Bishop Auckland · County Durham
Brick arch repairs in Bishop Auckland
Before repairing a brick arch at a Bishop Auckland property, we check what sits behind it. A rotting timber lintel on the inner face is a frequent hidden cause, and fixing only the visible arch would leave the real problem in place.
Guide price from£370per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- DL4, DL14
- Population
- about 26,000
- Area
- County Durham
- Pricing region
- North East
What should you know about the ground under Bishop Auckland?
Bishop Auckland, County Durham: about 26,000 residents across postcode districts DL4, DL14. We also take enquiries from nearby Spennymoor (4 miles), Newton Aycliffe (5 miles) and Durham (9 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of County Durham. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of County Durham, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Housing stock in County Durham: Colliery terraces, stone and brick villas in Durham and Darlington, and post-war council estates.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Bishop Auckland?
The ranges below reflect typical North East 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. | £370 – £1,100 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £830 – £1,200 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,650 – £2,400 | per opening |
Which repair method suits a home in Bishop Auckland?
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
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 when we carry out brick arch repairs in Bishop Auckland?
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.
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.
Brick arch repairs in Bishop Auckland: questions and answers
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Bishop Auckland?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Bishop Auckland start from about £370 per arch, including VAT, on North 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 Bishop Auckland?
We do. Bishop Auckland and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Spennymoor and Newton Aycliffe. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around Bishop Auckland cause cracking?
Much of County Durham sits on the Durham Coalfield, worked for centuries, often under a cover of glacial clay. Many former pit villages have recorded mine workings, and coal mining searches are standard for property here. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Bishop Auckland
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Concrete repairs
Brick arch repairs near Bishop Auckland
Have several dropped arches along one Bishop Auckland elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.