Kensington and Chelsea · Greater London
Brick arch repairs in Kensington and Chelsea
Flat soldier arches on Kensington and Chelsea 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
- SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10, W2
- Population
- about 140,000
- Area
- Greater London
- Pricing region
- London
Why does the ground in Greater London matter for brick arch repairs?
Kensington and Chelsea is one of the 32 London boroughs, with around 140,000 residents in districts such as SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10, W2. We also take enquiries from nearby Hammersmith and Fulham (1 miles), Westminster (2 miles) and Wandsworth (3 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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Kensington and Chelsea?
These are guide prices for Kensington and Chelsea, 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
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
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
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.
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.
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 Kensington and Chelsea?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Kensington and Chelsea 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 Kensington and Chelsea?
Yes, Kensington and Chelsea is covered, along with postcode districts SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10. We also cover nearby Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster.
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.
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.
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.
Related work in Kensington and Chelsea
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Underpinning
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Crack stitching
Brick arch repairs near Kensington and Chelsea
If bricks in an arch at your Kensington and Chelsea property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.