Skegness · Lincolnshire
Brick arch repairs in Skegness
If you live in a period home in Skegness, the arches over your windows were probably laid in lime mortar. Rebuilding them in lime, with the original bricks cleaned and reused, keeps the wall breathing and the repair hard to spot.
Guide price from£390per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE25
- Population
- about 25,000
- Area
- Lincolnshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
What is the ground like in Lincolnshire?
Skegness, Lincolnshire: about 25,000 residents across postcode districts PE25. Neighbouring towns we cover: Boston (19 miles) and Louth (21 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. Typical buildings in Lincolnshire: Victorian terraces in Lincoln and Grimsby, fenland brick houses, seaside bungalows and post-war estates.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Skegness
Prices in Skegness 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 |
Methods for brick arch repairs
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
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
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.
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.
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
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Skegness?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Skegness 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.
Do you cover Skegness?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Skegness, including PE25, and from nearby places such as Boston and Louth. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in Lincolnshire prone to subsidence?
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.
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.
What is a former in arch building?
A former, sometimes called a centre, is a temporary timber frame cut to the exact shape of the arch. It supports the bricks while the arch is laid and the mortar cures, and is removed once the arch can carry itself.
Other structural repairs in Skegness
- Concrete repairs
- Underpinning
- Structural crack repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
Brick arch repairs near Skegness
If bricks in an arch at your Skegness property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.