Ormskirk · Lancashire
Brick arch repairs in Ormskirk
Flat soldier arches on Ormskirk 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£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- L39, WN8
- Population
- about 24,000
- Area
- Lancashire
- Pricing region
- North West
Why does the ground in Lancashire matter for brick arch repairs?
Ormskirk is in Lancashire and takes in postcode districts L39, WN8. About 24,000 people live there. We also take enquiries from nearby Maghull (4 miles), Skelmersdale (5 miles) and Kirkby (6 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.
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Ormskirk?
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.
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Ormskirk?
Guide prices below are for homes in Ormskirk, 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 Ormskirk?
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
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 Ormskirk: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Ormskirk?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Ormskirk 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.
Can you survey a property in Ormskirk?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Ormskirk, including L39, WN8, and from nearby places such as Maghull and Skelmersdale. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Lancashire crack?
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.
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.
Is a dropped brick arch dangerous?
A slightly dropped arch is not usually an immediate danger, but it is no longer carrying load as it should and tends to worsen. Loose bricks that could fall, or a fast-growing crack above, need prompt attention. Do not rely on the window frame to hold it.
Related work in Ormskirk
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Structural crack repairs
- Floor joist repairs
Brick arch repairs near Ormskirk
Have several dropped arches along one Ormskirk elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.