Middlesbrough · North Yorkshire
Brick arch repairs in Middlesbrough
Flat soldier arches on Middlesbrough 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£380per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TS1, TS2, TS4
- Population
- about 140,000
- Area
- North Yorkshire
- Pricing region
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Is North Yorkshire prone to ground movement?
Postcode districts TS1, TS2, TS4 cover Middlesbrough, a North Yorkshire town of about 140,000 people. Neighbouring towns we cover: Stockton-on-Tees (3 miles), Thornaby-on-Tees (4 miles) and Yarm (7 miles).
Parts of North Yorkshire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of North Yorkshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in North Yorkshire: Stone cottages, Georgian and Victorian houses in York and Harrogate, and brick terraces on Teesside.
What to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Middlesbrough?
The ranges below reflect typical Yorkshire and the Humber 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. | £380 – £1,150 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £855 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,700 – £2,450 | 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 should I budget for brick arch repairs in Middlesbrough?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Middlesbrough start from about £380 per arch, including VAT, on Yorkshire and the Humber 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 Middlesbrough?
Yes, Middlesbrough is covered, along with postcode districts TS1, TS2, TS4. We also cover nearby Stockton-on-Tees and Thornaby-on-Tees.
Why do houses in North Yorkshire crack?
North Yorkshire ranges from limestone dales and moors to clays and glacial deposits in the Vale of York, with the Selby coalfield in the south and ironstone workings in Cleveland. Teesside has areas of soft and made ground. 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.
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.
Related work in Middlesbrough
- Floor joist repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
Brick arch repairs near Middlesbrough
If bricks in an arch at your Middlesbrough property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.