Edinburgh · Scotland
Edinburgh Sand Mastic
Sand mastic in Edinburgh from a team with over 20 years’ experience. 180+ five-star Google reviews and a 4.9 rating.
- A silicone bead on a sash window that spoils the look
- Tired mastic found when preparing windows for paint
- Gaps round a timber door in stone or brick
DIY versus a professional finish
Some jobs are best left to a professional: high-level joints, fire-rated gaps, external movement joints and big jobs call for the right materials, safe access and experience.
Some sealant jobs are within reach of a careful DIYer, such as a straightforward joint indoors. Where it goes wrong is sealing over the old bead, working on a wet joint or overloading the gap.
Sand mastic in Edinburgh
On many period windows, sand mastic looks right and suits the building. On modern frames we’d normally use a flexible sealant, and we will talk through which suits your home. If you have wind and rain getting in round a sash window and patchy fillers round a sash window, we can help, on tenement windows, period & listed homes and stone surrounds alike.
Sash and case windows are a feature of older tenements in all four Scottish cities, and plenty still have them. Whether you’re in a tenement flat or a house in Edinburgh, the joint between frame and wall is what keeps the weather out.
You get a one-year guarantee, the same in Edinburgh as everywhere else we work.
Sand mastic in Edinburgh: local notes
Edinburgh is within about 2 miles of the coast, and homes near the sea take more wind-driven rain, with salt in the air closer to the shore. That’s hard on the mastic around older windows and doors, especially on the side facing the sea. Private landlords in Scotland must meet the Repairing Standard, which includes keeping a home wind and watertight, and failed outside joints work against that.
If you live in an older home near St Cuthbert's Church, frames set in older brick or stone need a sealant that suits the wall as well as the frame. Rented homes near Haymarket station change hands often, and cracked sand mastic around sash windows lets in the draughts tenants complain about. Schools such as Tollcross Primary School are buildings too, and its window and door frames need their mastic kept sound, just like a home’s.
Edinburgh is in Scotland. Whether you are in the middle of Edinburgh or further out, we cover sand mastic for every kind of property, from flats and houses to offices and hotels. We cover 175 towns and villages across Edinburgh.
We cover every part of the EH4, EH14, EH12 and EH6 postcode area for sand mastic and the streets around it. Whether your property is on Fountainbridge Square, Conference Square and Mcewan Square or a nearby road, we can help. You’ll find Edinburgh on the A1 and A7, which makes it straightforward to reach. We also cover the places around Edinburgh: West End (1 mile north-west), Bruntsfield (1 mile south), Merchiston (1 mile south), Dalry (1 mile west) and Greenhill (1 mile south). Within a short drive, we also cover Leith (3 miles north-east), Queensferry (8 miles west), Timber Bush (3 miles north-east), South Portobello (3 miles east), Southhouse (4 miles south-east) and Newhaven (3 miles north).
Around Edinburgh
Typical jobs here are in homes near Signet Library, Bruntsfield Links and Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Nearby too are Boroughmuir High School (within half a mile south) and Bennets Bar (within half a mile south-east). The nearest railway station is Haymarket station, about 0.5 miles west of the centre. A little further out are Museum of Fire (within half a mile north-east) and Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion (under half a mile east). Not far away are Salisbury Crags and Dunsapie Loch.
Keeping the joints in good condition
Looking after new joints is easy:
- Inspect the joints round the windows every year or so
- Ask a joiner to look at soft timber first
- Find out about consent before window work on a listed home
- Plan mastic work ahead of painting
Leave the new mastic unpainted, which is the traditional advice. Ask us before any decorating around it.
Once mastic starts to crumble, rain gets in. That water can reach the timber frame and the wall so early renewal protects both.
How we quote for sand mastic
You’ll get a clear quote before any work starts. It takes into account:
- The number of rooms or windows
- How easy the joints are to reach
- Any mould that needs treating
- Whether old sealant or filler has to be cut out
Combining jobs into one visit generally makes better use of the time than several visits, so it’s worth mentioning everything you’d like done. You’ll get one clear quote for the whole job.
What we need to know
When you contact us, these details help:
- If it’s domestic, commercial or a hotel
- How many joints, rooms or windows are involved
- Where the job is, and your postcode
- Any access issues, like height or stairs
Getting a quote is simple: let us know the job and the location and its rough size. A few photos by email make the job easier to understand, and we’ll come back to you with a quote.
How it works
On the day, there’s very little for you to do. Show us the job and we will take it from there. The job generally takes anything from a few hours to a full day, depending on how many windows. For a tenement in Edinburgh, 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.
- Each surround is checked first.
- We rake out the old mastic and clean the joint.
- We fill deep gaps so the new mastic is not too thick.
- We point the joint with sand mastic by hand.
- The finish is dressed neatly.
Getting ready for the visit
- Mention any tricky access
- Let us know about parking restrictions
- Clear the area around the work
Get a quote
A good description makes for an accurate quote. Let us know the location, the problem and roughly how many joints, and email pictures if that is easy.
Advice
What happens if it’s left?
Draughts round a sash window are not always the sashes. Gaps between the frame and the wall can be just as bad, and renewing the mastic closes them. In a Scottish city tenement, failed sealant affects more than one flat: a leak can come through the ceiling below, and gaps in shared walls or fire-rated joints matter to every flat.
There are no prices on our website, because the cost depends so much on the job itself. For a quick quote, please email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Why book with us
- We never seal over old sealant
- Domestic, commercial and hotel work
- Quality sealants from Arbo and Everbuild
- Full insurance on every job
Take a look at what affects the cost or our reviews.
What we can’t put right
Before booking, it’s worth knowing the limits:
- Rotten sashes, sills or window boxes (a joiner’s job)
- Broken panes
- Crumbling stone or brickwork round the window
Not sure which it is? You can email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will tell you honestly before booking.
Where we work in Edinburgh
- Timber door frames
- Tenement windows
- Brick reveals
- Sash and case windows
- Stone surrounds
- Period & listed homes
Towns and villages near Edinburgh
Other services in Edinburgh
FAQs for Edinburgh
Does living near the coast affect sand mastic in Edinburgh?
Coastal weather is harder on outside sealant: there’s more wind-driven rain and, closer to the shore, salt in the air. The right product, a clean joint and the right depth all help it cope.
Who arranges sealant work on the shared parts of a tenement in Edinburgh?
Shared parts of a tenement, such as the roof and outside walls, are normally repaired with the agreement of the owners, often through a property factor. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 sets out how that works where the title deeds don’t. Your title deeds will say who owns the windows.
I rent my home. Can I book you?
Yes, though it’s best to check with your landlord first. Many landlords are glad to have it sorted.
Can landlords and businesses book you?
Yes. As well as homeowners, we work for landlords, agents, businesses and hotels.
Can I paint the new mastic?
Traditional guidance is not to paint over sand mastic. Ask us before you decorate around it and we will advise.
Do you guarantee sand mastic work?
You get our 12-month guarantee to all our work.
Is there any odour?
Possibly a little. Any smell clears as the sealant cures, and ventilation helps.
Are you ARBOMaster approved?
Yes. We’re an ARBOMaster approved applicator.
Landlord and commercial work in Edinburgh
For anyone letting property in or around Edinburgh, several properties can go on one quote. Send us the addresses and the work at each.
We also work for businesses, from offices to washrooms and kitchens. On commercial sites, working times can be discussed when we quote.