Brick arch repairs in Bedford

Postcodes: MK40, MK41
Population: about 110,000
Area: Bedfordshire
Pricing region: East of England

How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Bedford?

Bedford is in Bedfordshire and takes in postcode districts MK40, MK41. About 110,000 people live there. Neighbouring towns we cover: Kempston (2 miles), Biggleswade (9 miles) and St Neots (10 miles).

Bedfordshire is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Bedfordshire: Victorian terraces in Bedford and Luton, large inter-war and post-war estates, and newer estates on former clay pits and brickfields.

Which repair method suits a home in Bedford?

Lime mortar repairs

On older houses built in soft brick and lime, the arch is rebuilt or repointed in a lime mortar matched to the original. Lime lets moisture escape and moves slightly with the wall, so it protects the bricks rather than forcing damage into them, as hard cement mortar can.

Best for: Pre-1919 houses and soft historic brick

Reinforcing a sound arch

Where the arch has only dropped slightly and the bricks are sound, stainless helical bars are bonded into the bed joints just above it, extending well into the wall on each side. The bars turn the courses above into a reinforced band of masonry, so the arch no longer has to carry the full load. Joints are repointed to match.

Best for: Slightly dropped or cracked arches with sound bricks

What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Bedford?

Look at the arch closely
Straight-on photos of the arch and the wall either side show us how far it has dropped, whether the bricks are sound and whether the cause seems to be the arch itself or the wall around it.
Choose reinforce or rebuild
We recommend reinforcement where the arch is sound and only slightly displaced, and a rebuild where it has dropped badly or bricks are loose. If the wall beside the opening is moving, that is dealt with first.
Repair the arch
Bars are bonded into the joints above a sound arch, or the arch is taken down and relaid over the former using the original bricks where possible, with matched replacements for any that are damaged.

Signs you may need brick arch repairs

The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve

How much will brick arch repairs cost in Bedford?

For Bedford we use East of England rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.

Guide prices inc VAT on East of England rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest.	£420 – £1,250	per arch
Rebuilding an arch (one side)	£945 – £1,350	per opening
Rebuilding an arch (both sides)	£1,900 – £2,750	per opening

Rules for brick arch repairs in England

Like-for-like repairs such as crack stitching and repointing do not usually need building control approval in England, but anything that changes or strengthens the structure, such as underpinning or rebuilding a wall, does. If the work touches a party wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may apply.

Brick arch repairs in Bedford: questions and answers

How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Bedford?

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Bedford start from about £420 per arch, including VAT, on East of England rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.

Can you survey a property in Bedford?

We do. Bedford and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Kempston and Biggleswade. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.

Why do houses in Bedfordshire crack?

Much of Bedfordshire sits on Oxford Clay and Gault Clay, with chalk rising towards the Chilterns in the south. The clay vales shrink in dry summers and swell in wet winters, which is why seasonal cracking is common around Bedford. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

Can you match the original bricks?

Usually, because most arches are rebuilt with their own cleaned bricks, which is the best match of all. Damaged bricks are replaced with reclaimed or new bricks chosen for size, colour and texture, and the mortar is matched to the surrounding joints.

What is a former in arch building?

A former, sometimes called a centre, is a temporary timber frame cut to the exact shape of the arch. It supports the bricks while the arch is laid and the mortar cures, and is removed once the arch can carry itself.

Related work in Bedford

Brick arch repairs near Bedford

Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Bedford arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.