Chesham · Buckinghamshire
Brick arch repairs in Chesham
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Chesham and beyond, and it rarely fixes itself. We look at whether the arch bricks are sound and whether the wall either side has moved, then recommend the lighter repair where it will work.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- HP5
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Buckinghamshire
- Pricing region
- South East
Why does the ground in Buckinghamshire matter for brick arch repairs?
Chesham (HP5) has around 21,000 residents and sits in Buckinghamshire. If you are just outside Chesham, we also cover Amersham (2 miles), Berkhamsted (4 miles) and Rickmansworth (7 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Buckinghamshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Buckinghamshire: Market-town terraces, 1930s semis in the south, and large late-20th-century estates in Milton Keynes and Aylesbury.
Methods for brick arch repairs
Rebuilding over a former
A timber former is cut to the arch profile and propped under the opening. The old arch is carefully taken down, bricks cleaned for reuse, and the arch rebuilt over the former with tight joints and a properly set keystone. The former stays until the mortar is strong enough to carry the load.
Best for: Badly dropped arches or ones with loose voussoirs
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
From first photo to finished repair
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.
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to 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
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Chesham
Guide prices below are for homes in Chesham, 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 |
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Chesham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Chesham 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 carry out brick arch repairs in Chesham?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Chesham, including HP5, and from nearby places such as Amersham and Berkhamsted. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Chesham cause cracking?
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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Chesham
- Bowing wall repairs
- Crack stitching
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
Brick arch repairs near Chesham
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Chesham; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.