Newcastle-under-Lyme · Staffordshire
Brick arch repairs in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Older Newcastle-under-Lyme 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
- ST5
- Population
- about 130,000
- Area
- Staffordshire
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
What should you know about the ground under Newcastle-under-Lyme?
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire: about 130,000 residents across postcode districts ST5. Neighbouring towns we cover: Stoke-on-Trent (2 miles), Kidsgrove (6 miles) and Biddulph (8 miles).
Staffordshire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of Staffordshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Staffordshire: Potteries terraces, brick villas, inter-war semis and post-war estates.
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.
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.
Is it time for brick arch repairs? Common signs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- 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 Newcastle-under-Lyme?
The ranges below reflect typical West Midlands costs for brick arch repairs, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| 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 |
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 will brick arch repairs cost in Newcastle-under-Lyme?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Newcastle-under-Lyme 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 Newcastle-under-Lyme?
We do. Newcastle-under-Lyme and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Staffordshire prone to subsidence?
North Staffordshire around Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove, and the Cannock Chase area, lie on coalfields with recorded workings. Much of the rest of the county is Mercia Mudstone and glacial clay. 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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Newcastle-under-Lyme
- Wall tie replacement
- Bowing wall repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Subsidence repairs
Brick arch repairs near Newcastle-under-Lyme
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Newcastle-under-Lyme arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.