Cheadle Hulme · Greater Manchester
Brick arch repairs in Cheadle Hulme
Before repairing a brick arch at a Cheadle Hulme 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£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SK3, SK7, SK8
- Population
- about 29,000
- Area
- Greater Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Cheadle Hulme?
Cheadle Hulme (SK3, SK7, SK8) has around 29,000 residents and sits in Greater Manchester. Nearby places we cover include Stockport (3 miles), Wilmslow (4 miles) and Sale (7 miles).
Parts of Greater Manchester have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. 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.
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
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Cheadle Hulme?
Guide prices below are for homes in Cheadle Hulme, on North West rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| 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 |
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
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.
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.
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
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Cheadle Hulme?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Cheadle Hulme 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 carry out brick arch repairs in Cheadle Hulme?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Cheadle Hulme, including SK3, SK7, SK8, and from nearby places such as Stockport and Wilmslow. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Cheadle Hulme cause cracking?
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.
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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Cheadle Hulme
- Concrete repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
Brick arch repairs near Cheadle Hulme
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Cheadle Hulme; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.