Weston-super-Mare · Somerset
Brick arch repairs in Weston-super-Mare
Flat soldier arches on Weston-super-Mare 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
- BS22, BS23
- Population
- about 83,000
- Area
- Somerset
- Pricing region
- South West
What is the ground like in Somerset?
Weston-super-Mare (BS22, BS23) has around 83,000 residents and sits in Somerset. Nearby places we cover include Burnham-on-Sea (7 miles), Clevedon (8 miles) and Nailsea (11 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Somerset. Parts of Somerset lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Somerset: Bath stone Georgian terraces, Victorian houses in Taunton and Weston-super-Mare, and post-war estates.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Weston-super-Mare?
For Weston-super-Mare we use South West rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.
| 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 |
Repair options we may recommend
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 to expect when we carry out brick arch repairs
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.
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.
Your brick arch repairs questions
How much should I budget for brick arch repairs in Weston-super-Mare?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Weston-super-Mare 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 Weston-super-Mare?
Yes, Weston-super-Mare is covered, along with postcode districts BS22, BS23. We also cover nearby Burnham-on-Sea and Clevedon.
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.
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.
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 Weston-super-Mare
- Chimney stack repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Crack stitching
- Underpinning
- Retaining wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Weston-super-Mare
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Weston-super-Mare arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.