Mansfield Woodhouse · Nottinghamshire
Brick arch repairs in Mansfield Woodhouse
Older Mansfield Woodhouse 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
- NG18, NG19, NG20
- Population
- about 18,000
- Area
- Nottinghamshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
Why does the ground in Nottinghamshire matter for brick arch repairs?
Mansfield Woodhouse is in Nottinghamshire and takes in postcode districts NG18, NG19, NG20. About 18,000 people live there. We also take enquiries from nearby Mansfield (2 miles), Sutton-in-Ashfield (4 miles) and Kirkby-in-Ashfield (5 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Nottinghamshire. Parts of Nottinghamshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Nottinghamshire: Brick terraces in former colliery towns, Victorian villas in Nottingham, and inter-war and post-war semis.
Signs you may need 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
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Mansfield Woodhouse?
Guide prices below are for homes in Mansfield Woodhouse, on East Midlands 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. | £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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Mansfield Woodhouse?
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 Mansfield Woodhouse?
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.
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 Mansfield Woodhouse: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Mansfield Woodhouse?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Mansfield Woodhouse 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 Mansfield Woodhouse?
Yes, Mansfield Woodhouse is covered, along with postcode districts NG18, NG19, NG20. We also cover nearby Mansfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield.
Is the ground in Nottinghamshire prone to subsidence?
West Nottinghamshire around Mansfield, Hucknall and Kirkby-in-Ashfield is on the Coal Measures with a long mining history, while Nottingham sits on sandstone with Mercia Mudstone clay to the south and east. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
Is a dropped brick arch dangerous?
A slightly dropped arch is not usually an immediate danger, but it is no longer carrying load as it should and tends to worsen. Loose bricks that could fall, or a fast-growing crack above, need prompt attention. Do not rely on the window frame to hold it.
Other structural repairs in Mansfield Woodhouse
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Underpinning
- Lintel replacement
- Retaining wall repairs
- Floor joist repairs
Brick arch repairs near Mansfield Woodhouse
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Mansfield Woodhouse arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.