Moreton · Merseyside
Brick arch repairs in Moreton
Flat soldier arches on Moreton 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
- CH46, CH47, CH49
- Population
- about 18,000
- Area
- Merseyside
- Pricing region
- North West
What should you know about the ground under Moreton?
We cover Moreton and its postcode districts CH46, CH47, CH49, part of Merseyside, with a population of roughly 18,000. Nearby, we also cover Wallasey (3 miles), Birkenhead (4 miles) and Heswall (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.
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Moreton?
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Moreton?
Prices in Moreton are worked out on North West 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. | £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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Moreton?
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
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 Moreton: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Moreton?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Moreton 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 Moreton?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Moreton, including CH46, CH47, CH49, and from nearby places such as Wallasey and Birkenhead. 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 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.
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.
Related work in Moreton
- Concrete repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Moreton
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Moreton arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.