Edinburgh · Scotland
Little France Sand Mastic
Traditional burnt sand mastic around sash and case windows and doors in stone and brick for homes and businesses in Little France and across Edinburgh. ARBOMaster approved applicators, fully insured, with a 12-month guarantee.
- Draughts and rain around sash boxes
- Modern sealant on a period surround
- Tired mastic found when preparing windows for paint
Frames and glazing around Little France
Little France is close to 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. Sash and case windows are common in older Scottish homes, and the joint between the box frame and the stone or render is traditionally pointed with sand mastic.
Letting a property close to Shawfair station? Then any sash windows need sound mastic to keep draughts and rain out. For an older house near a landmark such as Robin Chapel, the windows may be timber, sash or later replacements, and each needs the right sealant against the wall.
Little France is about 2 miles south-east of Buccleuch, in Edinburgh. From the centre of Little France to the outskirts, we cover sand mastic for every kind of property, from flats and houses to offices and hotels. Little France is one of 175 towns and villages in Edinburgh where we work.
Work in EH17 and EH16 works the same way as everywhere else we cover. If you need sand mastic at a property on Gilmerton Road, Craigour Avenue and Kingston Avenue or anywhere close by, our applicators can take on the job. You’ll find Little France on the A772, so it’s easy for us to get to with everything needed for sand mastic. Neighbouring places we cover for sand mastic include Craigour (1 mile south), Moredun (1 mile south), Fernieside (1 mile south-east), Inch (1 mile west) and Ferniehill (1 mile south-east). We also work in nearby towns such as Edinburgh (3 miles north-west), Leith (4 miles north), Bonnington (4 miles north-west), Greenside (3 miles north-west), Broughton (3 miles north-west) and Bellevue (3 miles north-west).
Landmarks near Little France
In Little France, that means homes and buildings near St Margaret's School, Craigmillar Castle Park and Liberton Parish Church, among other places. Little France’s nearest station is Shawfair station, about 1.9 miles east of the centre. Nearby you will also find Craigmillar Castle (under half a mile north) and Natural History Collections (1.3 miles west). Not far away are The New Leaf Co-op and Duddingston Loch.
Sand mastic in Little France
Old sand mastic cracks, crumbles and falls out over time and gaps open up round the frame. Renewing it closes the gap so the surround looks right again. If you are dealing with tired mastic found when preparing windows for paint and gaps between timber frames and stone or brick, we can put it right, whatever the surface.
Older stone-built tenements in Scotland’s cities were built with sash and case windows, and plenty still have them. Whether you are in a tenement flat or a house in Little France, the joint between frame and wall is what keeps the weather out.
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
- Little France (EH17, EH16)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Cover
- 12 months on all our work
- Quotes
- A clear price before we start
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Page updated
- 26 October 2026
Can I do it myself?
A DIY attempt doesn’t rule out a professional job. We remove it and do the joint properly.
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.
How the visit works
You do not need to clear the whole room or building before we come, only the area right around the joints. We protect the rest, and the job takes a few hours per window, depending on the condition of the joints in most cases. Inside a flat in Little France, the job is planned with you; outside, shared parts may need the factor or other owners involved. Tell us which applies when you book.
- We look at the surrounds with you and agree the joints to renew.
- We remove the old, loose mastic.
- Deep gaps are packed so the mastic sits at the right depth.
- We apply the mastic by hand and shape it.
- We dress the finish so it sits neatly against the masonry.
Preparing for the visit
- Mention any sign-in or site rules at work premises
- Where the joints are inside, avoid wetting them before we arrive
- Keep pets and children clear of the area while we work
How to get a quote
We do not publish a price list, as no two jobs are quite the same. Instead, we give you a clear quote for your job. To get started, drop us a line at info@mrmastic.co.uk.
Advice
Little France questions
Does living near the coast affect sand mastic in Little France?
Near the sea, outside joints face more wind, rain and salt than they would inland, so the choice of sealant and the preparation matter even more. It’s worth checking the walls that face the sea first.
Who arranges sealant work on the shared parts of a tenement in Little France?
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. Windows often belong to the individual flat, but it’s worth checking your deeds.
Do you take out the old sealant first?
Yes. All of the old material is cut out and the joint cleaned before resealing.
Are you insured?
Yes, we’re fully insured.
Where do you work from?
Our base is Crawley, with over 20 years’ experience. Our area covers South East England, London and Scotland.
Do I have to be there?
For indoor joints, yes, someone needs to let us in. After that, you can carry on with your day.
What exactly is sand mastic?
It’s sand mixed with a linseed-oil-based binder for the joint between timber frames and masonry.
Which products do you use?
Each joint gets the product that suits it. Where it moves, gets wet or faces the weather makes a difference, and we will tell you what we’re using.
Places near Little France
Also in Little France
Landlord and commercial work in Little France
Landlords and letting agents in Little France can book us 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: old sealant fully removed, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee.
Why act early in Little France
Not every draught comes from the sashes themselves. Gaps between the frame and the wall can be just as bad and new mastic seals them. Wind-driven rain gets into any failed joint on the outside of a city building, and in a tall building in Little France, damp can travel a long way before it shows.
We don’t show prices on the website, because the cost depends so much on the job itself. Call for a quick quote.
What you get with us
- Fully insured
- Domestic, commercial and hotel work
- Old sealant always removed completely
- 20+ years of sealant experience
Common problems we fix in Little France
Decorating can disturb tired mastic. It’s often found when windows are being prepared for paint.
It’s worth asking for a quote if you see:
- Cement or filler used on old window joints that has cracked
- Cracked mastic round a front door frame
- Gaps between timber frames and stone or brick
- Silicone on a period window that looks wrong
Schools such as Liberton High School are buildings too, and the mastic around its windows and doors needs looking after like any other building’s.
What your quote should include
- How long the guarantee is
- Whether they’re fully insured
- How the colour is chosen
- Which sealant they’ll use, and why
Quotes for sand mastic in Little France
The price is agreed before any work begins. It’s based on:
- The number and length of the joints
- How easy the joints are to reach
- The number of rooms or windows
- The old material and how stubborn it is
Some things make a job bigger or smaller: how much old sealant there is and how stubborn it is, whether mould needs treating, and whether we need extra access for height. We take all of that into account in your quote.
Asking for a quote
You don’t need to know the technical terms. It helps if you can tell us:
- What’s wrong with the joints now
- Pictures of the joints, sent by email
- If it’s domestic, commercial or a hotel
- The rough size of the job
The more we know about the job, the more useful the quote. Let us know the location, the problem and roughly how many joints.
How to look after the new joints
So the new joints stay in good condition:
- Avoid patching sand mastic with silicone
- Get any rot dealt with first
- Do not paint over the new mastic
- Take care around the mastic when scraping paint
When preparing windows for paint, take care around the mastic. Hard scraping can loosen it.
Small cracks are a sign the mastic is ageing. It’s easier to renew it before it drops out.