Selby · North Yorkshire
Brick arch repairs in Selby
Rebuilding an arch in Selby is a precise job: a former cut to the exact curve, tight joints and a keystone set at the right height. Done well, the new arch looks as though it was always there.
Guide price from£380per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- YO8
- Population
- about 25,000
- Area
- North Yorkshire
- Pricing region
- Yorkshire and the Humber
Why does the ground in North Yorkshire matter for brick arch repairs?
Postcode districts YO8 cover Selby, a North Yorkshire town of about 25,000 people. We also take enquiries from nearby Goole (10 miles), Pontefract (12 miles) and York (12 miles).
North Yorkshire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of North Yorkshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across North Yorkshire: stone cottages, Georgian and Victorian houses in York and Harrogate, and brick terraces on Teesside.
Brick arch repairs prices in Selby
For Selby we use Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| 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 |
How we usually approach brick arch repairs
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
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
What happens during brick arch repairs, step by step?
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.
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.
What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
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.
Questions about brick arch repairs in Selby
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Selby?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Selby 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 Selby?
Yes, Selby is covered, along with postcode districts YO8. We also cover nearby Goole and Pontefract.
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.
Why has the middle of my brick arch dropped?
The centre of an arch usually drops because the bricks have lost their wedge, either because the wall at the sides has moved or the mortar has worn away. A rotting timber hidden behind the arch is another common cause. The keystone slipping is the visible result.
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 Selby
- Floor joist repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Wall tie replacement
- Structural crack repairs
Brick arch repairs near Selby
If bricks in an arch at your Selby property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.