Slough · Berkshire
Brick arch repairs in Slough
Flat soldier arches on Slough houses tend to sag once a hidden bar rusts or an old window frame is replaced. Reinforcing them with stainless bars in the joints above is often enough, without taking the arch down.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SL1, SL2, SL3
- Population
- about 160,000
- Area
- Berkshire
- Pricing region
- South East
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Slough?
Slough is in Berkshire and takes in postcode districts SL1, SL2, SL3. About 160,000 people live there. Neighbouring towns we cover: Maidenhead (5 miles), Gerrards Cross (6 miles) and Egham (6 miles).
Berkshire 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. Housing stock in Berkshire: Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Reading and Windsor, 1930s semis, and large post-war new-town estates around Bracknell.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Slough?
For Slough we use South East rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £450 – £1,350 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £1,000 – £1,450 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £2,000 – £2,900 | per opening |
Repair options we may recommend
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 to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
Support the opening
Props carry the brickwork above, and for a rebuild a former is made to the exact profile of the arch. The window or door frame is protected so it is not asked to carry any load.
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.
Strike the former and point
Once the mortar has cured enough, the former and props are removed. Joints are finished to match the surrounding wall, and any cracks running from the arch into the wall are repaired at the same visit.
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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Slough?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Slough start from about £450 per arch, including VAT, on South East 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 Slough?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Slough, including SL1, SL2, SL3, and from nearby places such as Maidenhead and Gerrards Cross. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Berkshire crack?
East Berkshire is largely London Clay with Thames terrace gravels along the river, while the west rises onto chalk downland. Houses on the clay near Slough, Windsor and Bracknell are the ones most exposed to shrink-swell movement. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
Why has the middle of my brick arch dropped?
The centre of an arch usually drops because the bricks have lost their wedge, either because the wall at the sides has moved or the mortar has worn away. A rotting timber hidden behind the arch is another common cause. The keystone slipping is the visible result.
Related work in Slough
- Lintel replacement
- Floor joist repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Retaining wall repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Slough
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Slough home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.