Hexham · Northumberland
Brick arch repairs in Hexham
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Hexham and beyond, and it rarely fixes itself. We look at whether the arch bricks are sound and whether the wall either side has moved, then recommend the lighter repair where it will work.
Guide price from£370per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NE46
- Population
- about 12,000
- Area
- Northumberland
- Pricing region
- North East
Is Northumberland prone to ground movement?
Hexham (NE46) has around 12,000 residents and sits in Northumberland. We also take enquiries from nearby Consett (13 miles), Blaydon-on-Tyne (15 miles) and Whickham (17 miles).
Parts of Northumberland have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Northumberland lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Northumberland: colliery terraces, stone farmhouses and villages, and post-war estates.
From first photo to finished repair
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Hexham
Guide prices below are for homes in Hexham, on North East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £370 – £1,100 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £830 – £1,200 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,650 – £2,400 | per opening |
Methods for 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 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
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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Hexham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Hexham start from about £370 per arch, including VAT, on North East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out brick arch repairs in Hexham?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Hexham, including NE46, and from nearby places such as Consett and Blaydon-on-Tyne. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Hexham cause cracking?
South-east Northumberland around Blyth, Ashington and Cramlington lies on the Northumberland coalfield, worked extensively in the past, under a cover of glacial clay. The north and west are hard rock and moorland. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Should a brick arch be repaired with lime mortar?
On older houses built with soft bricks and lime, yes, in most cases. Lime mortar lets the wall breathe and is weaker than the brick, so any movement or frost damage happens in the joints rather than the bricks. Modern hard brickwork can take a cement-based mortar.
Do flat brick arches need a lintel?
Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.
More repairs we carry out in Hexham
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Crack stitching
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Floor joist repairs
Brick arch repairs near Hexham
Have several dropped arches along one Hexham elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.