Middleton · Greater Manchester
Brick arch repairs in Middleton
If you live in a period home in Middleton, 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
- M24
- Population
- about 46,000
- Area
- Greater Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
Is Greater Manchester prone to ground movement?
Postcode districts M24 cover Middleton, a Greater Manchester town of about 46,000 people. Neighbouring towns we cover: Oldham (3 miles), Manchester (5 miles) and Rochdale (5 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Greater Manchester. 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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Middleton
These are guide prices for Middleton, using North West 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. | £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
Lime mortar repairs
On older houses built in soft brick and lime, the arch is rebuilt or repointed in a lime mortar matched to the original. Lime lets moisture escape and moves slightly with the wall, so it protects the bricks rather than forcing damage into them, as hard cement mortar can.
Best for: Pre-1919 houses and soft historic brick
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
From first photo to finished repair
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.
Frequently asked questions
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Middleton?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Middleton 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 Middleton?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Middleton, including M24, and from nearby places such as Oldham and Manchester. 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.
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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Middleton
- Bowing wall repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Lintel replacement
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Middleton
Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in Middleton; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.