Galashiels · Scottish Borders
Brick arch repairs in Galashiels
Older Galashiels 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£380per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TD1
- Population
- about 10,000
- Area
- Scottish Borders
- Pricing region
- Scotland
What is the ground like in Scottish Borders?
Postcode districts TD1 cover Galashiels, a Scottish Borders town of about 10,000 people. We also take enquiries from nearby Hawick (13 miles), Kelso (15 miles) and Peebles (15 miles).
Shrinkable clay is less common in Scottish Borders than in south-east England. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Scottish Borders: Whinstone and sandstone mill-town houses, rural cottages and post-war estates.
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Galashiels?
Guide prices below are for homes in Galashiels, on Scotland 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. | £380 – £1,150 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £855 – £1,250 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,700 – £2,450 | per opening |
Which repair method suits a home in Galashiels?
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 happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Galashiels?
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.
Support the opening
Props carry the brickwork above, and for a rebuild a former is made to the exact profile of the arch. The window or door frame is protected so it is not asked to carry any load.
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
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
Rules for brick arch repairs in Scotland
In Scotland, small repairs often do not need a building warrant, but structural alterations and strengthening generally do. Check with the council’s building standards service if unsure; there is no Party Wall Act in Scotland.
Brick arch repairs in Galashiels: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Galashiels?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Galashiels start from about £380 per arch, including VAT, on Scotland rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Galashiels?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Galashiels, including TD1, and from nearby places such as Hawick and Kelso. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in Scottish Borders prone to subsidence?
The Borders are mostly older hard rock with glacial till and river gravels along the Tweed and its tributaries. Stone mill towns and rubble walls shape most structural repairs. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Galashiels
- Bowing wall repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Underpinning
Brick arch repairs near Galashiels
Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in Galashiels; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.