Highland · Scotland
Tongue External Mastic
Our applicators work in Tongue on sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints. Old sealant removed completely, joints prepared properly and every job guaranteed for a year.
- Cracked joints where brick meets render or frames
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
- Leaking joints around cladding and façade panels
What the job involves on each surface
Concrete and blockwork
Big joints in concrete need careful depth control. Backing rod sized to the joint sets it.
Joints between dissimilar materials
Wherever two materials meet, they move differently. We seal the joint with a flexible exterior sealant so the movement is taken up.
External mastic in Tongue, done properly
External mastic is a job where short cuts show quickly. New sealant over old, joints packed with mortar and beads with no backing rarely last long. We strip the joint back and start again. We work on joints between brick and frames, concrete & block and façade panels, and the jobs we see most are cracked joints where brick meets render or frames and movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant.
External sealant needs dry surfaces, so outdoor work around Tongue is planned around the weather. Tell us how to reach each wall, gutter and roofline.
Every job comes with our 12-month guarantee.
- Location
- Tongue (IV27)
- Region
- Highland
- Cover
- One year on every job
- Price
- A clear price before we start
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
External mastic in Tongue: local notes
Tongue is close to the coast, and homes near the sea take more wind-driven rain, with salt in the air closer to the shore. That is hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, especially on the side facing the sea. Harled (roughcast) walls are common in Scotland, and joints where harling meets other materials need a sealant that can grip and flex.
Around Tongue, as everywhere, external mastic is only as good as the preparation behind it.
Tongue is about 33 miles west of Thurso, in Highland. Jobs in Tongue get the same care as everywhere else we work: the old material taken out, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee. Our Highland coverage runs to 253 places, Tongue among them.
Our applicators cover all of the IV27 postcode area for external mastic and the streets around it. Local streets include Varich Place and Loyal Terrace, and we cover them all. Neighbouring places we cover for external mastic include Melness (4 miles north), Am Blàran Odhar (8 miles north-east), Smoo (13 miles north-west), Altnaharra (13 miles south) and Diuranais (14 miles north-west). Remote and island addresses need a little more planning, so tell us where you are when you ask for a quote.
Around Tongue
Other landmarks nearby include Castle Varrich (0.7 miles west). Green spaces nearby include Cnoc an Fhreiceadain and Lochan Hakel.
Tongue: your questions answered
Do you cover Tongue for external mastic?
Yes. We work across all of Scotland, and Tongue is part of that. Just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk with a few details of the job.
Will you come out to Tongue?
Yes, Tongue is covered. We work across all of Scotland, from towns to the smallest places. Longer journeys are simply planned in advance.
Is it OK to fill a movement joint with cement?
No. A mortar-filled joint can’t move, so the movement cracks the wall elsewhere. Use a flexible sealant with backing rod.
Do you take out the old sealant first?
Yes. All of the old material is cut out and the joint cleaned before resealing.
Do you work for letting agents?
Yes. Domestic, commercial and hotel work are all part of what we do, and we are fully insured.
Do you have insurance?
Yes. We are fully insured, and we can confirm the details when we quote.
What information do you need?
Where the job is, what the problem is and roughly how big it is. If you can, email a few photos.
Do you work for hotels and businesses?
Yes. We can plan bigger jobs in stages to suit the site.
What we’re called out for in Tongue
The wrong product in a moving joint is a classic cause. A high-modulus or general-purpose sealant can be too rigid for a busy joint, and it tears off the sides.
Keep an eye out for any of the following:
- Leaking joints around cladding and façade panels
- Sealant that has lost its bond to the brick or render
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
For an older house near a landmark such as St Andrew's Church, old and new materials meet at the roofline and walls, which is where sealant earns its keep.
Comparing quotes
- What happens if they find a problem under the old sealant
- Whether you can choose the colour
- Is VAT in the price?
- Whether they’re fully insured
The process
Most of a good job is in the preparation, so that is where we spend the time. Every joint is cleaned and dried before new material goes in. In total, it usually takes anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. Around Tongue, distance and access matter more than parking. Let us know how to find you and how to reach the joints, and the visit is planned around that.
- First, the joints are inspected and the access agreed.
- Every bit of old sealant and any mortar or debris is cut out.
- Joint faces are cleaned back and primed if the sealant needs it.
- Backing rod sized to the joint goes in to set the depth.
- The exterior sealant is applied, tooled and checked along its length.
Preparing for the visit
- Tell us about access, such as stairs, a lift or high-level joints
- Clear items away from the joints we’re working on
- Mention any parking rules near the property
Get a quote
Want a quote for external mastic? Please email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk with a few details. You’ll know what we plan to do, and what it will cost, before any work begins.
Read more
Should I try it myself first?
A careful DIYer can reseal a simple joint, such as a straightforward joint indoors. The common mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using far too much.
Sealing over old silicone is the commonest DIY error. Silicone doesn’t stick to old silicone, so it peels away and traps moisture behind it. All the old material has to come out first.
Aftercare tips
After the cure time, these simple habits help:
- Check the sealant is paintable before painting near it
- Walk round the building once a year and look at the joints
- Clear growth from the base of walls and joints
- Show decorators and builders where the movement joints are
Don’t let soil, plants or ivy build up against the new joints. Anything that holds water against the joint wears it out sooner.
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.
For landlords and businesses
Housing providers, facilities teams and property managers book us too. We can quote a run of properties together.
Whether it’s one flat or a portfolio, the work is the same standard: the old material taken out, careful preparation and a 12-month guarantee.
Towns and villages near Tongue
Other services in Tongue
When it is not the sealant
It helps to know what we can’t do:
- Failed render or damaged cladding panels
- Cracked brickwork or render that needs a builder or plasterer
- Damp from another source, such as a leaking gutter or a bridged damp-proof course
Not sure which it is? You can drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll tell you honestly.
What we seal
- Copings & trims
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block
- Brickwork movement joints