Morecambe · Lancashire
Brick arch repairs in Morecambe
Older Morecambe houses often carry their window and door heads on brick arches built without any steel at all. When the centre bricks slip, the arch either needs reinforcing in place or rebuilding over a timber former.
Guide price from£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LA1, LA3, LA4
- Population
- about 52,000
- Area
- Lancashire
- Pricing region
- North West
What is the ground like in Lancashire?
With roughly 52,000 people, Morecambe spans postcode districts LA1, LA3, LA4 in Lancashire. We also take enquiries from nearby Heysham (2 miles), Lancaster (3 miles) and Fleetwood (12 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. Typical buildings in Lancashire: Stone and brick mill terraces, seaside villas in Blackpool and Lytham, and inter-war and post-war semis.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Morecambe?
Guide prices below are for homes in Morecambe, 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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Morecambe?
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
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Morecambe?
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.
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.
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 Morecambe: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Morecambe?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Morecambe 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 Morecambe?
Yes, Morecambe is covered, along with postcode districts LA1, LA3, LA4. We also cover nearby Heysham and Lancaster.
Is the ground in Lancashire prone to subsidence?
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.
Do flat brick arches need a lintel?
Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.
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 Morecambe
- Underpinning
- Wall tie replacement
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Concrete repairs
Brick arch repairs near Morecambe
Have several dropped arches along one Morecambe elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.