Expansion Joint Sealing in The Wisp
Expansion joint sealing for The Wisp, from a contractor working since 2005. Fully insured and CHAS accredited.
- Torn sealant in brick or block movement joints
- Debris jammed in movement joints
- Hardened, cracked sealant on exposed facades
Expansion joint sealing in The Wisp
Send drawings, photos or a joint schedule, or tell us about the site, and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
Expansion joint sealing in The Wisp
Long runs of brick or block have movement joints built in. Once the seal fails, rain reaches the cavity and the joint can no longer close. The old seal comes out, backing goes in and a sealant with the right movement class is applied with primer where the maker calls for it. The enquiries we see most involve sealant pulling off the joint face and joints packed with grit and debris, on precast concrete panel joints, podiums and floor movement joints and brickwork movement joints. Whether you call it commercial sealant work, mastic application or joint sealing, in The Wisp it comes down to the same thing: failed joints cut out, faces prepared and the right sealant laid to the right depth.
Older stone buildings in Scotland’s cities often have later extensions, with movement joints where old meets new. They need the right movement class and correct width and depth to last.
Work we carry out comes with a 12-month guarantee. If an installation problem shows up, give us a call on 01277 525 020 or send photos by email and we’ll arrange a return visit.
- Where
- The Wisp (EH16, EH22, EH15)
- Region
- Edinburgh
- Cover
- A 12-month guarantee
- Price
- A fixed quote before we start
- Call
- 01277 525 020
- Updated
- 3 November 2026
The Wisp: questions and answers
Can you work on a hospital site such as Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Little France)?
Yes, provided the work is planned with the site’s estates team. Before anything starts, the estates team agrees permits, inductions and infection-control measures with us.
Does a coastal location like The Wisp affect which sealant is used?
It can. Wind-driven rain and, closer to the shore, salt air are harder on external joints. We choose the product for the exposure, prime where the manufacturer requires it and size the joint for its movement.
Can you quote from photographs?
That depends on the size and complexity of the job. Straightforward work can often be priced from photos and measurements, while larger or less clear jobs get a site visit first.
When can you be on site?
We are in the office from 8am until 5pm, Monday to Friday. Tell us your site hours and access windows and the work will be fitted around them.
How long before the joints can be used?
Curing time varies by product, and we confirm it on the day.
Do you work in The Wisp?
Yes. We take on work across The Wisp, and the same phone number covers every area.
Does the weather affect the work?
It can, when the joints are outside. Sealant won’t bond properly to a wet or frosty joint, so external work may be moved if conditions aren’t right. Internal work is far less affected.
After the work
Cleaning and maintenance staff play a part too. Pass these on to them:
- Plan racking layouts so feet don’t land on a joint
- Report split or peeling joint sealant early
- Record the sealant used and the date in the O&M file
- Include every elevation and deck joint in periodic inspections
Fresh joint sealant needs its full cure time before it takes traffic or water. How long that takes depends on the product, the temperature and the depth of the joint. Keeping the area coned off until then avoids tyre marks and damage.
Once debris packs a failed joint, the structure has nowhere to expand. The edges then take the pressure and start to spall. A sound seal keeps the joint working.
Joints that move: notes for The Wisp
With the shore within about 2 miles, The Wisp counts as a coastal location. Near the sea, external slabs, ramps and decks see salt air and driven rain as well as their usual loads, so a failed joint lets more in and the edges break up sooner. The east of Scotland, where The Wisp is, gets less rain than the west. Cold winters and gritting are hard on any yard or deck joint left open. Resealing before the cold months helps protect the edges.
Another example is Eastern Industrial Estate, 0.9 miles north-east of The Wisp, where floors and yards would be done in stages around the occupiers. A campus such as University of Edinburgh Bioquarter, 0.6 miles to the south-west of The Wisp, has long runs of movement joint in its buildings, decks and paving. Schools such as Castlebrae Community High School have movement joints in their walls and floors that are easy to overlook.
The Wisp is about 3 miles south-west of Musselburgh, in Edinburgh. We cover The Wisp, with the same fixed quotes and 12-month guarantee as everywhere else. Our Edinburgh coverage takes in 174 places, from busy centres to rural villages.
We cover the EH16, EH22 and EH15 postcode districts. If your site is on Aspen Road, Friary Road and Campion Road or close by, send details and we’ll quote for movement joints. Nearby places we also cover include Greendykes (1 mile north-west), Niddrie (1 mile north-east), Niddrie Mains (1 mile north), Little France (1 mile south-west) and Bingham (1 mile north) for movement joints. Further afield, our area takes in Edinburgh (4 miles west), Leith (4 miles north-west), Bonnington (4 miles north-west), Greenside (3 miles north-west), Broughton (3 miles north-west) and Bellevue (4 miles north-west).
What’s near The Wisp
We work on buildings around Craigmillar Castle Park and Portobello Library and the streets around them. The closest station to The Wisp is Newcraighall station, about 1.3 miles north-east. Nearby you will also find Craigmillar Castle (0.8 miles west) and Cameron Toll Shopping Centre (1.7 miles west). Not far away are Duddingston Loch and Nether Hill.
What sets the cost
A fixed quote reflects the actual work. It allows for:
- Access and working height
- Which sealant the job calls for
- Whether old sealant has to be cut out first
- Backing rod, priming and other preparation
The work involved drives the cost: stripping out, preparation, sealing, access and phasing. Call for a fixed quote and we will explain how it’s made up.
Sending details for a quote
Diagnosis starts before we arrive. Let us know:
- The postcode of the building
- Approximate linear metres or a joint schedule
- Any specification or named product
- Anything awkward about access or site hours
Every job follows the same four steps: send details, get a quote, we seal, guaranteed. To take the first step, give us a call on 01277 525 020 or email a schedule or drawings.
Diagnose, treat, sign off
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 any cutting starts, and the work normally takes anything from part of a day to a couple of weeks, depending on joint lengths, widths and access. Work on a big city site in Scotland typically involves inductions and permits. Tell us the rules and we’ll work to them.
- We start with photos, approximate lengths and any drawings, visiting where needed.
- We compare each joint’s width with the movement and the sealant’s capability, and flag anything that needs an engineer.
- Every joint is cleared of the failed seal and any grit packed into it.
- Edges are checked, and we tell you if any need repairing before sealing.
- The right sealant goes in at the right depth, bonded to the two sides only.
- Each area is handed back after its cure time, under our 12-month guarantee.
Preparing the site
- Explain the parking and delivery arrangements
- Point out any areas we must not close
- Clear stock, furniture or equipment away from the joints
Getting a fixed quote
Photos, drawings or a schedule of the joints are often enough for a fixed quote. If the job needs a look first, we’ll arrange a site visit.
Advice
Why it’s worth doing now in The Wisp
Patching the worst lengths of a joint can make sense short term. But if the rest of the run is the same age and product, it’s normally not far behind and repeated access costs add up. We can price a patch and a full reseal side by side. In a Scottish city, access often needs scaffold, permits or factor approval, so it makes sense to renew every failing joint while it’s in place.
The specified product makes a difference, and so does the preparation, from cutting out to priming and backing rod. Access, phasing and site rules also count.
What you get with us
- Work carried out by CSCS-carded applicators
- One phone line for London, the South East and Scotland
- Old sealant cut out, never sealed over
- Public liability insurance in place
How the job changes by surface
Concrete and precast panel joints
Joints between precast panels open and close with temperature and loading. The sealant needs the right movement capability and a controlled depth.
Joints between different materials
Some mixed-material joints suit a hybrid sealant. We pick the product for the materials and the movement.
Honest limits
Not every problem is a sealant problem, and we’d rather tell you before you spend money. It won’t fix:
- Proprietary pre-formed expansion joint systems
- Failed waterproofing membranes on podiums, roofs or decks (a waterproofing specialist’s job)
- Concrete or masonry repairs along the arrises
If you are not sure, just speak to us on 01277 525 020 or email drawings and photos and we will give you a straight answer before you book.
Where we work in The Wisp
- Brickwork movement joints
- Cladding panel joints
- Car park decks and ramps
- Precast concrete panel joints
- Podiums and floor movement joints
- Blockwork control joints