Ashton-in-Makerfield · Greater Manchester
Brick arch repairs in Ashton-in-Makerfield
Older Ashton-in-Makerfield houses often carry their window and door heads on brick arches built without any steel at all. When the centre bricks slip, the arch either needs reinforcing in place or rebuilding over a timber former.
Guide price from£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- WA11, WA12, WN4
- Population
- about 26,000
- Area
- Greater Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
What should you know about the ground under Ashton-in-Makerfield?
Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester: about 26,000 residents across postcode districts WA11, WA12, WN4. Nearby places we cover include Newton-le-Willows (3 miles), St Helens (4 miles) and Wigan (4 miles).
Greater Manchester has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Greater Manchester lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Across Greater Manchester, most homes are red-brick terraces, mill-town stone terraces, inter-war semis and post-war estates.
Which repair method suits a home in Ashton-in-Makerfield?
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 when we carry out brick arch repairs in Ashton-in-Makerfield?
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Ashton-in-Makerfield?
Prices in Ashton-in-Makerfield are worked out on North West rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £385 – £1,150 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £865 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,750 – £2,500 | 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.
Brick arch repairs in Ashton-in-Makerfield: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Ashton-in-Makerfield?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Ashton-in-Makerfield start from about £385 per arch, including VAT, on North West rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Ashton-in-Makerfield?
We do. Ashton-in-Makerfield and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Newton-le-Willows and St Helens. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Greater Manchester prone to subsidence?
Greater Manchester is mostly glacial till over sandstone and mudstone, with the Lancashire coalfield beneath much of Wigan, Bolton, Salford and parts of the east. Historic mine workings, made ground and old mill sites are common. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Do flat brick arches need a lintel?
Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.
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.
Other structural repairs in Ashton-in-Makerfield
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Lintel replacement
- Bowing wall repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Subsidence repairs
Brick arch repairs near Ashton-in-Makerfield
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Ashton-in-Makerfield home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.