Rochester facade sealing
Need facade sealing in Rochester? Send us the details for a fixed quote, backed by a 12-month guarantee on the work.
- Facade joints cracked through the middle
- Failed sealant on precast panel joints
- Failed seals around shopfront and entrance frames
Facade sealing for Rochester sites
Photos, a specification or a quick description of the joints is enough to start a fixed quote.
Facade sealing in Rochester, done properly
A good facade joint depends on design as much as product. Joint width needs to match how far the joint moves and how far the sealant can stretch, while rod fixes the depth and stops the bead sticking to the rear with the ratio the sealant maker recommends, often around 2:1. We work on window and door perimeters, coping and flashing joints and cladding panel joints, and what we are called in for most is sealant pulling away from frames or panels and previous reseals run over old sealant. Searching for sealant specialists in Rochester? Mastic Doctor has worked for contractors, FMs and building owners since 2005, CHAS accredited and a Constructionline member.
Construction in a town such as Rochester is often smaller schemes: a few new flats, a school extension, a refurbished unit. A mastic package on a smaller site still needs the same care at window perimeters and facade joints.
Our workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months. If our installation lets you down in that time, we return and fix it.
From enquiry to sign-off
On arrival, we sign in, go through any site induction and check how permits are handled. Everything around the joints gets protected before anything is cut or cleaned, and the work normally takes anything from a single day to several weeks, depending on joint lengths, access and the weather. Parking and loading for town-centre jobs in Rochester are worth mentioning when you send details. Industrial and business units usually have yard or car park space.
- We plan access and the order of elevations with the client.
- Weather and temperature are checked against the product’s limits.
- Each joint is cut out and the edges inspected.
- Faces are cleaned, primed where needed and backed.
- Sealant is gunned in and tooled hard onto both faces.
- Once signed off, the work carries our 12-month guarantee.
Preparing the site
- Make sure the joints can be reached
- Tell us your opening times and when work is allowed
- Point out parking and an unloading spot
Ask for a quote
The quickest route to a quote is a few photos and the site postcode. Send them through the quote form, or ring 01277 525 020 or use the quote form if you’d rather talk the job through.
Related advice
Building and refurbishing in Rochester
Rochester sits close to the coast, within about 3 miles. Schemes this close to the sea see their facade joints tested by wind and rain from the day they’re sealed, so we check the specified product suits the exposure before the first bead. A 2-mile radius around Rochester takes in plenty of hotels. When hotels extend or refit, the work is typically squeezed between peak periods, mastic included.
Recladding or extending a unit at a site like Strood Retail Park (under half a mile north-west of Rochester) brings panel joints and frame perimeters into the programme. When a college such as MidKent College Gillingham Campus (1.9 miles east of Rochester) builds or refurbishes, the mastic package typically has to fit around students and staff.
Rochester is about 27 miles east of London, in Medway. Our applicators travel to Rochester for work on facade joints. Rochester is one of 54 places we cover in Medway. London is covered too, around 27 miles from Rochester.
Commercial sites across ME2, ME1, ME3 and ME4 are covered. Among the streets we cover are High Street, Gundolph Square and Station Road. Rochester sits on or close to the A2 and A226, useful when we plan access and materials. Close to Rochester, our area also takes in Strood (1 mile west), Borstal (1 mile south-west), Cuxton (2 miles south-west), Lower Bush (3 miles west) and North Halling (3 miles south-west). Nearby towns on our patch include Gillingham (4 miles east), Chatham (3 miles south-east), Rainham (5 miles south-east), Park Wood (5 miles south-east), Lordswood (4 miles south-east) and Twydall (4 miles east). Among the larger centres in Medway is Rochester, and its commercial and public buildings are all within our area.
Around Rochester
We work on buildings around Former Ordnance Store At Chatham Gun Wharf, Fort Pitt Grammar School and Broomhill Park, among other places. Also close by are Temple School (1.2 miles north) and Royal Crown Hotel (under half a mile east). There’s a railway station in Rochester itself: Rochester station. A little further out are Rochester Castle (less than half a mile east) and Huguenot Museum (less than half a mile east). For a walk, there’s Gad's Hill and Rede Common.
When to call us in Rochester
Product choice matters: acetoxy-cure silicone may mark stone or corrode certain metals, and an interior product won’t last outdoors. Neutral-cure, facade-grade products are what most external joints need.
Look out for the following:
- Damp patches beside frames after rain
- Previous reseals run over old sealant
- Weathered joints at frame-to-structure perimeters
- Perimeter sealant that has split or peeled away
For contractors on a campus like University for the Creative Arts - Rochester, 1 mile south-east of Rochester, facade and perimeter sealing has to fit around students and term dates.
Before you book anyone
- Their approach to joint depth and backing
- How they’ll work around occupants
- Is the sealant right for the movement and the substrate?
- What the guarantee covers, and for how long
What affects the price in Rochester
Quotes vary with the job. Expect it to depend on:
- Site requirements such as inductions and permits
- Access and working height
- Phasing around occupants
- How much existing material needs removing
There’s no price list, because the scope varies so much from one building to the next. Call for a quote and we’ll price your job on its own details.
What to include in your enquiry
There’s no need for a formal survey. These details are enough to start:
- A wide shot and a close-up of the area
- Drawings or a marked-up plan, if available
- Specification clauses that apply
- When you need the work done
Need a figure for a tender or a budget? Send the scope and any drawings, and we will return a fixed quote that you can work with. For a chat about it beforehand, speak to us on 01277 525 020 or use the quote form.
Looking after the joints
Problems stay small when the joints are checked regularly. Specifically:
- Keep sills, gutters and drainage paths clear
- Note when each elevation was last resealed
- Avoid patch repairs on failed facade joints
- Add perimeter sealant to planned maintenance checks
If new signage, brackets or services are fixed through a sealed joint, the seal needs making good. Ask the installer to reseal it properly.
Tie resealing in with redecoration, cladding repairs or other access. One set-up for several trades saves money.
Nearby places to Rochester
More services for Rochester
Different surfaces, different methods
Coping and flashing joints
Coping and flashing joints are included where sealant is the specified fix. These joints take full exposure to weather and need a durable external sealant.
Window and door perimeters
Window and door perimeters make up most facade sealing work. A low-modulus, neutral-cure product suits most frame-to-wall joints.
Common questions from Rochester clients
Can being near the sea in Rochester affect the sealant we need?
It can. Wind-driven rain and, closer to the shore, salt air are harder on external joints. Product choice and preparation matter more, and sea-facing elevations are worth inspecting more often.
Will you take on work at estates like Strood Retail Park, close to Rochester?
Yes. We cover Rochester and the area around it, including industrial estates, business parks and retail parks such as Strood Retail Park. To start, just give us a call on 01277 525 020 or email the details over with the unit, the joints involved and your access times.
Is any job too small?
Single areas, one-off repairs and whole buildings are all quoted the same way: details, then a fixed price, then sealing, then a 12-month guarantee.
Do you replace failed glazing units?
No. Glazing, windows and glass replacement aren’t part of our work. We seal the joints around them, including perimeters where frames meet the structure.
What type of sealant goes on window perimeters?
It depends on the joint, the substrate and any specification. Specifications often refer to BS EN 15651-1 for facade sealants or BS EN 15651-2 for glazing and we follow the specified product.
Do you seal on top of existing sealant?
No. We cut the old material out and clean the joint back before sealing, because fresh silicone will not bond with aged silicone.
Should we check old sealant for asbestos?
Some older mastics, especially in pre-2000 buildings, can contain asbestos. The dutyholder’s asbestos register should be checked first; if it’s suspected, work stops until it has been tested. We don’t remove asbestos-containing materials.
What sealant work can’t fix
A few problems need another trade or a different fix, and we point that out rather than sealing over them:
- Render or concrete edges that have broken away
- Specialist high-level access methods
- Installing or repairing glazing systems
Not sure which it is? You can phone 01277 525 020 or email a schedule or drawings and we will tell you honestly before you book.
What we seal
- Coping and flashing joints
- Window and door perimeters
- Stone and brick facade joints
- Cladding panel joints
- Shopfront frames
- Perimeter joints where frames meet the structure