Blaydon-on-Tyne · Tyne and Wear
Brick arch repairs in Blaydon-on-Tyne
Older Blaydon-on-Tyne 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£370per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NE15, NE21, NE40
- Population
- about 15,000
- Area
- Tyne and Wear
- Pricing region
- North East
Is Tyne and Wear prone to ground movement?
With roughly 15,000 people, Blaydon-on-Tyne spans postcode districts NE15, NE21, NE40 in Tyne and Wear. If you are just outside Blaydon-on-Tyne, we also cover Whickham (2 miles), Newcastle upon Tyne (4 miles) and Stanley (7 miles).
Tyne and Wear has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of Tyne and Wear, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Housing stock in Tyne and Wear: Tyneside flats and terraces, Victorian villas, inter-war council estates and post-war semis.
Which repair method suits a home in Blaydon-on-Tyne?
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
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Blaydon-on-Tyne?
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.
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.
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Blaydon-on-Tyne?
Guide prices below are for homes in Blaydon-on-Tyne, on North East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £370 – £1,100 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £830 – £1,200 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,650 – £2,400 | 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.
Brick arch repairs in Blaydon-on-Tyne: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Blaydon-on-Tyne?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Blaydon-on-Tyne start from about £370 per arch, including VAT, on North East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Blaydon-on-Tyne?
We do. Blaydon-on-Tyne and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Whickham and Newcastle upon Tyne. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Tyne and Wear prone to subsidence?
Tyne and Wear lies on the Durham and Northumberland coalfield, with old shallow workings recorded beneath parts of Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland, mostly under a cover of glacial clay. 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.
Is a dropped brick arch dangerous?
A slightly dropped arch is not usually an immediate danger, but it is no longer carrying load as it should and tends to worsen. Loose bricks that could fall, or a fast-growing crack above, need prompt attention. Do not rely on the window frame to hold it.
Other structural repairs in Blaydon-on-Tyne
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Structural crack repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Roof structure repairs
Brick arch repairs near Blaydon-on-Tyne
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Blaydon-on-Tyne home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.