Haringey · Greater London
Brick arch repairs in Haringey
Flat soldier arches on Haringey 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
- N2, N4, N8, N10, N11
- Population
- about 260,000
- Area
- Greater London
- Pricing region
- London
What is the ground like in Greater London?
Haringey is one of the 32 London boroughs, with around 260,000 residents in districts such as N2, N4, N8, N10, N11. Nearby places we cover include Islington (3 miles), Camden (4 miles) and Hackney (4 miles).
Shrinkable clay is widespread in Greater London. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Greater London: Victorian and Edwardian terraces with shallow footings, inter-war semis in the outer boroughs, and converted flats and mansion blocks.
What to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Haringey?
These are guide prices for Haringey, using London 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. | £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 |
Repair options we may recommend
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
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 Haringey?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Haringey 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 Haringey?
We do. Haringey and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Islington and Camden. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
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.
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.
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.
Related work in Haringey
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Lintel replacement
Brick arch repairs near Haringey
Have several dropped arches along one Haringey elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.