Shrewsbury · Shropshire
Brick arch repairs in Shrewsbury
Older Shrewsbury 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£400per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SY1, SY2, SY3
- Population
- about 77,000
- Area
- Shropshire
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
What is the ground like in Shropshire?
Postcode districts SY1, SY2, SY3 cover Shrewsbury, a Shropshire town of about 77,000 people. Nearby, we also cover Telford (13 miles) and Oswestry (16 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Shropshire. Parts of Shropshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Shropshire: Timber-framed and brick town houses, industrial terraces around Telford, and new-town estates.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Shrewsbury?
Prices in Shrewsbury are worked out on West Midlands 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. | £400 – £1,200 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £900 – £1,300 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,800 – £2,600 | per opening |
Which repair method suits a home in Shrewsbury?
Reinforcing a sound arch
Where the arch has only dropped slightly and the bricks are sound, stainless helical bars are bonded into the bed joints just above it, extending well into the wall on each side. The bars turn the courses above into a reinforced band of masonry, so the arch no longer has to carry the full load. Joints are repointed to match.
Best for: Slightly dropped or cracked arches with sound bricks
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 Shrewsbury?
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.
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 Shrewsbury: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Shrewsbury?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Shrewsbury start from about £400 per arch, including VAT, on West Midlands rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Shrewsbury?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Shrewsbury, including SY1, SY2, SY3, and from nearby places such as Telford and Oswestry. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Is the ground in Shropshire prone to subsidence?
Shropshire has very varied rock, from Mercia Mudstone on the north Shropshire plain to the Coalbrookdale coalfield under Telford, where historic shallow coal, clay and ironstone workings are widespread. 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.
Other structural repairs in Shrewsbury
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Shrewsbury
If bricks in an arch at your Shrewsbury property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.