Edinburgh · Scotland
Sand mastic for sash & case windows in Craigleith, Edinburgh
Traditional burnt sand mastic around sash and case windows and doors in stone and brick for homeowners, landlords and businesses in Craigleith. Fully insured, ARBOMaster approved and guaranteed for a year.
- Old sand mastic that has cracked, crumbled or fallen out
- Gaps where the frame meets the masonry
- A silicone bead on a sash window that spoils the look
Sand mastic in Craigleith
Sand mastic is the traditional way to point the gap between a timber window frame and the stone or brick around it. It’s made from sand and a linseed-oil-based binder and built up by hand. On older homes, it suits the building far better than silicone. If you have gaps where the frame meets the masonry and mastic dropping out of the joint, we can put it right, whatever the surface.
Sash and case windows are a feature of older tenements in all four Scottish cities, and plenty still have them. Whether you are in a tenement flat or a house in Craigleith, the joint between frame and wall is what keeps the weather out.
Our work is backed for twelve months, and the guarantee is the same wherever you are.
- Where
- Craigleith (EH4, EH5, EH3)
- Region
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- One year on every job
- Quote
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
The process
All our tools and materials come with us in the van, so there’s nothing for you to buy. Once we have agreed what’s being done, we protect the area and start. Most jobs take a few hours per window, depending on the condition of the joints. For a tenement in Craigleith, work inside your flat is between us and you, while shared parts may need the factor or neighbours to agree. It helps to know which it is when you get in touch.
- We look at the surrounds with you and agree the joints to renew.
- Old mastic and any loose material are raked out.
- Deep gaps are packed so the mastic sits at the right depth.
- The sand mastic is mixed and pressed into the joint by hand.
- We dress the finish so it sits neatly against the masonry.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention if the joints have been sealed before
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
- For indoor joints, keep the area dry beforehand if you can
Get a quote
Asking for a quote is easy: let us know the job and the location and its rough size. Photos by email help us understand the job, and we will come back to you with a quote.
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Craigleith questions
How do repairs to the shared parts of a tenement in Craigleith get organised?
Shared parts of a tenement, such as the roof and outside walls, are usually repaired with the agreement of the owners, often through a property factor. Where the title deeds are silent, the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 fills the gaps. Your title deeds will say who owns the windows.
Does the coastal weather in Craigleith affect outside sealant?
Coastal homes put outside sealant through more weather than inland ones, so preparation and the right sealant matter all the more. Walls facing the sea are usually the first to need attention.
Can I choose the sealant colour?
Generally, yes. White, clear and grey are common, and other colours are available for many products, and we’ll agree it with you first.
Do I have to be there?
It depends on the job. For work indoors, someone needs to let us in, and for outside work we will agree access with you when we book.
Are you fully insured?
Yes, we’re fully insured.
Where do you work from?
Our base is in Crawley, and we cover South East England, London and all of Scotland.
Is it OK to seal over old sealant?
No, and we never do. It may look fine at first, but the new bead soon lifts. Removing the old sealant completely is the only lasting way.
What’s sand mastic made of?
Sand mastic is a traditional material for pointing round windows and doors. It’s made with sand and a linseed-oil-based binder.
Places near Craigleith
More services for Craigleith
Windows and doors in Craigleith
Craigleith is within about 1 mile of the coast, where wind-driven rain is a fact of life and, nearer the shore, so is salt air. That is hard on the mastic around older windows and doors, especially on the side facing the sea. Historic houses like Caroline Park (about 1.5 miles north) are a reminder that the area around Craigleith has older buildings as well as new. Where a home is older, older frames set in brick or stone need a sealant that suits them, and sometimes that’s traditional sand mastic.
For landlords with property near Haymarket station, cracked sand mastic around sash windows lets in the draughts tenants complain about. Homes close to Dean Parish Church include some older properties, and the joint between an old wall and a newer frame is generally the first place rain gets in. If you look after a building such as Broughton High School, the mastic around its windows and doors needs looking after like any other building’s.
Craigleith is about 2 miles north-west of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Whether you’re in the middle of Craigleith or further out, we cover sand mastic for every kind of property, from flats and houses to offices and hotels. Our area takes in 175 places across Edinburgh.
All of EH4, EH5 and EH3 is covered for sand mastic, from the main roads to the quietest streets. Whether your property is on Ferry Road, Orchard Road and Grigor Avenue or a nearby road, our applicators can take on the job. We also cover East Pilton (1 mile north-west), Comely Bank (1 mile south-east), Crewe Toll (1 mile north-west), Inverleith (1 mile north-east) and Stockbridge (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include Leith (3 miles north-east), Newington (3 miles south-east), Queensferry (7 miles west), Burgh Muir (3 miles south-east), Timber Bush (3 miles north-east) and Lochend (3 miles east).
What’s near Craigleith
In Craigleith, that means homes and buildings near Hamilton's Bar & Kitchen, St Columba's Parish Church and Gabrielle Keiller Library. Nearby too are Stewart's Melville College (0.6 miles south) and King George V Park (1.2 miles east). For rail, the closest station is Haymarket station, roughly 1.2 miles south. A little further out are Western General Hospital (within half a mile west) and Edinburgh Castle (1.4 miles south-east). Open spaces near Craigleith include Corstorphine Hill and Dunsapie Loch.
Why act early in Craigleith
Draughts round a sash window aren’t always the sashes. Gaps between the frame and the wall can be just as bad, and renewing the mastic closes them. For landlords in Craigleith, damp and leaks can be a Repairing Standard issue, so failed sealant is best replaced before it becomes a complaint.
No two jobs are quite the same, so each one gets its own quote. The number of joints, how easy they are to reach and the sealant needed all play a part.
Why choose Mr Mastic in Craigleith
- Quality sealants from Arbo and Everbuild
- Homes, businesses and hotels
- Fully insured
- Approved under the ARBOMaster scheme
Quotes for sand mastic in Craigleith
Call for a quick quote. What matters most is:
- The type of sealant required
- The number of rooms or windows
- Any working-time requirements on site
- Whether old sealant or filler has to be cut out
The cost depends on how much there is to do, how hard the old material is to remove and access to the work. We give a clear quote before work begins, so you know where you stand.
Asking for a quote
When you contact us, it’s useful to know:
- What’s wrong with the joints now
- If it’s domestic, commercial or a hotel
- The rough size of the job
- Any access issues, like height or stairs
Call for a quick quote, or email us if that’s easier. Tell us about the joints that need doing and we’ll explain what’s involved before giving you a price.
When something else is needed
To be straight with you, there are a few things sealant will not fix:
- Rotten sashes, sills or window boxes (a joiner’s job)
- Sashes that need overhauling
- Crumbling stone or brickwork round the window
Not sure which it is? You can drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll tell you honestly.
Where we work in Craigleith
- Tenement windows
- Period & listed homes
- Timber door frames
- Brick reveals
- Stone surrounds
- Sash and case windows
Looking after it afterwards
Simple care keeps the joints in good condition. Our advice:
- Have rotten timber repaired before new mastic goes in
- Inspect the joints round the windows every year or so
- Leave the new mastic unpainted
- Sort the mastic before the decorators arrive
Avoid sealing over the mastic with silicone. If anything cracks, get it looked at before trying a quick fix.
Sound mastic protects the frame. Once it fails, water can sit against the timber, which can lead to rot.
How the job changes by surface
Period and listed homes
A traditional finish suits a period property.
Stone surrounds
We take care not to mark the stone when the old mastic comes out.
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 the joint depth matters as much as the finish.
The biggest DIY mistake is sealing over old sealant. New silicone won’t bond to old, so it peels away and traps moisture behind it. Everything old must be removed first.