Spalding · Lincolnshire
Brick arch repairs in Spalding
Older Spalding 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£390per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- PE11
- Population
- about 31,000
- Area
- Lincolnshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
Is Lincolnshire prone to ground movement?
Spalding is in Lincolnshire and takes in postcode districts PE11. About 31,000 people live there. Nearby places we cover include Boston (14 miles), Peterborough (15 miles) and Wisbech (15 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Lincolnshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Across Lincolnshire, most homes are Victorian terraces in Lincoln and Grimsby, fenland brick houses, seaside bungalows and post-war estates.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Spalding?
Guide prices below are for homes in Spalding, on East Midlands 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. | £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 Spalding?
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
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 Spalding?
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.
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 Spalding: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Spalding?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Spalding 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 Spalding?
We do. Spalding and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Boston and Peterborough. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
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.
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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Spalding
- Wall tie replacement
- Structural crack repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Crack stitching
Brick arch repairs near Spalding
Have several dropped arches along one Spalding elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.