Caterham · Surrey
Brick arch repairs in Caterham
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Caterham and beyond, and it rarely fixes itself. We look at whether the arch bricks are sound and whether the wall either side has moved, then recommend the lighter repair where it will work.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- CR3, CR6
- Population
- about 21,000
- Area
- Surrey
- Pricing region
- South East
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Caterham?
We cover Caterham and its postcode districts CR3, CR6, part of Surrey, with a population of roughly 21,000. Nearby, we also cover Redhill (5 miles), Croydon (5 miles) and Banstead (6 miles).
Much of Surrey sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Across Surrey, most homes are Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and detached houses in the commuter towns, 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
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Caterham
For Caterham we use South East 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. | £450 – £1,350 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £1,000 – £1,450 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £2,000 – £2,900 | per opening |
Methods for brick arch repairs
Reinforcing a sound arch
Where the arch has only dropped slightly and the bricks are sound, stainless helical bars are bonded into the bed joints just above it, extending well into the wall on each side. The bars turn the courses above into a reinforced band of masonry, so the arch no longer has to carry the full load. Joints are repointed to match.
Best for: Slightly dropped or cracked arches with sound bricks
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
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Caterham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Caterham start from about £450 per arch, including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you carry out brick arch repairs in Caterham?
Yes, Caterham is covered, along with postcode districts CR3, CR6. We also cover nearby Redhill and Croydon.
Does the ground around Caterham cause cracking?
North Surrey sits on London Clay, the south on Weald Clay, with chalk along the North Downs and sands in the west. Large gardens with mature trees on clay make seasonal subsidence a familiar problem. 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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Caterham
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Concrete repairs
- Structural crack repairs
Brick arch repairs near Caterham
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Caterham arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.