Expansion and movement joint sealing in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Need expansion joint sealing in Kirkwall? It’s simple: send details, get a quote, we seal, guaranteed.
- New sealant over old, now failing
- Water getting into the wall through a failed joint
- Torn sealant in brick or block movement joints
Need expansion joint sealing in Kirkwall?
Tell us what needs sealing and where, with photos or drawings if you have them, and we’ll price it.
What we’re called out for in Kirkwall
When the movement exceeds the sealant’s capability, the bead tears. Cohesive failure, a split through the centre, usually means the joint or product wasn’t right for the movement. Resealing like for like often fails the same way.
Most enquiries start with one or more of the following:
- Car park joints leaking onto vehicles below
- Water getting into the wall through a failed joint
- Movement joints with split or torn sealant
- Weathered movement joint sealant that no longer flexes
Hospitals like Balfour Hospital, 0.5 miles south-west of Kirkwall, have multi-storey or surface car parks whose joints carry vehicles round the clock.
What to look for in a quote
- Who will actually carry out the work
- What site paperwork they can supply
- Will failed sealant be removed rather than covered?
- The terms of the workmanship guarantee
Expansion joint sealing in Kirkwall
Joints in car park decks and ramps are among the hardest-working in any building. Tyres load the edges, and de-icing salts and water work into any gap. We reseal deck and ramp joints with a trafficable sealant chosen for the movement and the work can be phased so parts of the car park stay open. If you are dealing with brittle, chalky sealant on external joints and arrises breaking up along floor joints, we can help. Sealant contractors, mastic applicators, sealant specialists: whatever the job title on the order, in Kirkwall it comes down to the same thing: the right product in a properly prepared joint.
Public buildings in Scottish towns like Kirkwall have plenty of movement joints in brick, block and cladding. Renewing them before they leak protects the structure behind.
We stand behind the joints we seal with a 12-month guarantee. It covers how we prepared and applied the sealant, and we come back if anything isn’t right.
- Location
- Kirkwall (KW15)
- Region
- Orkney Islands
- Cover
- A 12-month guarantee
- Quote
- Fixed quote, scope in writing
- Phone
- 01277 525 020
- Last updated
- 3 November 2026
From enquiry to sign-off
Inspect, seal, sign off: every visit follows that pattern. First comes an inspection and agreement on scope, then the work is carried out to the specified product and detail, and the job ends with a walk round and sign-off. If you manage more than one building in Kirkwall, they can be grouped, with one quote. Share your working hours and access arrangements and we will fit in.
- We look at the joints, their width and how they’ve failed.
- You get a fixed quote with the product and its movement capability stated.
- We strip out the old seal and prepare the faces.
- Closed-cell backing rod is set to depth, or bond-breaker tape in shallow joints.
- Where the maker calls for primer, it’s applied first, then the bead goes in and is tooled to a concave finish.
- Each joint is inspected and handed over with our 12-month guarantee.
Preparing the site
- Tell us your opening times and when work is allowed
- Let us know about inductions and permits
- Tell us which areas need to stay in use
Getting a fixed quote
Every quote starts with the facts: the joints involved, quantities, access and the product called for. Share whatever details you have and we’ll fill any gaps with a visit.
Advice
Places near Kirkwall
What else we do in Kirkwall
Should maintenance staff do it?
Paperwork matters too. Main contractors and clients often ask for CSCS cards, RAMS and insurance details, and we’ll confirm the paperwork you need with the quote.
The visible bead is only part of the job. Correct depth, the right primer and a sealant matched to the movement are easy to get wrong without experience.
Questions about Kirkwall
Does the sea air around Kirkwall change the choice of sealant?
It can. Driven rain and salt are tougher on outside sealant than sheltered inland conditions. We check the specified product suits the exposure and pay close attention to preparation.
Will you travel to Kirkwall on the island?
Yes, Kirkwall is within the area we cover. We work across every Scottish council area. Island work is planned around ferry crossings and the weather, so photos and a full list before we travel are essential.
Can staff carry on working while you are here?
Yes, as long as we plan it. We agree a sequence with your contact so just one area at a time is disrupted.
Are you CHAS accredited?
Yes. We’re CHAS accredited, we’re a Constructionline member and we use CSCS-carded applicators.
Can you seal joints in cold or wet weather?
A wet joint can’t be sealed properly. The work is simply moved to the next suitable day.
Do you need to see the site first?
Photos, drawings or a schedule are often enough to quote. Where they aren’t, we arrange a site visit before quoting.
Can you work on car park ramps and decks?
Yes, we do. These joints take wheels, salt and water, so product choice matters, and we’ll tell you if any edges need repairing first.
Building owners, agents and FMs in Kirkwall
Housing associations and managing agents often need work done across blocks and communal areas. Work can be phased so residents and staff keep access throughout, with each stage agreed with your site contact.
When you manage a building on behalf of an owner, you need clear quotes and clear reporting. We quote a fixed sum, confirm the scope and walk the finished work with you or your representative, plus a 12-month guarantee.
Joints that move: notes for Kirkwall
Kirkwall lies within about 2 miles of the sea. Open joints in coastal car parks and yards let in salt-laden water as well as grit, and edges left open tend to break up faster. The east of Scotland, where Kirkwall is, gets less rain than the west. Freezing weather and salt still attack open external joints. Sealing them before winter limits the damage.
Schools such as Kirkwall Grammar School have movement joints in their walls and floors that are easy to overlook.
Kirkwall is in the Orkney Islands. Across the KW15 postcode area, the process is the same: send details, get a fixed quote, we seal, and the work is guaranteed. 51 places across the Orkney Islands fall within our area, Kirkwall among them.
Commercial sites across KW15 are covered for movement joints. For a building on Main Street, Sommerville Square and High Street or nearby, we can quote for movement joints. Kirkwall sits on or close to the A960 and A961, useful when we plan access and materials. Just outside Kirkwall, we also work in Blackhill (1 mile west), Greenigoe (3 miles south-west), Balfour (4 miles north-east), Tankerness (4 miles east) and Toab (5 miles south-east). As one of the bigger centres in the Orkney Islands, Kirkwall has a broad mix of commercial, public and industrial buildings, and we cover them all. For island and remote sites, we plan travel and materials carefully, so the full address helps from the start.
Near you in Kirkwall
Recent enquiries here include premises near Orkney Library and Archive, among other places. Nearby you’ll also find Balfour Hospital (0.5 miles south-west) and Bishop's Palace (less than half a mile south-west). Green spaces nearby include Gallow Ha' and Loomi Shun.
Why deal with it now?
A torn seal left alone normally gets worse. Grit and water fill the gap and the material either side breaks up, so a reseal turns into an edge repair as well. Resealing early keeps the work to sealant. In Kirkwall, rain and frost work into any failed joint, so small failures grow. Resealing early keeps it a simple job.
The work involved drives the cost: stripping out, preparation, sealing, access and phasing. Call for a fixed quote.
What you get with us
- Joints cleaned back to sound surfaces
- Constructionline member
- Sealing commercial buildings since 2005
- Colour options checked against the specified product
Read how commercial sealant jobs are priced and our accreditations.
Looking after the joints
For the best life from the joints:
- Reopen bays and walkways only after the stated cure time
- Avoid parking heavy plant or pallets on joint lines
- Put movement joints on the planned maintenance inspection round
- Check joints after long freezing spells
In warehouses, forklift and pallet-truck routes take the most wear. Keep racking feet and heavy point loads off joint lines.
Floor joints with failed fillers break up quickly under wheels. Broken arrises jolt trucks, loads and drivers. Keeping the filler or sealant sound protects the floor.