Brick arch repairs in Keynsham

Postcodes: BS31
Population: about 20,000
Area: Somerset
Pricing region: South West

What should you know about the ground under Keynsham?

Keynsham is in Somerset and takes in postcode districts BS31. About 20,000 people live there. Neighbouring towns we cover: Kingswood (3 miles), Bath (6 miles) and Yate (9 miles).

Somerset has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. What you mostly find across Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.

From first photo to finished repair

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.
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.

Symptoms that point to 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

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Keynsham

Guide prices below are for homes in Keynsham, on South West rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.

Guide prices inc VAT on South West rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
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

Methods for brick arch repairs

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

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

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.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Keynsham?

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Keynsham 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 Keynsham?

We do. Keynsham and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Kingswood and Bath. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.

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.

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.

Should a brick arch be repaired with lime mortar?

On older houses built with soft bricks and lime, yes, in most cases. Lime mortar lets the wall breathe and is weaker than the brick, so any movement or frost damage happens in the joints rather than the bricks. Modern hard brickwork can take a cement-based mortar.

Related work in Keynsham

Brick arch repairs near Keynsham

Request a written, no-obligation price for arch repairs in Keynsham; every arch is itemised, along with any work needed on the inside face.