Kirkintilloch · Dunbartonshire
Brick arch repairs in Kirkintilloch
If you live in a period home in Kirkintilloch, 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£380per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- G66
- Population
- about 20,000
- Area
- Dunbartonshire
- Pricing region
- Scotland
What should you know about the ground under Kirkintilloch?
Postcode districts G66 cover Kirkintilloch, a Dunbartonshire town of about 20,000 people. Nearby places we cover include Bishopbriggs (3 miles), Cumbernauld (6 miles) and Bearsden (7 miles).
Most of Dunbartonshire is on firmer ground than the clay belts of the south-east. Parts of Dunbartonshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Dunbartonshire: Tenements, Victorian villas in Bearsden and Milngavie, and post-war estates.
Brick arch repairs prices in Kirkintilloch
The ranges below reflect typical Scotland 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. | £380 – £1,150 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £855 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,700 – £2,450 | per opening |
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
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
What happens during brick arch repairs, step by step?
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.
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.
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.
What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
Rules for brick arch repairs in Scotland
In Scotland, small repairs often do not need a building warrant, but structural alterations and strengthening generally do. Check with the council’s building standards service if unsure; there is no Party Wall Act in Scotland.
Questions about brick arch repairs in Kirkintilloch
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Kirkintilloch?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Kirkintilloch start from about £380 per arch, including VAT, on Scotland rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Kirkintilloch?
We do. Kirkintilloch and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Bishopbriggs and Cumbernauld. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Dunbartonshire prone to subsidence?
Dunbartonshire has glacial till over sandstone and volcanic rock, with coal and ironstone workings recorded around Kirkintilloch and Bishopbriggs and soft river ground along the Clyde and Leven. 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.
Should a brick arch be repaired with lime mortar?
On older houses built with soft bricks and lime, yes, in most cases. Lime mortar lets the wall breathe and is weaker than the brick, so any movement or frost damage happens in the joints rather than the bricks. Modern hard brickwork can take a cement-based mortar.
Other structural repairs in Kirkintilloch
- Lintel replacement
- Concrete repairs
- Wall tie replacement
- Gable end wall repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
Brick arch repairs near Kirkintilloch
Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in Kirkintilloch; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.