Manchester · Greater Manchester
Brick arch repairs in Manchester
If you live in a period home in Manchester, the arches over your windows were probably laid in lime mortar. Rebuilding them in lime, with the original bricks cleaned and reused, keeps the wall breathing and the repair hard to spot.
Guide price from£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- M1, M2, M4, M8, M9
- Population
- about 570,000
- Area
- Greater Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
Why does the ground in Greater Manchester matter for brick arch repairs?
With roughly 570,000 people, Manchester spans postcode districts M1, M2, M4, M8, M9 in Greater Manchester. Neighbouring towns we cover: Salford (2 miles), Middleton (5 miles) and Sale (5 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. Housing stock in Greater Manchester: Red-brick terraces, mill-town stone terraces, inter-war semis and post-war estates.
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Manchester
Guide prices below are for homes in Manchester, 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 |
Methods for brick arch repairs
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
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
From first photo to finished repair
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Manchester?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Manchester 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 Manchester?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Manchester, including M1, M2, M4, M8, and from nearby places such as Salford and Middleton. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
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.
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.
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 Manchester
- Retaining wall repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Underpinning
- Roof structure repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
Brick arch repairs near Manchester
If bricks in an arch at your Manchester property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.