Kirkby · Merseyside
Brick arch repairs in Kirkby
Flat soldier arches on Kirkby 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£385per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- L32, L33
- Population
- about 46,000
- Area
- Merseyside
- Pricing region
- North West
What is the ground like in Merseyside?
We cover Kirkby and its postcode districts L32, L33, part of Merseyside, with a population of roughly 46,000. Nearby places we cover include Fazakerley (2 miles), Maghull (3 miles) and Prescot (5 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. Housing stock in Merseyside: Victorian terraces and villas, inter-war council estates and post-war semis.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Kirkby?
The ranges below reflect typical North West 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. | £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
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
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 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.
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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Kirkby?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Kirkby 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.
Can you survey a property in Kirkby?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Kirkby, including L32, L33, and from nearby places such as Fazakerley and Maghull. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Merseyside crack?
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 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.
Should a brick arch be repaired with lime mortar?
On older houses built with soft bricks and lime, yes, in most cases. Lime mortar lets the wall breathe and is weaker than the brick, so any movement or frost damage happens in the joints rather than the bricks. Modern hard brickwork can take a cement-based mortar.
Related work in Kirkby
- Retaining wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Gable end wall repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
Brick arch repairs near Kirkby
Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in Kirkby; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.