Barking and Dagenham · Greater London
Brick arch repairs in Barking and Dagenham
Flat soldier arches on Barking and Dagenham houses tend to sag once a hidden bar rusts or an old window frame is replaced. Reinforcing them with stainless bars in the joints above is often enough, without taking the arch down.
Guide price from£500per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- E20, IG3, IG11, RM6, RM7
- Population
- about 220,000
- Area
- Greater London
- Pricing region
- London
Is Greater London prone to ground movement?
Barking and Dagenham takes in postcode districts including E20, IG3, IG11, RM6, RM7, with about 220,000 residents. Neighbouring towns we cover: Redbridge (4 miles), Newham (4 miles) and Havering (4 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Greater London. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Greater London: Victorian and Edwardian terraces with shallow footings, inter-war semis in the outer boroughs, and converted flats and mansion blocks.
Repair options we may recommend
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
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 to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Barking and Dagenham?
The ranges below reflect typical London 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. | £500 – £1,500 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £1,100 – £1,600 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £2,250 – £3,250 | 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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Barking and Dagenham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Barking and Dagenham start from about £500 per arch, including VAT, on London rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Barking and Dagenham?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Barking and Dagenham, including E20, IG3, IG11, RM6, and from nearby places such as Redbridge and Newham. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Greater London crack?
Most of Greater London sits on London Clay, among the most shrinkage-prone ground in the UK, with river gravels along the Thames. Subsidence claims here are among the most frequent in the country, especially after dry summers and near street and garden trees. 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.
Related work in Barking and Dagenham
- Crack stitching
- Lintel replacement
- Retaining wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
Brick arch repairs near Barking and Dagenham
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Barking and Dagenham arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.