Newark-on-Trent · Nottinghamshire
Brick arch repairs in Newark-on-Trent
Before repairing a brick arch at a Newark-on-Trent property, we check what sits behind it. A rotting timber lintel on the inner face is a frequent hidden cause, and fixing only the visible arch would leave the real problem in place.
Guide price from£390per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NG24
- Population
- about 43,000
- Area
- Nottinghamshire
- Pricing region
- East Midlands
What should you know about the ground under Newark-on-Trent?
Newark-on-Trent is in Nottinghamshire and takes in postcode districts NG24. About 43,000 people live there. If you are just outside Newark-on-Trent, we also cover Grantham (13 miles), Arnold (14 miles) and Nottingham (16 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. Across Nottinghamshire, most homes are brick terraces in former colliery towns, Victorian villas in Nottingham, and inter-war and post-war semis.
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Newark-on-Trent?
For Newark-on-Trent 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.
| 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 |
Repair options we may recommend
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
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 to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Newark-on-Trent?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Newark-on-Trent 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 carry out brick arch repairs in Newark-on-Trent?
Yes, Newark-on-Trent is covered, along with postcode districts NG24. We also cover nearby Grantham and Arnold.
Does the ground around Newark-on-Trent cause cracking?
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.
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 a dropped arch be repaired without rebuilding it?
Yes, if the drop is small and the brickwork is in good condition. Bars bonded into the joints above can take the load off the arch and hold it in place. If the bricks are loose or the arch has dropped badly, rebuilding is the more reliable repair.
More repairs we carry out in Newark-on-Trent
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Roof structure repairs
Brick arch repairs near Newark-on-Trent
Have several dropped arches along one Newark-on-Trent elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.