Expansion and movement joint sealing in Ratho, Edinburgh
Commercial sealant work in Ratho for contractors, FMs and building owners: expansion and movement joint sealing in walls, decks and floors, quoted at a fixed price.
- Weathered movement joint sealant that no longer flexes
- Torn sealant in brick or block movement joints
- New sealant over old, now failing
Expansion joint sealing in Ratho
Photos, a specification or a quick description of the joints is enough to start a fixed quote.
Building owners, agents and FMs in Ratho
Blocks and communal areas make up much of the work for housing associations and agents. We phase the work so people keep access, and each stage is agreed with your contact.
Main contractors use us as their sealant subcontractor on new-build and refurbishment projects. Programme, specification and site rules come first.
About our expansion joint sealing in Ratho
Width, depth and product all have to work together. Joint width must suit the movement and the movement class of the sealant. For wider joints, many sealant makers recommend a width-to-depth ratio, often around 2:1. If you’re dealing with joints where the bead has lost adhesion and water dripping through deck or ramp joints, we can put it right. For commercial sealant work in Ratho, you deal with one contact from quote to sign-off, for single jobs and planned programmes alike.
For floor or movement joints around smaller places like Ratho, we plan to finish in one visit where we can. Send photographs, joint widths and details of the traffic first.
Work we carry out in Edinburgh comes with a 12-month guarantee. If an installation problem shows up, speak to us on 01277 525 020 or email us and we’ll arrange a return visit.
- Place
- Ratho (EH28)
- Wider area
- Edinburgh
- Guarantee
- 12 months on our workmanship
- Quote
- A fixed quote before we start
- Telephone
- 01277 525 020
- Page updated
- 3 November 2026
Looking after the joints
For the best life from the joints:
- Look over external and deck joints after a hard winter
- Note which joints were done, when, and with what
- Leave barriers in place until fresh joint sealant has cured
- Raise snow-clearing blades over deck joints where possible
Snow ploughs and scrapers catch on joint lines. Lifting the blade at each joint avoids tearing the bead, and it’s worth checking joints once the cold weather has passed.
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.
Also in Ratho
Our process
On arrival, we report to your site contact and complete whatever induction the building runs. Floors, finishes and fittings next to the joints are covered before anything is cut or cleaned, and the work normally takes anything from part of a day to a couple of weeks, depending on joint lengths, widths and access. Tell us who will meet us and how to get in at your building near Ratho. We will confirm the plan with the fixed quote.
- The first job is to check each joint: how wide it is, how it moves and why the old seal let go.
- A fixed quote follows, naming the sealant and its movement class.
- The failed seal is removed and both faces are cleaned until sound and dry.
- Backing rod goes in at the right depth, or bond-breaker tape where the joint is shallow.
- 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.
What we need from you
- Tell us your opening times and when work is allowed
- For older buildings, check the asbestos register before work
- Confirm the product named in the specification
Ask for a quote
Tell us about the building, the joints and when you need the work done, and we will put a fixed quote together. The easiest way is to speak to us on 01277 525 020 or email a schedule or drawings.
Related advice
When something else is needed
Our job is the joint, not everything around it. On its own, sealant can’t deal with:
- Crumbling edges that would give a new bead nothing sound to grip
- Leaks coming from the membrane rather than the joint seal
- Damaged metal nosings or cover plates over a joint
If in doubt, speak to us on 01277 525 020 or email the details over and we will say what we think before you book.
Surfaces we seal
- Precast concrete panel joints
- Blockwork control joints
- Car park decks and ramps
- Brickwork movement joints
- Podiums and floor movement joints
- Cladding panel joints
What sets the cost
To price the job, we consider:
- Whether old sealant has to be cut out first
- Joint width, depth and condition
- Whether the work must be split into stages
- Quantities, in metres or numbers
Access can matter as much as the joints themselves: easy-to-reach joints are quicker than those that need equipment to get to. Mention the access as part of your enquiry.
Details that help us quote
For an accurate fixed quote, we need a clear picture of the site. Send us:
- Anything awkward about access or site hours
- The asbestos register, for older buildings
- Drawings or a marked-up plan, if available
- Any specification or named product
Pricing a project or setting a maintenance budget? Send the scope and any drawings, and we’ll return a fixed quote you can plan around. For a chat about it beforehand, speak to us on 01277 525 020 or email drawings and photos.
Common problems we fix in Ratho
With no backing rod or bond-breaker in place, sealant grips the base of the joint too. Bonded on three faces, it can’t stretch evenly when the joint opens, which is why depth control matters.
If one of these sounds familiar, it’s time for a closer look:
- Water getting into the wall through a failed joint
- Car park joints leaking onto vehicles below
- Spalled or broken joint edges in floors and decks
- Expansion joints split through the centre of the bead
Estates like Lochend Industrial Estate, 1.2 miles to the north-west of Ratho, combine warehouse slabs, yards and loading bays, all with joints under wheels.
What to look for in a quote
- Can the work be phased to keep areas open?
- Who will actually carry out the work
- Their pre-qualification and accreditations
- The named product and why it was chosen
Traffic, movement and joints around Ratho
Being in the east of Scotland, Ratho gets less rain than the west coast. Frost and de-icing salt still find their way into open external joints. Sealing them before winter limits the damage. Ratho has at least three named business or industrial parks inside a 3-mile radius. That puts plenty of warehouse floors, service yards and car parks close by, all with joints under traffic.
A healthcare site such as Linburn Centre (to the south-west of Ratho) depends on car parks, ramps and service yards whose joints take traffic all day. Campuses like Heriot-Watt University (to the east of Ratho) mix old and new buildings, with movement joints wherever they meet.
Ratho is about 6 miles east of Livingston, in Edinburgh. If you are looking for expansion joint sealing in Ratho, we can help, as we do across Edinburgh. Across Edinburgh, 174 places are covered, including Ratho. For work in that direction, see our Edinburgh page, about 7 miles away.
We take on movement joints across the EH28 postcode area, for business premises of every kind. We cover commercial and managed buildings on Main Street, Dalmahoy Road and Lidgate Shot. We also cover Ratho Station (1 mile north), Ingliston (1 mile north), Warriston (2 miles south-east), Gogar (2 miles north-east) and Hermiston (2 miles east) for movement joints. Bigger towns within reach include Edinburgh (7 miles east), Leith (9 miles north-east), Bonnington (8 miles north-east), Greenside (8 miles east), Broughton (8 miles east) and Bellevue (8 miles east).
What’s near Ratho
For rail, the closest station is Edinburgh Gateway station, roughly 2.7 miles north-east. Well-known places in the area include The Gyle Shopping Centre (2.8 miles north-east) and Illieston Castle (2.4 miles west). Not far away are Dundas Loch and Warklaw Hill.
Ratho: questions and answers
Is Ratho off your patch?
Not at all: smaller places are covered as well as towns. Every Scottish council area is within our area. We plan jobs in smaller places so return trips are kept to a minimum.
Do you take on work at healthcare sites like Linburn Centre?
Yes, hospitals are one of the sectors we cover. The estates team’s permit system and infection-control rules come first, and the work is planned around them.
Are you insured?
Yes. Mastic Doctor is fully insured, public liability included.
What timescale should we allow for resealing expansion joints?
Expect a few hours to several weeks, depending on how many metres of joint there are and how much old sealant or filler needs removing. We’ll confirm when each area can be used again.
Will you just go over the old sealant?
No. Sealing over old material is one of the classic causes of early joint failure, so everything comes out first.
What exactly is a movement joint?
It’s a deliberate gap that lets the structure move without cracking. Expansion joint is a name often used for the same thing and both need a flexible seal.
Can you send site paperwork?
Tell us what site paperwork you need (RAMS, insurance certificate, CSCS details) and we’ll confirm with the quote.