Clevedon · Somerset
Brick arch repairs in Clevedon
Flat soldier arches on Clevedon 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£410per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BS21
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Somerset
- Pricing region
- South West
What is the ground like in Somerset?
Postcode districts BS21 cover Clevedon, a Somerset town of about 21,000 people. We also take enquiries from nearby Nailsea (4 miles), Portishead (5 miles) and Weston-super-Mare (8 miles).
Parts of Somerset have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Clevedon?
Prices in Clevedon are worked out on South West 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. | £410 – £1,250 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £925 – £1,350 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,850 – £2,700 | per opening |
Which repair method suits a home in Clevedon?
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
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 Clevedon?
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.
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
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
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 Clevedon: questions and answers
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Clevedon?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Clevedon start from about £410 per arch, including VAT, on South West 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 Clevedon?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Clevedon, including BS21, and from nearby places such as Nailsea and Portishead. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Why do houses in Somerset crack?
Somerset mixes Lias clays, Mercia Mudstone, limestone hills and the peat and alluvium of the Levels around Bridgwater, which can settle. The former Somerset coalfield around Radstock and Midsomer Norton left recorded workings. 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.
What is a former in arch building?
A former, sometimes called a centre, is a temporary timber frame cut to the exact shape of the arch. It supports the bricks while the arch is laid and the mortar cures, and is removed once the arch can carry itself.
Related work in Clevedon
- Bowing wall repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Subsidence repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
Brick arch repairs near Clevedon
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Clevedon arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.