Edinburgh · Scotland
Craigmillar Sand Mastic
Traditional burnt sand mastic around sash and case windows and doors in stone and brick for Craigmillar, backed by a one-year guarantee. Ask us for a quote.
- Wind and rain getting in round a sash window
- Patchy fillers round a sash window
- Gaps between timber frames and stone or brick
What affects the quote in Craigmillar
The quote reflects the job in front of us. We look at:
- Access and height
- The amount of work
- The number of rooms or windows
- How much old sealant there is and how hard it is to remove
Combining jobs into one visit is normally more efficient than separate visits, so tell us about everything that needs sealing. We’ll send you a clear quote for the lot.
Helping us quote
There’s no need for technical detail. Just tell us:
- How many joints, rooms or windows are involved
- Any previous sealing or DIY work
- Where the job is, and your postcode
- A few pictures by email, if you can
It all starts with a short chat. Tell us what’s wrong, where it is and how much there is. When it suits you, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Sand mastic for homes and businesses in Craigmillar
Our applicators renew the sand mastic around sash and case windows and doors set in stone or brick. The old mastic is raked out, and new mastic is applied and shaped by hand. We work on sash and case windows, period & listed homes and tenement windows, and people most often call us about gaps where the frame meets the masonry and crumbling sand mastic round a window.
Scotland’s cities are full of stone-built tenements and terraces, in sandstone or granite. Stone needs a sealant that suits it, which generally means a neutral-cure product or a traditional sand mastic rather than an acetoxy silicone.
There’s a 12-month guarantee on every job.
- Where
- Craigmillar (EH16, EH15)
- Region
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- A year, on every job
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
When to call us in Craigmillar
Rain on the window surround works into any crack and loosens it further. Windows facing the weather tend to go first.
Keep an eye out for any of the following:
- Modern sealant on a period surround
- Gaps between timber frames and stone or brick
- Mastic dropping out of the joint
- Old cement repairs round a window that have failed
In the older streets around Robin Chapel, the windows may be timber, sash or later replacements, and each needs the right sealant against the wall.
What your quote should include
- Who turns up on the day
- When the joint can take water or movement
- What happens if they find a problem under the old sealant
- What preparation is included
What sealant work can’t fix
In fairness, some problems need a different trade:
- Cracked or broken glass
- Crumbling stone or brickwork round the window
- Whether work needs listed building consent
If in doubt, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll say what we think before booking.
Surfaces we seal
- Tenement windows
- Stone surrounds
- Sash and case windows
- Timber door frames
- Period & listed homes
- Brick reveals
Keeping the joints in good condition
To keep the joints looking good and working properly:
- Take care around the mastic when scraping paint
- Do not paint over the new mastic
- Have rotten timber repaired before new mastic goes in
- Make sure water runs off the sill
Keep paint scrapers and sanders off the mastic when redecorating. Hard scraping can loosen it.
Fine cracks show the mastic is starting to fail. It’s easier to renew it before it drops out.
Surface by surface
Sash and case windows
The box of a sash and case window sits in the stone or brick opening. The gap round it is pointed with sand mastic.
Stone surrounds
Stone openings are rarely perfectly straight, so the gap is not the same all the way round. We shape it by hand to follow the stone.
The process
All our tools and materials come with us in the van, so you do not need to buy or prepare anything. After a quick look at the joints together, we protect the area and start. It normally takes a few hours for a single window, longer for several. Many homes in Scotland’s cities are tenement flats, reached through a shared close and up a common stair. In Craigmillar, it helps to know the floor, the door entry arrangements and the nearest parking.
- We start by checking each surround and agreeing the joints to renew.
- Old, loose mastic is raked out and the joint cleaned.
- Large voids are packed out first, so the mastic is not too thick.
- We mix the sand mastic and apply it by hand, shaping it to the joint.
- We dress the surface so it sits neatly against the masonry.
Before we arrive
- Let us know about parking restrictions
- Tell us about any water getting in
- Mention any sign-in or site rules at work premises
Getting a quote
The more we know about the job, the more useful the quote. Let us know the location, the problem and roughly how many joints.
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Places near Craigmillar
Also in Craigmillar
Common questions in Craigmillar
I let a flat near Brunstane station. Can you help?
Yes, we work for landlords and letting agents. You can drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk with the address and a few details, and we’ll give you a fixed price before we start.
Does the coastal weather in Craigmillar affect outside sealant?
Coastal homes put outside sealant through more weather than inland ones, so the choice of sealant and the preparation matter even more. Walls facing the sea are generally the first to need attention.
Which is right for my windows, sand mastic or modern sealant?
We’ll help you decide. Sand mastic suits many period homes, and modern sealants suit newer frames.
Can I paint the new mastic?
Sand mastic is normally left unpainted, which is what traditional guidance recommends. Talk to us before any painting near it.
What do you put in the joint?
Quality sealants from brands including Arbo and Everbuild, chosen to suit the joint. We explain the product when we quote.
Do you work in Craigmillar?
Yes. From our base in Crawley, we cover South East England, London and all of Scotland, and that includes Craigmillar.
Can you quote for more than one area?
Yes. More than one area can be quoted together.
What’s sand mastic made of?
It’s sand mixed with a linseed-oil-based binder, used between timber frames and stone or brick.
Sand mastic in Craigmillar: local notes
Craigmillar is close to the coast, where wind-driven rain is a fact of life and, nearer the shore, so is salt air. That’s hard on the mastic around older windows and doors, especially on the side facing the sea. Many older homes in Scotland have sash and case windows, often pointed into the wall with traditional sand mastic.
Schools such as Castlebrae Community High School are buildings too, and larger buildings have plenty of frames, and the mastic around each one ages. Letting a property close to Brunstane station? Then any sash windows need sound mastic to keep draughts and rain out.
Craigmillar is about 2 miles east of Newington, in Edinburgh. If you need sand mastic in Craigmillar, please email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk for a quick quote. We are based in Crawley and cover Edinburgh, Craigmillar included. Craigmillar is one of 175 places in Edinburgh we cover for sand mastic.
Jobs for sand mastic in EH16 and EH15 works the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need sand mastic at a property on Dunkirk Road, Harewood Road and Seacole Square or anywhere close by, we can help. Other places close to Craigmillar include Greendykes (1 mile east), Bridge End (1 mile south-west), Duddingston (1 mile north), Bingham (1 mile north-east) and Niddrie Mains (1 mile east). Larger places within reach include Edinburgh (3 miles west), Leith (4 miles north), Bonnington (3 miles north-west), Broughton (3 miles north-west), Bellevue (3 miles north-west) and Silvermills (3 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Craigmillar
We work in homes and buildings around Craigmillar Castle Park, Duddingston Kirk and Sheep Heid Inn, among other places. Also close by are Portobello Library (1.8 miles north-east) and St Margaret's School (1.1 miles west). For rail, the closest station is Brunstane station, about 1.7 miles north-east of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Morita Museum of Fine Art (1.3 miles west) and Craigmillar Castle (within half a mile south). Open spaces near Craigmillar include Duddingston Loch and The New Leaf Co-op.
Can I do it myself?
A DIY attempt doesn’t rule out a professional job. We remove it and do the joint properly.
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.