Brick arch repairs in Mexborough

Postcodes: S62, S63, S64
Population: about 15,000
Area: South Yorkshire
Pricing region: Yorkshire and the Humber

Is South Yorkshire prone to ground movement?

We cover Mexborough and its postcode districts S62, S63, S64, part of South Yorkshire, with a population of roughly 15,000. If you are just outside Mexborough, we also cover Wath-upon-Dearne (2 miles), Conisbrough (3 miles) and Rawmarsh (3 miles).

Clay soils are found in parts of South Yorkshire. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of South Yorkshire, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Housing stock in South Yorkshire: Brick and stone terraces, colliery housing, inter-war council estates and post-war semis.

What should you budget for brick arch repairs in Mexborough?

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

Guide prices inc VAT on Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
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

Repair options we may recommend

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

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.
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.

Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs

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.

Your brick arch repairs questions

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

Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Mexborough start from about £380 per arch, including VAT, on Yorkshire and the Humber 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 Mexborough?

Yes, Mexborough is covered, along with postcode districts S62, S63, S64. We also cover nearby Wath-upon-Dearne and Conisbrough.

Why do houses in South Yorkshire crack?

South Yorkshire lies largely on the Coal Measures, with a long history of shallow and deep mining around Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. Sheffield's hillside sites add retaining walls and steep ground to the mix. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.

Do flat brick arches need a lintel?

Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.

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 Mexborough

Brick arch repairs near Mexborough

Have several dropped arches along one Mexborough elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.