Copings & trims
The Common: your questions answered
Do you cover smaller places like The Common?
Yes, smaller places are covered as well as towns. Our work covers London and the South East. Let us know about access, parking and anything unusual about getting there when you book.
Is The Common in your area for external mastic?
Yes. We work across London and the South East, and The Common is part of that. You can call 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email and tell us what needs doing, and we will send you a clear quote.
What do you need from me for a quote?
Only a few details: the address or postcode, what’s wrong and any access issues. Then phone 0345 464 0079 or drop us an email.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes. Every job comes with a 12-month guarantee.
What’s an expansion joint in brickwork?
A vertical gap in a long brick wall is normally a movement joint. It gives the wall room to move.
Are you insured?
Yes. We’re fully insured, with over 20 years’ experience in sealant work.
Can you seal joints between two different materials?
Yes. Different materials move at different rates, so the joint between them must be flexible. The sealant is matched to both sides.
How long does the job take?
A typical job takes a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of joint and the access, including the preparation. Your quote will say how long we expect yours to take.
The Common buildings and the weather
The South East is one of the drier parts of the UK, but outside sealant still needs a dry, clean surface, so outdoor work is planned around the forecast.
For an older house near a landmark such as Church of St Mary the Virgin, an extension built onto an older house moves differently, and the joint between them takes the strain.
The Common is about 4 miles east of Saffron Walden, in Essex. We provide external mastic to homes and businesses in The Common and the surrounding area, as part of our work across Essex. Across Essex, we cover 644 places, The Common among them. There’s also a page for Chelmsford, about 21 miles away.
Every address in CB10 is within our area for external mastic, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include Radwinter (1 mile south), Maple End (1 mile south-west), Wimbish (2 miles south-west), Hempstead (2 miles east) and Church End (3 miles north-west). Further out, we also cover Braintree (13 miles south-east), Saffron Walden (4 miles west), Halstead (14 miles south-east), Great Dunmow (10 miles south), Stansted Mountfitchet (10 miles south-west) and Great Notley (14 miles south-east).
Near you in The Common
Nearby you will also find Castle Camps (2.8 miles north-east) and Saffron Walden Community Hospital (3.5 miles west). The countryside around The Common includes Hales and Shadwell Woods.
What happens if it’s left?
Pointing a movement joint with mortar might seem a neat fix, but it locks the joint solid. The wall then cracks somewhere else. The correct repair is a flexible sealant with the right backing. In a small place like The Common, homes can be exposed to wind and rain, which finds any gap, and older walls, once damp, take a long time to dry.
We don’t show prices on the website, because the cost depends so much on the job itself. Call for a quick quote and we’ll talk you through it.
Why us?
- A choice of colours where the product allows
- Homes, businesses and hotels
- Any old sealant cut out fully, not covered over
- Full insurance on every job
Read our cost guide or what customers say.