Cambridge · Cambridgeshire
Brick arch repairs in Cambridge
If you live in a period home in Cambridge, the arches over your windows were probably laid in lime mortar. Rebuilding them in lime, with the original bricks cleaned and reused, keeps the wall breathing and the repair hard to spot.
Guide price from£420per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- CB2, CB4
- Population
- about 150,000
- Area
- Cambridgeshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Cambridge?
Postcode districts CB2, CB4 cover Cambridge, a Cambridgeshire town of about 150,000 people. We also take enquiries from nearby Royston (12 miles), St Ives (12 miles) and Newmarket (13 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Cambridgeshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Cambridgeshire: Victorian terraces in Cambridge and Peterborough, fen-edge cottages, and extensive post-war and new-build estates.
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Cambridge
Guide prices below are for homes in Cambridge, on East of England 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. | £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 |
Methods for brick arch repairs
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
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
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
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
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Cambridge?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Cambridge 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.
Do you cover Cambridge?
We do. Cambridge and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Royston and St Ives. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Cambridgeshire prone to subsidence?
Gault Clay underlies much of the Cambridge area and Oxford Clay the west of the county around Peterborough and Huntingdon, while the northern fens are peat and silt that can shrink as they dry. Both clay and peat ground can move with the seasons. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Cambridge
- Chimney stack repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Concrete repairs
- Floor joist repairs
- Crack stitching
Brick arch repairs near Cambridge
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Cambridge; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.