Farnham · Surrey
Brick arch repairs in Farnham
If you live in a period home in Farnham, the arches over your windows were probably laid in lime mortar. Rebuilding them in lime, with the original bricks cleaned and reused, keeps the wall breathing and the repair hard to spot.
Guide price from£450per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- GU9, GU10
- Population
- about 37,000
- Area
- Surrey
- Pricing region
- South East
Is Surrey prone to ground movement?
Farnham (GU9, GU10) has around 37,000 residents and sits in Surrey. Nearby places we cover include Aldershot (3 miles), Fleet (5 miles) and Farnborough (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.
What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
Brick arch repairs prices in Farnham
The ranges below reflect typical South East 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. | £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 |
How we usually approach 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
What happens during brick arch repairs, step by step?
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.
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.
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.
Questions about brick arch repairs in Farnham
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Farnham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Farnham 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 cover Farnham?
Yes, Farnham is covered, along with postcode districts GU9, GU10. We also cover nearby Aldershot and Fleet.
Is the ground in Surrey prone to subsidence?
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.
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.
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 Farnham
- Roof structure repairs
- Lintel replacement
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Underpinning
- Wall tie replacement
Brick arch repairs near Farnham
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Farnham; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.