Barrow-in-Furness · Cumbria
Brick arch repairs in Barrow-in-Furness
If you live in a period home in Barrow-in-Furness, 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£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LA13, LA14
- Population
- about 55,000
- Area
- Cumbria
- Pricing region
- North West
Why does the ground in Cumbria matter for brick arch repairs?
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria: about 55,000 residents across postcode districts LA13, LA14. Nearby places we cover include Kendal (24 miles).
Shrinkable clay is less common in Cumbria than in south-east England. Parts of Cumbria lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Across Cumbria, most homes are stone-built terraces and farmhouses, sandstone town houses in Carlisle and post-war estates.
How we usually approach 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
What happens during brick arch repairs, step by step?
Choose reinforce or rebuild
We recommend reinforcement where the arch is sound and only slightly displaced, and a rebuild where it has dropped badly or bricks are loose. If the wall beside the opening is moving, that is dealt with first.
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.
What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
Brick arch repairs prices in Barrow-in-Furness
These are guide prices for Barrow-in-Furness, using North West rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £385 – £1,150 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £865 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,750 – £2,500 | 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.
Questions about brick arch repairs in Barrow-in-Furness
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Barrow-in-Furness?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Barrow-in-Furness start from about £385 per arch, including VAT, on North West rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Barrow-in-Furness?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Barrow-in-Furness, including LA13, LA14, and from nearby places such as Kendal. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in Cumbria prone to subsidence?
Cumbria's ground is largely hard rock and glacial deposits, with the West Cumberland coalfield around Whitehaven and Workington where historic coal workings are recorded. Stone walls and older lime mortars feature in much of the housing. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Can a dropped arch be repaired without rebuilding it?
Yes, if the drop is small and the brickwork is in good condition. Bars bonded into the joints above can take the load off the arch and hold it in place. If the bricks are loose or the arch has dropped badly, rebuilding is the more reliable repair.
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.
Other structural repairs in Barrow-in-Furness
- Retaining wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Wall tie replacement
Brick arch repairs near Barrow-in-Furness
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Barrow-in-Furness arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.