Lancaster · Lancashire
Brick arch repairs in Lancaster
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Lancaster 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
- LA1, LA3, LA4
- Population
- about 47,000
- Area
- Lancashire
- Pricing region
- North West
What is the ground like in Lancashire?
Lancaster is in Lancashire and takes in postcode districts LA1, LA3, LA4. About 47,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Morecambe (3 miles), Heysham (4 miles) and Fleetwood (12 miles).
Lancashire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Lancashire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Lancashire: Stone and brick mill terraces, seaside villas in Blackpool and Lytham, and inter-war and post-war semis.
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
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
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.
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
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Lancaster
Guide prices below are for homes in Lancaster, 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 |
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 Lancaster?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Lancaster 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 Lancaster?
Yes, Lancaster is covered, along with postcode districts LA1, LA3, LA4. We also cover nearby Morecambe and Heysham.
Does the ground around Lancaster 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.
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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Lancaster
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Concrete repairs
- Crack stitching
- Bay window subsidence repairs
Brick arch repairs near Lancaster
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Lancaster; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.