Brick arch repairs in Daventry

Postcodes: NN11
Population: about 28,000
Area: Northamptonshire
Pricing region: East Midlands

What is the ground like in Northamptonshire?

Daventry is in Northamptonshire and takes in postcode districts NN11. About 28,000 people live there. Neighbouring towns we cover: Rugby (9 miles), Northampton (12 miles) and Leamington Spa (15 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. Housing stock in Northamptonshire: Ironstone and limestone cottages, Victorian terraces in Northampton and Kettering, and new-town estates in Corby.

Brick arch repairs prices in Daventry

For Daventry we use East Midlands rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.

Guide prices inc VAT on East Midlands rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
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

How we usually approach brick arch repairs

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

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 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.
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.
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.

What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs

Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge

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 Daventry

How much will brick arch repairs cost in Daventry?

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Daventry 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 Daventry?

Yes, Daventry is covered, along with postcode districts NN11. We also cover nearby Rugby and Northampton.

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.

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.

Other structural repairs in Daventry

Brick arch repairs near Daventry

Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in Daventry; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.