Corby · Northamptonshire
Brick arch repairs in Corby
Older Corby 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£390per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NN17, NN18
- Population
- about 68,000
- Area
- Northamptonshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Corby?
We cover Corby and its postcode districts NN17, NN18, part of Northamptonshire, with a population of roughly 68,000. If you are just outside Corby, we also cover Uppingham (6 miles), Kettering (7 miles) and Market Harborough (10 miles).
Northamptonshire is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Historic ironstone working has left disturbed ground in places. Across Northamptonshire, most homes are ironstone and limestone cottages, Victorian terraces in Northampton and Kettering, and new-town estates in Corby.
Which repair method suits a home in Corby?
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
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Corby?
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Corby?
The ranges below reflect typical East Midlands 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. | £390 – £1,200 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £880 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,750 – £2,550 | per opening |
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 Corby: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Corby?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Corby start from about £390 per arch, including VAT, on East Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Corby?
We do. Corby and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Uppingham and Kettering. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Northamptonshire prone to subsidence?
Northamptonshire sits largely on Lias clay and Jurassic ironstones and limestones, with historic ironstone quarrying around Corby and Kettering. The clay vales are prone to shrinkage near trees. 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.
Other structural repairs in Corby
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Lintel replacement
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Underpinning
- Crack stitching
Brick arch repairs near Corby
Have several dropped arches along one Corby elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.