Borehamwood · Hertfordshire
Brick arch repairs in Borehamwood
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Borehamwood and beyond, and it rarely fixes itself. We look at whether the arch bricks are sound and whether the wall either side has moved, then recommend the lighter repair where it will work.
Guide price from£420per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- WD6
- Population
- about 36,000
- Area
- Hertfordshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
What should you know about the ground under Borehamwood?
With roughly 36,000 people, Borehamwood spans postcode districts WD6 in Hertfordshire. Nearby places we cover include Barnet (4 miles), Potters Bar (5 miles) and Watford (5 miles).
Hertfordshire is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Hertfordshire: garden-city houses in Letchworth and Welwyn, 1930s semis, Victorian terraces and post-war new-town estates.
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Borehamwood
These are guide prices for Borehamwood, using East of England 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. | £420 – £1,250 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £945 – £1,350 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,900 – £2,750 | per opening |
Methods for brick arch repairs
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 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
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.
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
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
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
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Borehamwood?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Borehamwood start from about £420 per arch, including VAT, on East of England 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 Borehamwood?
We do. Borehamwood and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Barnet and Potters Bar. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around Borehamwood cause cracking?
South Hertfordshire around Watford, Borehamwood and Potters Bar is London Clay, while the north and west are chalk with clay-with-flints and the east has boulder clay. The clay areas are prone to seasonal subsidence near trees. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Borehamwood
- Subsidence repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Roof structure repairs
Brick arch repairs near Borehamwood
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Borehamwood; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.