Edinburgh · Scotland
External & façade joints in West End, Edinburgh
External mastic in West End from a team with over 20 years’ experience. Rated 4.9 on Google from 180+ five-star reviews.
- Failed seals between different materials
- Damp patches traced to an open external joint
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
External mastic in West End
A movement joint is a deliberate break that lets a wall expand and contract. Its sealant has to flex with the building, season after season, and when it fails, the wall takes the strain and water finds a way in. We work on copings & trims, render & cladding joints and brickwork movement joints, and people most often call us about water getting into walls through failed joints and leaking joints around cladding and façade panels.
Alongside their tenements, Scotland’s cities have modern blocks with render, cladding and movement joints. Around West End, as anywhere, those joints dry out and crack over time, letting water behind the face of the building.
We guarantee the work for a year. If something is not right with it in that time, tell us and we will put it right.
- Place
- West End (EH3, EH11, EH4)
- Region
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- 12 months on all our work
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Why act early in West End
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. Scottish rain finds any gap around a frame or wall joint, and in West End, damp can spread through stone and plaster before anyone sees it.
Combining jobs into one visit is generally more efficient than separate visits, so tell us about everything that needs sealing. You’ll get one clear quote for the whole job.
Why us?
- A 12-month guarantee on all work
- Anti-fungal sanitary silicone in wet areas
- Colour agreed with you before we start
- Experience in homes, commercial sites and hotels
Read what affects the cost and customer reviews.
What external mastic looks like in West End
West End is within about 2 miles of the coast, where wind-driven rain is a fact of life and, nearer the shore, so is salt air. That’s hard on movement joints and outside wall joints, especially on the side facing the sea. Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with sash windows throughout the Georgian New Town. For listed homes and conservation areas, check with the council before changing how windows or walls look.
For an older house near a landmark such as 12 Palmerston Place Church, the joints between older walls, newer extensions and the roofline need a sealant that can move. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as St Mary's Music School, larger buildings have long runs of movement joint that eventually need resealing.
West End is about 1 mile north-west of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Jobs in West End get the same care as everywhere else we work: the old material taken out, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee. Across Edinburgh, we cover 175 places, West End among them.
We cover every part of the EH3, EH11 and EH4 postcode area for external mastic and the streets around it. That includes homes and businesses on Duff Road, Dalry Road and Belford Road. If you are just outside West End, we cover Dean Village (1 mile north), Dalry (1 mile south-west), Edinburgh (1 mile south-east), West Coates (1 mile west) and Comely Bank (1 mile north). Within a short drive, we also cover Leith (3 miles north-east), Queensferry (8 miles west), Timber Bush (3 miles north-east), South Portobello (4 miles east), Southhouse (4 miles south-east) and Gilmerton (4 miles south-east). Being one of Edinburgh’s larger places, West End has every kind of property, from flats to offices.
Around West End
Around West End, our work takes us to homes and buildings near St Cuthbert's Church, Boroughmuir High School and Ryrie's pub. Nearby too are Princes Street Gardens (0.5 miles east), Tollcross Primary School (0.5 miles south-east) and Gabrielle Keiller Library (0.6 miles west). West End has its own railway station: Haymarket station. Nearby you’ll also find Edinburgh Castle (0.5 miles east) and Edinburgh Castle (0.5 miles east). Green spaces nearby include Dunsapie Loch and The New Leaf Co-op.
When to call us in West End
A lot of failed joints come down to preparation: dusty or wet faces, no primer where one was needed, or old sealant left in. The new sealant then lets go long before it should.
These are the problems we’re asked about most:
- Failed sealant between panels on a façade
- Moss and dirt in joints with no sealant left
- Hard, crazed mastic that has stopped moving
- Joints with sealant missing in places
Rented homes near Haymarket station change hands often, and outside joints that have cracked can let damp into a rental, so check them between lets.
Questions to ask before booking
- Who turns up on the day
- How the colour is chosen
- Are they insured?
- What guarantee comes with the work
How the visit works
A visit follows a simple pattern: we look at the joints together, mask and protect the surrounding surfaces, carry out the job and tidy away. Most jobs take a few hours for a handful of joints, longer for a whole elevation. Parking in city streets around West End can be tight or controlled, so it helps to know about permits or nearby bays. If you’re in a flat, let us know how we get in at the street door.
- First, the joints are inspected and the access agreed.
- We cut out the old mastic and rake out anything in the joint.
- Joint faces are cleaned back and primed if the sealant needs 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
- Mention any parking rules near the property
- Let us know if you’ve seen damp or leaks
- Tell us about access, such as stairs, a lift or high-level joints
Ask for a quote
Every job is quoted individually. Just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk with the details.
Read more
What the job involves on each surface
Copings and trims
A failed coping joint lets water into the top of the wall. Resealing them is a small job that protects a lot.
Cladding and façade panels
If the façade has a specified sealant, that’s what we use or an approved alternative. Tell us what the building has when you get in touch.
DIY sealant or a professional job?
A DIY attempt does not rule out a professional job. We remove it and do the joint properly, so just mention it when you contact us.
The difference is mostly in the preparation and the product. Joints are cleaned back to sound surfaces and dried, and the sealant is chosen for how the joint moves and where it is, then guaranteed for a year.
FAQs for West End
How is work on the outside of a tenement in West End normally arranged?
It normally goes through the owners together, or through the factor if the building has one. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 sets the rules for common parts if the deeds do not.
I let a flat near Haymarket station. Can you help?
Yes, rental work is part of what we do. Just drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us about the property, and we will send you a clear quote.
Can you do several jobs on one visit?
Yes, we can. Several rooms, windows or areas can go on one quote.
How long should I leave it?
It depends on the product and the conditions. We tell you how long to leave it before we go.
Are you an approved applicator?
Yes. We’re an ARBOMaster approved applicator, which is run for the Arbo sealant brand.
Do you cover West End?
Yes. We’re based in Crawley and work across South East England, London and Scotland, and that includes West End.
Do you use backing rod?
That is backing rod, a closed-cell foam. It keeps the sealant at the right depth and bonded to the sides only, which would stop it stretching.
What is a movement joint?
It’s a deliberate gap that lets the wall expand and contract without cracking. It should be filled with flexible sealant, never mortar.
Landlord and commercial work in West End
From a single let to a portfolio, the work is the same standard: the old material taken out, careful preparation and a 12-month guarantee.
Hotels need rooms back in use, so the work can be planned room by room. Hotel work is part of what we do, alongside homes and businesses.
How to look after the new joints
After the cure time, these simple habits help:
- Ask before painting over external sealant
- Do not let climbing plants root in the sealant
- Wash walls gently around the sealant
- Get split or bare joints resealed while the damage is small
Keep pressure washers away from the sealant. High-pressure water can lift the edges over time.
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.