Potters Bar · Hertfordshire
Brick arch repairs in Potters Bar
Flat soldier arches on Potters Bar houses tend to sag once a hidden bar rusts or an old window frame is replaced. Reinforcing them with stainless bars in the joints above is often enough, without taking the arch down.
Guide price from£420per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- EN6, WD2, WD23
- Population
- about 23,000
- Area
- Hertfordshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
What should you know about the ground under Potters Bar?
Postcode districts EN6, WD2, WD23 cover Potters Bar, a Hertfordshire town of about 23,000 people. Nearby, we also cover Barnet (5 miles), Borehamwood (5 miles) and Enfield (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. Housing stock in Hertfordshire: Garden-city houses in Letchworth and Welwyn, 1930s semis, Victorian terraces and post-war new-town estates.
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Potters Bar?
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.
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Potters Bar?
Prices in Potters Bar are worked out on East of England 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. | £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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Potters Bar?
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
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 Potters Bar: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Potters Bar?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Potters Bar 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.
Can you survey a property in Potters Bar?
Yes, Potters Bar is covered, along with postcode districts EN6, WD2, WD23. We also cover nearby Barnet and Borehamwood.
Why do houses in Hertfordshire crack?
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.
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 a dropped arch be repaired without rebuilding it?
Yes, if the drop is small and the brickwork is in good condition. Bars bonded into the joints above can take the load off the arch and hold it in place. If the bricks are loose or the arch has dropped badly, rebuilding is the more reliable repair.
Related work in Potters Bar
- Wall tie replacement
- Crack stitching
- Structural crack repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Roof structure repairs
Brick arch repairs near Potters Bar
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Potters Bar home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.