Edinburgh · Scotland
Merchiston Sand Mastic
We cover Merchiston for traditional burnt sand mastic around sash and case windows and doors in stone and brick. Old material cut out, joints cleaned and sealed neatly and every job guaranteed for a year.
- Window mastic to renew ahead of painting
- Failed mastic on an exposed elevation
- Old cement repairs round a window that have failed
When it is not the sealant
Sealant is not the answer to every problem, and we will tell you before we start. It won’t solve:
- Sash cords, weights and draught-proofing of the sashes
- Decisions on consent for listed homes
- Timber that has rotted
If in doubt, send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will say what we think before you book.
Surfaces we seal
- Period & listed homes
- Tenement windows
- Sash and case windows
- Stone surrounds
- Timber door frames
- Brick reveals
How we handle sand mastic in Merchiston
A silicone bead around a sash window can look out of place and isn’t always the right material. Sand mastic gives a finish that matches the age of the house and we can swap the silicone for it. We work on stone surrounds, brick reveals and period & listed homes, and the jobs we see most are silicone on a period window that looks wrong and mastic worn away on windows facing the weather.
In a Scottish city, many flats have windows two, three or four floors up, where failing mastic is easy to miss. For a flat in Merchiston, access is the first thing to plan, and in a tenement the outside of the building may be a shared repair.
The work is guaranteed for twelve months. If something is not right with it in that time, tell us and we will put it right.
- Where
- Merchiston (EH10, EH11, EH3)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- One year on every job
- Quotes
- Quoted before any work starts
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
DIY sealant or a professional job?
Not every job suits DIY: work at height, external movement joints, fire-rated sealant and large areas need the right product, the right access and the right method.
If you’ve already had a go yourself, that’s fine. We remove it and do the joint properly, so tell us about it when you ask for a quote.
How we quote for sand mastic
We quote each job individually. These are the things that affect it:
- The product the joint needs
- The size of the job
- The old material and how stubborn it is
- Mould in or behind the old joints
Homes and businesses are quoted the same way: how much there is to do, how we reach it and what it needs, plus any working-time requirements on site. Call for a quick quote and we will explain what it covers.
Helping us quote
To help us quote quickly, let us know:
- What’s wrong with the joints now
- Access, such as stairs, a lift or height
- Pictures of the joints, sent by email
- How many joints, rooms or windows are involved
For a quote, email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us where the job is and what the problem looks like. You will have a clear quote before work begins.
Do you need sand mastic in Merchiston?
Timber swells and shrinks with the weather. The movement cracks the mastic little by little.
Common reasons people contact us include:
- Old sand mastic that has cracked, crumbled or fallen out
- Weathered mastic on the most exposed windows
- Mastic that needs renewing before redecorating
- Open joints round the window box
For landlords with property near Haymarket station, older sash windows in a rental need their mastic kept sound to keep the weather out.
What to look for in a quote
- Whether they’re fully insured
- Is VAT in the price?
- Who turns up on the day
- How the colour is chosen
Windows and doors in Merchiston
Merchiston 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. Under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004, shared parts of a tenement, such as the roof and outside walls, are looked after by the owners together, often through a property factor. Windows normally belong to the flat, but the title deeds have the final say.
Homes close to Christ Church include some older properties, and frames set in older brick or stone need a sealant that suits the wall as well as the frame. Managing a site like Boroughmuir High School? Then the mastic around its windows and doors needs looking after like any other building’s.
Merchiston is about 1 mile south of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Every kind of property in Merchiston can book us for sand mastic, old or new, large or small. The work is guaranteed for a year. Our Edinburgh coverage runs to 175 places, and Merchiston is one of them.
Jobs for sand mastic in EH10, EH11 and EH3 works the same way as everywhere else we cover. Streets in the area include Eden Lane, Spylaw Road and Bryson Road, and we cover them all. If you are just outside Merchiston, we cover Bruntsfield (1 mile east), Holy Corner (1 mile south), Greenhill (1 mile south), Burghmuirhead (1 mile south) and Church Hill (1 mile south). Larger places within reach include Leith (3 miles north-east), Bonnington (3 miles north-east), North Leith (3 miles north), Queensferry (8 miles north-west), Timber Bush (3 miles north-east) and Lochend (3 miles north-east).
Around Merchiston
Typical jobs here are in homes near Golf Tavern, St Cuthbert's Church and Bruntsfield Links, among other places. You’ll also find Tollcross Primary School (0.5 miles north), National Museums Scotland Library (1.1 miles north-east) and Iain Tomlin School of Music (less than half a mile south-west). For rail, the closest station is Haymarket station, about 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. Well-known places in the area include Bruntsfield Hospital (under half a mile east) and Museum of Fire (0.7 miles north-east). Green spaces nearby include Blackford Hill and Dunsapie Loch.
How the visit works
When we get to you, we check the joints match what you told us. If we find something unexpected, we talk it through with you first. Most jobs then take anything from a few hours to a full day, depending on how many windows. For a tenement in Merchiston, work inside your flat is between us and you, while shared parts may need the factor or neighbours to agree. Tell us which applies when you book.
- We look at the surrounds with you and agree the joints to renew.
- Old mastic and any loose material are raked out.
- We pack any deep voids first.
- We apply the mastic by hand and shape it.
- We dress the finish so it sits neatly against the masonry.
Getting ready for the visit
- Where the joints are inside, avoid wetting them before we arrive
- For business premises, tell us about site rules or sign-in
- Clear the area around the work
Getting a quote
Need a quote? Please email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk with a few details. We will explain what we’d do and give you a clear quote before any work starts.
Read more
Landlord and commercial work in Merchiston
A neglected joint can let water reach the structure, which is a bigger problem in a rented property. Resealing at the right time is simple maintenance that we can handle for you.
Housing providers, facilities teams and property managers book us too. Several sites can be quoted together, and we are fully insured for the work.
Looking after it afterwards
Looking after new joints is easy, and it makes a real difference:
- Don’t run silicone over sand mastic
- Clear gutters so water doesn’t pour onto the windows
- Get any rot dealt with first
- Renew mastic before redecorating the windows
Look at the mastic when you look over the windows. Small cracks are easier to deal with early.
Once mastic starts to crumble, rain gets in. That water can reach the timber frame and the wall so early renewal protects both.
Merchiston: your questions answered
How is work on the outside of a tenement in Merchiston normally arranged?
It usually goes through the owners together, or through the factor if the building has one. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 covers the common parts where the deeds don’t.
Does living near the coast affect sand mastic in Merchiston?
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.
Do you work in Merchiston?
We do. Our applicators work in Merchiston, and the service is the same as everywhere else.
Can I paint the new mastic?
The usual advice is to leave sand mastic unpainted. Ask us before you decorate around it and we’ll talk you through it.
Do I need permission for sand mastic on a listed building?
Checking first is sensible. Ask your local planning authority whether consent is needed for listed or conservation-area properties.
How much does sand mastic cost in Merchiston?
We don’t publish prices, because the cost depends on the job: how much there is, what’s there now, how we reach it and what it needs. You’ll get a clear quote before work begins.
How long does sand mastic take?
As a guide, most jobs take anything from a few hours to a full day, depending on how many windows. Bigger jobs take longer, and we will say how long yours will take.
Is it OK to seal over old sealant?
No, and we never do. It can look neat for a few weeks, but the new bead soon lifts. The old sealant has to come out completely.