Guides
Sealant and mastic guides
Plain-English help with mastic and sealant: bath, shower and kitchen resealing, window and door mastic, movement joints, floor joints and façades. What to look for, what a job involves and how to get a fair price.
How to reseal a shower
How to remove old shower sealant and apply new silicone neatly: tools, preparation, application, curing, common mistakes and when to call a professional.
GuideHow much does a mastic man cost?
What a mastic man charges in the UK, what moves the price up or down, what a good quote includes and how to compare up to three quotes for the same job.
GuideSigns your bath sealant needs replacing
Black mould, gaps, peeling and stains: how to tell when bath sealant has failed, the quick checks to do yourself, and when a leak means calling a professional.
GuideSilicone vs. mastic: what is the difference?
Mastic, silicone, acrylic and hybrid sealants explained in plain English: what each is good for, where not to use it, and which to use for a bath, window or skirting.
GuideWindow and door mastic: when to replace it
How to tell when the mastic round windows and doors has failed, which sealant suits uPVC, timber and aluminium frames, and what a good reseal involves.
GuideExpansion and movement joints explained
What expansion and movement joints do in brickwork, render, tiles and slabs, why the sealant in them fails, and what a proper cut-out and reseal involves.
GuideConcrete floor joint sealing: a practical guide
A guide to sealing and filling joints in concrete slabs, car park decks and yards: joint types, semi-rigid fillers for forklift traffic and when to reseal.
GuideCurtain wall and façade sealant failure
How to spot failing sealant on curtain walling, cladding and precast façades, what causes it, and how a façade reseal is surveyed, accessed and priced.
GuideAsbestos in old mastic and sealant
Old window, panel and joint mastics can contain asbestos. Which buildings are at risk, why you should not cut it out yourself, and how testing and removal work.