Wokingham · England
External & façade joints in Reading, Wokingham
Sealing brickwork movement joints, render, cladding and façade joints for householders, landlords and businesses in Reading. Fully insured, ARBOMaster approved and guaranteed for a year.
- Movement joints filled with mortar instead of sealant
- Sealant pulling away from one side of the joint
- Movement joints with cracked, split or missing sealant
Reading buildings and the weather
London and the South East are among the drier parts of the UK, yet outdoor joints still have to be sealed dry, so jobs are booked with the weather in mind. Historic houses like Mapledurham House (about 3.6 miles north-west) are a reminder that the area around Reading has older buildings as well as new. In older buildings, older walls and rooflines need a sealant that moves with them and suits the material.
If you let a flat or house near Reading West station, failed wall and movement joints let damp in, so they’re worth checking between tenancies. For site and facilities teams at buildings such as Coley Primary School, movement joints, cladding joints and gutters on larger buildings need the same care as a house’s. Homes close to All Nations Christian Centre include some older properties, and the joints between older walls, newer extensions and the roofline need a sealant that can move.
Reading is about 38 miles west of London, in Wokingham. Reading gets the same service as everywhere we cover: the old material taken out, joints prepared properly and a 12-month guarantee. Reading is one of 35 places in Wokingham we cover.
Work in RG6, RG31, RG1 and RG30 works the same way as everywhere else we cover. That includes homes and businesses on Downshire Square, Market Way and Market Place and the roads around them. Being close to the A4 and A33, Reading is easy for our applicators to reach for external mastic. We also cover Coley Park (1 mile south-west), West Reading (1 mile north-west), Newtown (1 mile east), Lower Caversham (1 mile north-east) and Whitley (2 miles south-east). Further out, we also cover Wokingham (6 miles south-east), Woodley (3 miles east), Crowthorne (9 miles south-east), Lower Earley (3 miles south-east), Winnersh (4 miles east) and Woosehill (6 miles south-east). Reading is among the bigger towns we cover in Wokingham.
What’s near Reading
In Reading, that means homes and buildings near Former Kennet Arms, Eldon Square and Kendrick School. Other local landmarks include University of Reading library (1.5 miles south-east) and Eurospeak Language School (0.5 miles north). The closest station to Reading is Reading West station, about 0.7 miles north-west of the centre. A little further out are The Oracle (less than half a mile north-east) and Berkshire Medical Heritage Centre Museum (0.8 miles east). Not far away are Sonning Hill and Longwater.
External mastic for homes and businesses in Reading
On houses, flats and commercial buildings across Reading, we reseal joints in brickwork, render, cladding and façade panels. Every joint gets the same careful preparation: clean, sound faces and a controlled depth. If you’re dealing with rigid filler in a joint that should flex and joints where the bead has come unstuck, we can put it right.
In a large town like Reading, plenty of buildings are rented or managed, and outside joints are easy to forget. A failed joint above a door or a dripping gutter end is normally the first sign.
A one-year guarantee comes as standard, so you are not left on your own once the job is done.
Leave it or put it right?
A properly done movement joint is an even line in a colour that suits the wall. A rushed bead with no backing looks untidy and doesn’t last, so it pays to do it properly once. In flats, shops and offices in Reading, a failed joint can let water into the unit below or behind a wall, where it can go unnoticed until the damage is done.
Leaving a failed joint usually makes the job bigger, not smaller, as water and mould keep getting in. If you are not sure whether it needs doing, call 0345 464 0079 or email us and we’ll give you an honest view and a quote.
What you get with us
- Any old sealant cut out fully, not covered over
- 12-month guarantee on every job
- We’re fully insured
- Tidy, careful work
Take a look at what affects the cost or what customers say.
What affects the quote in Reading
You’ll get a clear quote before any work starts. It takes into account:
- Whether there’s mould to deal with
- How easy the joints are to reach
- How many rooms, windows or areas are involved
- When we can work, for business premises
No two jobs are quite the same, so each one gets its own quote. The number of joints, how easy they are to reach and the sealant needed all make a difference.
Asking for a quote
The more you tell us, the more accurate the quote. When you ask for a quote, tell us:
- What’s wrong with the joints now
- The rough size of the job
- How we’d reach the joints
- Photos by email, if that is easy
Quotes start with a quick conversation. Tell us what’s wrong, where it is and how much there is, and we will explain how we’d tackle it. Whenever you’re ready, call 0345 464 0079 or email us.
Also near Reading
What else we do in Reading
Landlord and commercial work in Reading
Whether it’s one flat or a portfolio, the work is the same standard: the old material taken out, careful preparation and a 12-month guarantee.
We also work for businesses, from offices to washrooms and kitchens. On commercial sites, working times can be discussed when we quote.
Reading: your questions answered
I let a flat near Reading West station. Can you help?
Yes, landlords and agents are among the people we work for. You can ring 0345 464 0079 or email us with the details for a clear quote.
Is external mastic in Reading guaranteed?
Every job comes with our 12-month guarantee, wherever it is. We’re also fully insured and ARBOMaster approved.
When is the sealant fully cured?
Most sealants are touch-dry well before they’re fully cured. We will tell you how long to leave the joint before we leave.
What colours does the sealant come in?
We aim for a joint that suits the wall rather than one that jumps out. We will talk through colour options before any work starts.
Are you fully insured?
Yes, we’re fully insured for domestic and commercial work.
Why is there a gap in my brick wall?
Most straight vertical gaps in brickwork are movement joints. It gives the wall room to move, and it should be sealed with a flexible sealant.
How long does external mastic take?
As a guide, most jobs take anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building. Bigger jobs take longer, and we’ll say how long yours will take.
Can you quote for more than one area?
Yes, and it often makes sense. Combining jobs makes good use of the visit, so mention them when you ask for a quote.
The process
We work through the job in order: protection first, then preparation, sealing and a tidy-up. Typically it takes anything from a few hours to several days, depending on the building and we leave things clean and tidy. Where a business in Reading needs to stay open, out-of-hours working can be arranged, and homes are booked within our usual hours, Monday to Saturday.
- We inspect the joints and agree which need resealing and how they’ll be reached.
- The old mastic and anything lodged in the joint is removed.
- We clean both faces of the joint and prime them where the product calls for it.
- Backing rod goes in next, setting the depth and keeping the sealant off the back of the joint.
- The new sealant, chosen to suit the brick or render, is applied and tooled to a neat finish.
How to prepare
- Clear the area around the work
- Try not to wet indoor joints just before the visit
- On commercial sites, let us know about site rules
How to get a quote
If you are in Reading and need external mastic, phone 0345 464 0079 or send us an email. A short description of the job and where it is helps us quote, and we’ll agree the price before any work begins.
Related advice
DIY versus a professional finish
What a professional job adds is preparation and the right product. We take joints back to clean, dry surfaces, and the sealant is matched to the joint and its conditions, then guaranteed for a year.
If you do try it yourself, take your time over the preparation: take out all the old sealant, make sure the joint is clean and dry, and give it the full cure time. If it does not work out, we can still put it right.
How to look after the new joints
Once the sealant has cured, a few habits help it last:
- Clear growth from the base of walls and joints
- Check the sealant is paintable before painting near it
- Make sure movement joints are not pointed over
- Look over the joints every year, ideally after winter
Look over the joints once a year, ideally after winter. Splits, gaps at the edges or plants in the joint are early warning signs.
Leaks behind façade panels and render often go unseen. When it finally shows inside, the joint may have been open for years so early resealing is worth it.
Honest limits
To be straight with you, there are a few things sealant will not fix:
- Damp that is not coming from the joint
- Subsidence or other structural problems
- Cutting new joints into brickwork, which is building work rather than sealant work
If you are not sure, just phone 0345 464 0079 or send us an email and we’ll give you a straight answer before booking.
What we seal
- Brickwork movement joints
- Façade panels
- Joints between brick and frames
- Copings & trims
- Render & cladding joints
- Concrete & block