Edinburgh · Scotland
Sand mastic for sash & case windows in Lauriston, Edinburgh
Problem with your window and door surrounds in Lauriston? We remove the old material, prepare the joints and seal them properly.
- Mastic worn away on windows facing the weather
- Gaps between timber frames and stone or brick
- Draughty sash windows at the surround
Lauriston: your questions answered
Is sand mastic in a coastal place like Lauriston any different?
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 normally the first to need attention.
Who arranges sealant work on the shared parts of a tenement in Lauriston?
The owners of the flats generally agree repairs to shared parts like the roof and outside walls, and many buildings have a factor to arrange it. 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.
Do you have insurance?
Yes, we’re fully insured for domestic and commercial work.
Do you work for letting agents?
Yes, often. We can quote for several properties at once, and between tenancies is a good time for the work.
Do you work in Lauriston?
We do. Our applicators work in Lauriston, and the service is the same as everywhere else.
Can I do it myself?
Some simple jobs can be done by a careful DIYer. The usual mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using too much.
What does sand mastic cost?
The cost depends on the size of the job, access and how much old sealant has to come out. Call for a quick quote.
Do I need permission for sand mastic on a listed building?
Your local planning authority is the one to ask. They decide whether consent is needed.
How we handle sand mastic in Lauriston
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 period homes, it looks right where silicone wouldn’t. If you have wind and rain getting in round a sash window and cracked mastic round a front door frame, we can put it right, whatever the surface.
Tenement flats in Scotland’s cities often have windows high above the street, where failing mastic is easy to miss. Access is the first thing to plan for a job in Lauriston, and in a tenement the outside of the building may be a shared repair.
The work is covered for a year after we finish. If anything isn’t right with it, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk.
- Location
- Lauriston (EH3, EH1, EH8)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- One year on every job
- Price
- Quoted before any work starts
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
Common problems we fix in Lauriston
Timber frames move with the seasons. That movement opens up the mastic joint little by little.
Signs it’s time to call us include:
- Cement or filler used on old window joints that has cracked
- Cracked mastic round a front door frame
- Silicone on a period window that looks wrong
- Gaps where the frame meets the masonry
If you look after a building such as Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, the mastic around its windows and doors needs looking after like any other building’s.
Before booking anyone
- Whether VAT is included
- Which sealant they’ll use, and why
- Whether all the old sealant comes out first
- Are they insured?
Sand mastic in Lauriston: local notes
Lauriston 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. Both are hard on the mastic around older windows and doors, which can dry out and crack sooner where a building faces the weather. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Georgian New Town is known for its sash windows. For listed homes and conservation areas, check with the council before changing how windows or walls look.
For landlords with property near Edinburgh Waverley station, cracked sand mastic around sash windows lets in the draughts tenants complain about. In the older streets around Lauriston Church, replacement windows fitted into old openings often leave uneven gaps that need backing and a flexible joint.
Lauriston is about 1 mile east of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Jobs in Lauriston get the same care as everywhere else we work: the old material taken out, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee. We cover 175 towns and villages across Edinburgh, large and small.
We work across EH3, EH1 and EH8 for sand mastic. If you need sand mastic at a property on Lothian Road, Forrest Road and Lister Square or anywhere close by, we can help. With the A700 close by, Lauriston is easy for our applicators to reach. Close by, we work in Old Town (1 mile north-east), Marchmont (1 mile south), Buccleuch (1 mile east), Sciennes (1 mile south-east) and Holyrood (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Leith (3 miles north-east), Queensferry (8 miles west), South Portobello (3 miles east), Southhouse (3 miles south-east), Gilmerton (4 miles south-east) and Muirhouse (3 miles north-west).
Around Lauriston
Typical jobs here are in homes near Tollcross Primary School, St Cuthbert's Church and James Gillespie's High School, among other places. You’ll also find The Meadows (within half a mile south), The Beehive Inn (within half a mile north) and National Museums Scotland Library (under half a mile north-east). The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley station, about 0.5 miles north-east of the centre. Other landmarks nearby include Edinburgh Dental Institute (under half a mile south) and Waverley Mall (0.6 miles north). For a walk, there’s The New Leaf Co-op and Salisbury Crags.
How it works
At the end, we look at the finished work together and tell you how long to leave it. The visit itself normally takes a few hours per window, depending on the condition of the joints, depending on how much there is to do. Parking in city streets around Lauriston can be tight or controlled, so it helps to know about permits or nearby bays. For flats, mention the door entry system and any shared-stair arrangements.
- First, we look at the surrounds with you and agree what needs doing.
- We rake out the old mastic and clean the joint.
- Large voids are packed out first, so the mastic is not too thick.
- Sand mastic is mixed and applied by hand, then shaped to the joint.
- We dress the surface so it sits neatly against the masonry.
Preparing for the visit
- Keep children and pets away from the work area
- Let us know if you’ve seen damp or leaks
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
Ask for a quote
Need a quote? Please send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us about the job. You will know what we plan to do, and what it will cost, before any work begins.
Advice
Other services in Lauriston
Looking after it afterwards
After the cure time, these simple habits help:
- Do not run silicone over sand mastic
- Keep sills and gutters clear so water drains away
- Ask us before painting near the mastic
- Ask a joiner to look at soft timber first
Keep paint scrapers and sanders off the mastic when redecorating. Hard scraping can loosen it.
Renewing mastic before redecorating saves doing it twice. Painting over failed mastic hides the problem for a while.
Quotes for sand mastic in Lauriston
For a quick quote, just ask. What matters most is:
- The product the joint needs
- Whether there’s mould to deal with
- Working hours on commercial sites
- How many rooms, windows or areas are involved
Rather than a set price list, we price the job in front of us: the amount of work, the old material and the access. You’ll know the price before we begin.
Asking for a quote
You don’t need to know the technical terms. Just tell us:
- What the problem is, such as mould, gaps, leaks or cracking
- Roughly how big the job is
- How we’d reach the joints
- Where the property is
Every job is quoted individually. Simply drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk and describe the job and send pictures if you have them.
When something else is needed
We will always be straight with you, so here’s what sealant cannot fix:
- Rotten sashes, sills or window boxes (a joiner’s job)
- Sashes that need overhauling
- Cracked or broken glass
If in doubt, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and we’ll say what we think.
Where we work in Lauriston
- Sash and case windows
- Stone surrounds
- Timber door frames
- Brick reveals
- Tenement windows
- Period & listed homes
Work for landlords, hotels and businesses
We work for letting agents and landlords as well as homeowners. Sealant work between tenants keeps a property looking cared for before the next move-in.
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.
Different surfaces, different methods
Stone surrounds
The stone is treated with care when the old mastic comes out.
Timber door frames
Round a period front door, sand mastic gives the right look.