Cookstown · County Tyrone
Brick arch repairs in Cookstown
If you live in a period home in Cookstown, 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£350per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BT80
- Population
- about 11,000
- Area
- County Tyrone
- Pricing region
- Northern Ireland
Why does the ground in County Tyrone matter for brick arch repairs?
Cookstown is in County Tyrone and takes in postcode districts BT80. About 11,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Magherafelt (9 miles), Dungannon (10 miles) and Portadown (19 miles).
Clay shrinkage is less of a concern in County Tyrone, so other causes such as drains, poor footings or older walls are checked first. Parts of County Tyrone lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in County Tyrone: Market-town terraces, rural houses and post-war estates.
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Cookstown
The ranges below reflect typical Northern Ireland costs for brick arch repairs, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £350 – £1,050 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £790 – £1,150 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,600 – £2,300 | 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
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
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
Rules for brick arch repairs in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, minor repairs usually need no approval, but structural work comes under the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 and council building control. There is no Party Wall Act in Northern Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Cookstown?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Cookstown start from about £350 per arch, including VAT, on Northern Ireland rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Cookstown?
Yes, Cookstown is covered, along with postcode districts BT80. We also cover nearby Magherafelt and Dungannon.
Is the ground in County Tyrone prone to subsidence?
Tyrone has glacial till over varied rock, with a small historic coalfield around Coalisland near Dungannon. 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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Cookstown
- Chimney stack repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Bowing wall repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Cookstown
If bricks in an arch at your Cookstown property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.