Fazakerley · Merseyside
Brick arch repairs in Fazakerley
Older Fazakerley 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£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- L9, L10, L11
- Population
- about 16,000
- Area
- Merseyside
- Pricing region
- North West
What should you know about the ground under Fazakerley?
With roughly 16,000 people, Fazakerley spans postcode districts L9, L10, L11 in Merseyside. We also take enquiries from nearby Kirkby (2 miles), Bootle (4 miles) and Maghull (4 miles).
Merseyside has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Merseyside lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Merseyside: Victorian terraces and villas, inter-war council estates and post-war semis.
What to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Fazakerley?
Guide prices below are for homes in Fazakerley, 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 |
Repair options we may recommend
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 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
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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Fazakerley?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Fazakerley 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.
Do you cover Fazakerley?
Yes, Fazakerley is covered, along with postcode districts L9, L10, L11. We also cover nearby Kirkby and Bootle.
Is the ground in Merseyside prone to subsidence?
Merseyside is mostly sandstone with glacial till on top, with soft coastal deposits in Sefton and the Lancashire coalfield extending under St Helens and parts of Knowsley. Old docks and industry left made ground in places. 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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Fazakerley
Brick arch repairs near Fazakerley
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Fazakerley; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.