Abingdon · Oxfordshire
Brick arch repairs in Abingdon
Flat soldier arches on Abingdon houses tend to sag once a hidden bar rusts or an old window frame is replaced. Reinforcing them with stainless bars in the joints above is often enough, without taking the arch down.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- OX13, OX14
- Population
- about 39,000
- Area
- Oxfordshire
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Abingdon?
We cover Abingdon and its postcode districts OX13, OX14, part of Oxfordshire, with a population of roughly 39,000. Nearby places we cover include Didcot (5 miles), Oxford (6 miles) and Witney (12 miles).
Oxfordshire is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Oxfordshire: Cotswold stone villages, Victorian terraces in Oxford and Banbury, and large post-war and new-build estates around Didcot and Bicester.
Which repair method suits a home in Abingdon?
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Abingdon?
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.
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
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Abingdon?
Prices in Abingdon are worked out on South East rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £450 – £1,350 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £1,000 – £1,450 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £2,000 – £2,900 | 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 Abingdon: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Abingdon?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Abingdon start from about £450 per arch, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Abingdon?
We do. Abingdon and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Didcot and Oxford. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Why do houses in Oxfordshire crack?
Oxfordshire's vales sit on Oxford, Kimmeridge and Gault Clays, among the more shrinkage-prone clays in England, with Cotswold limestone in the north-west and chalk downs in the south. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
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.
Related work in Abingdon
- Structural crack repairs
- Underpinning
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
Brick arch repairs near Abingdon
If bricks in an arch at your Abingdon property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.