Amersham · Buckinghamshire
Brick arch repairs in Amersham
Older Amersham houses often carry their window and door heads on brick arches built without any steel at all. When the centre bricks slip, the arch either needs reinforcing in place or rebuilding over a timber former.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- HP6, HP7
- Population
- about 22,000
- Area
- Buckinghamshire
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Amersham?
Amersham (HP6, HP7) has around 22,000 residents and sits in Buckinghamshire. We also take enquiries from nearby Chesham (2 miles), Gerrards Cross (6 miles) and High Wycombe (6 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Buckinghamshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Buckinghamshire: Market-town terraces, 1930s semis in the south, and large late-20th-century estates in Milton Keynes and Aylesbury.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- 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
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Amersham?
Guide prices below are for homes in Amersham, on South East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| 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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Amersham?
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
Rebuilding both faces
Where the arch shows inside as well as outside, or a rotten timber behind it has also failed, both faces are rebuilt. The inner timber is replaced with a suitable lintel, and the outer arch is reformed in front. The two are worked in sequence so the wall is supported throughout.
Best for: Arches with a failed timber or inner face
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Amersham?
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.
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.
Brick arch repairs in Amersham: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Amersham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Amersham 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.
Do you cover Amersham?
We do. Amersham and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Chesham and Gerrards Cross. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Buckinghamshire prone to subsidence?
The Chilterns are chalk with clay-with-flints on the tops, while the Vale of Aylesbury and Milton Keynes sit on Gault, Kimmeridge and Oxford Clays and glacial till. The vale clays are prone to seasonal shrinkage near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Do flat brick arches need a lintel?
Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.
Is a dropped brick arch dangerous?
A slightly dropped arch is not usually an immediate danger, but it is no longer carrying load as it should and tends to worsen. Loose bricks that could fall, or a fast-growing crack above, need prompt attention. Do not rely on the window frame to hold it.
Other structural repairs in Amersham
- Chimney stack repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Wall tie replacement
Brick arch repairs near Amersham
If bricks in an arch at your Amersham property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.