Grimsby · Lincolnshire
Brick arch repairs in Grimsby
Flat soldier arches on Grimsby 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
- DN31, DN32, DN34
- Population
- about 86,000
- Area
- Lincolnshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
Is Lincolnshire prone to ground movement?
Grimsby is in Lincolnshire and takes in postcode districts DN31, DN32, DN34. About 86,000 people live there. If you are just outside Grimsby, we also cover Louth (14 miles) and Scunthorpe (24 miles).
Parts of Lincolnshire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Lincolnshire: Victorian terraces in Lincoln and Grimsby, fenland brick houses, seaside bungalows and post-war estates.
Signs you may need 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 vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Grimsby?
Prices in Grimsby are worked out on East Midlands 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. | £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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Grimsby?
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
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Grimsby?
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.
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 Grimsby: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Grimsby?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Grimsby 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 Grimsby?
We do. Grimsby and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Louth and Scunthorpe. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
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.
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.
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.
Related work in Grimsby
- Underpinning
- Retaining wall repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Wall tie replacement
Brick arch repairs near Grimsby
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Grimsby arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.