Edinburgh · Scotland
Window & door mastic in Canongate, Edinburgh
Professional window mastic in and around Canongate, with every bit of old sealant taken out first.
- Cracked sealant at the sill ends
- Draughts coming in around windows and doors
- Black, perished sealant on frames
How we handle window mastic in Canongate
Most frames have an outside joint and an inside one. The external joint is the weather seal; the internal joint closes the gap to the plaster and stops draughts. We seal one or both, depending on what’s needed. We’re often asked to deal with rain getting in at the frame or under the sill and rushed sealant from a window installation, on patio & French doors, uPVC windows and composite doors.
Scotland’s cities are full of stone-built tenements and terraces, in sandstone or granite. Natural stone around older windows needs a sealant that will not mark or attack it, which generally means a neutral-cure product or a traditional sand mastic rather than an acetoxy silicone.
A 12-month guarantee comes with the work, just as it does everywhere we cover.
- Location
- Canongate (EH1, EH8, EH7)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- 12 months on all our work
- Quotes
- A clear quote up front
- info@mrmastic.co.uk
- Last updated
- 26 October 2026
What the job involves on each surface
Window sills
The end joints of a sill tend to fail before the rest. A tight seal at each end keeps rain out of the wall.
uPVC windows
uPVC expands and contracts noticeably with temperature, so we use a flexible, low-modulus sealant. White is the usual colour, with brown, anthracite grey and black for coloured frames.
More services for Canongate
Window mastic in Canongate: local notes
Canongate 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 is hard on the mastic around window and door frames, especially on the side facing the sea. Historic houses like Whitefoord House (about 0.1 miles north-east) are a reminder that the area around Canongate has older buildings as well as new. In older buildings, older frames set in brick or stone need a sealant that suits them, and sometimes that is traditional sand mastic.
Schools such as Old Royal High School are buildings too, and larger buildings have plenty of frames, and the mastic around each one ages. Homes close to Kirk of the Canongate include some older properties, and the windows may be timber, sash or later replacements, and each needs the right sealant against the wall.
Canongate is about 1 mile north-east of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh. Wherever you are in the EH1 postcode area, our applicators can take on window mastic. 175 places in Edinburgh are on our list, from the larger towns to small villages.
We work across EH1, EH8 and EH7 for window mastic. Whether your property is on High Street, Calton Road and Hutton Road or a nearby road, we can help. Nearby, we also carry out window mastic in Holyrood (1 mile south-west), Dumbiedykes (1 mile south), Greenside (1 mile north-west), Buccleuch (1 mile south) and Abbeyhill (1 mile north-east). Within a short drive, we also cover Queensferry (9 miles west), Southhouse (4 miles south), Gilmerton (4 miles south-east), Muirhouse (3 miles north-west), Slateford (3 miles south-west) and Gracemount (3 miles south).
Local landmarks in Canongate
Typical jobs here are in homes near Scottish Poetry Library, The World's End pub and St Cuthbert's Church and the streets around them. You’ll also find London Street Primary School (0.6 miles north-west) and Holyrood Park (under half a mile east). Canongate has its own railway station: Edinburgh Waverley station. Nearby you will also find Edinburgh Castle (0.9 miles west) and St. James Centre (under half a mile north-west). For a walk, there’s Salisbury Crags and The New Leaf Co-op.
Signs you need window mastic in Canongate
Some failures date back to when the windows were fitted. Sealant run over dust, wet brick or loose mortar never bonded as it should, so it comes away long before its time.
People normally contact us when they notice one of these:
- Leaking joints at the ends of sills
- White mastic on grey or black frames
- Draughts coming in around windows and doors
- Cracked internal joints between frame and plaster
If you let a flat or house near Edinburgh Waverley station, sound mastic around windows and doors keeps out the draughts and damp that tenants notice first.
What to look for in a quote
- How much experience the applicator has
- What the cure time is
- Which sealant they’ll use, and why
- Whether all the old sealant comes out first
What sealant work can’t fix
We won’t take on work that will not last, so these are the limits:
- Rotten timber, which needs a joiner first
- A failed sealed unit that has misted up
- Penetrating damp from a failed cavity tray or render
If you’re not sure, just email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and we will give you a straight answer.
Where we work in Canongate
- Patio & French doors
- Timber windows & doors
- Aluminium frames
- Window sills
- Composite doors
- uPVC windows
What affects the quote in Canongate
For a quick quote, just ask. The main things that affect it are:
- The number of rooms or windows
- Mould in or behind the old joints
- The number and length of the joints
- Whether old sealant or filler has to be cut out
Doing several joints on one visit is usually more efficient than separate visits. We will give you a clear quote for the lot.
What we need to know
A few details help us give you an accurate quote. When you get in contact, it helps to mention:
- The problem you’ve noticed
- Any access issues, like height or stairs
- Whether it’s a home or a business
- Whether it has been sealed before
Every job is quoted individually. Simply email us at info@mrmastic.co.uk and describe the job and send photos if you have them.
Looking after it afterwards
To keep the joints looking good and working properly:
- Avoid harsh chemicals near the mastic
- Do not paint over the silicone
- Don’t aim a pressure washer at the joints
- Make sure the drainage slots aren’t blocked
Keep the new mastic undisturbed while it cures, following the cure time we give you. Do not point a pressure washer at the joints.
Signs to watch for: cracks in the mastic, gaps you can see light through, damp on the reveal or mould around the inside of the frame. If you notice one, it’s time to get the joint looked at.
DIY sealant or a professional job?
Some sealant jobs are within reach of a careful DIYer, such as a straightforward joint indoors. The common mistakes are sealing over old sealant, sealing a damp joint and using far too much.
Sealing over old silicone is the commonest DIY error. Silicone does not stick to old silicone, so it peels away and traps moisture behind it. All the old material has to come out first.
Common questions in Canongate
How do repairs to the shared parts of a tenement in Canongate get organised?
It generally goes through the owners together, or through the factor if the building has one. The Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 sets the rules for common parts if the deeds do not.
I let a flat near Edinburgh Waverley station. Can you help?
Yes, we work for landlords and letting agents. Just send an email to info@mrmastic.co.uk and tell us about the property, and we’ll give you a clear quote.
Can new sealant go over the old?
No, it won’t last. It may look fine at first, but the new layer lifts away from the old one. The old sealant has to come out completely.
Will you leave a mess?
We keep the work tidy. We protect what’s around the joints.
What should I tell you?
A short description and the location, plus photos if you have them. We’ll ask anything else we need to know.
Are you insured?
Yes, we’re fully insured for domestic and commercial work.
Is it worth trying it myself?
It depends on the job. Work at height, movement joints, fire-rated gaps and large areas are best left to a professional, while a short indoor joint may be within reach.
Will the old sealant be removed?
Yes. All of the old material is cut out and the joint cleaned before applying anything new.
The process
When we get to you, we compare the joints with what we discussed. If anything is different, we explain it before carrying on. Most jobs then take most of a day for a typical house, less for a few frames. In a city area like Canongate, parking may be by permit or pay-and-display, so tell us what’s nearby. If you’re in a flat, let us know how we get in at the street door.
- Each frame is looked over and we agree which ones need resealing.
- We remove the old mastic and clean the frame edge and wall.
- Where the gap is deep, backing rod goes in first.
- A flexible exterior sealant is applied in a colour to suit the frame.
- Every joint is tooled smooth and checked before we leave.
Getting ready for the visit
- Move anything stored near the joints
- Let us know about parking restrictions
- Mention any tricky access
How to get a quote
Getting a quote is simple: let us know the job and the location, and roughly how big it is. Photos by email help us understand the job, and we’ll take it from there.