Burnley · Lancashire
Brick arch repairs in Burnley
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Burnley 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£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BB10, BB11
- Population
- about 150,000
- Area
- Lancashire
- Pricing region
- North West
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Burnley?
Burnley is in Lancashire and takes in postcode districts BB10, BB11. About 150,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Nelson (3 miles), Colne (5 miles) and Accrington (6 miles).
Parts of Lancashire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Lancashire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Lancashire: stone and brick mill terraces, seaside villas in Blackpool and Lytham, and inter-war and post-war semis.
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Burnley
Prices in Burnley are worked out on North West 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. | £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
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
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 Burnley?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Burnley 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 Burnley?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Burnley, including BB10, BB11, and from nearby places such as Nelson and Colne. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Burnley cause cracking?
Lancashire is mostly glacial till over sandstone and mudstone, with the Burnley and Accrington coalfield in the east and soft coastal and estuarine ground on the Fylde. Old mill and mine sites leave made ground in many towns. 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 Burnley
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Wall tie replacement
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Floor joist repairs
Brick arch repairs near Burnley
If bricks in an arch at your Burnley property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.