Boston · Lincolnshire
Brick arch repairs in Boston
Flat soldier arches on Boston 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£390per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE21
- Population
- about 45,000
- Area
- Lincolnshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
Why does the ground in Lincolnshire matter for brick arch repairs?
Boston is in Lincolnshire and takes in postcode districts PE21. About 45,000 people live there. If you are just outside Boston, we also cover Spalding (14 miles), Sleaford (16 miles) and Skegness (19 miles).
Lincolnshire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Lincolnshire: Victorian terraces in Lincoln and Grimsby, fenland brick houses, seaside bungalows and post-war estates.
Which repair method suits a home in Boston?
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Boston?
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Boston?
The ranges below reflect typical East Midlands costs for brick arch repairs, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £390 – £1,200 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £880 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,750 – £2,550 | 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.
Brick arch repairs in Boston: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Boston?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Boston start from about £390 per arch, including VAT, on East Midlands 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 Boston?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Boston, including PE21, and from nearby places such as Spalding and Sleaford. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Lincolnshire crack?
Lincolnshire has Lias, Oxford and Kimmeridge clays on the vales, chalk on the Wolds and soft silts and peat in the fens around Boston and Spalding. Fen ground and clay can both settle or shrink in dry years. 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.
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.
Related work in Boston
- Crack stitching
- Lintel replacement
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Gable end wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Boston
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Boston; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.