Whickham · Tyne and Wear
Brick arch repairs in Whickham
If you live in a period home in Whickham, 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£370per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- NE11, NE16, NE21
- Population
- about 17,000
- Area
- Tyne and Wear
- Pricing region
- North East
What should you know about the ground under Whickham?
Whickham (NE11, NE16, NE21) has around 17,000 residents and sits in Tyne and Wear. We also take enquiries from nearby Blaydon-on-Tyne (2 miles), Newcastle upon Tyne (3 miles) and Stanley (5 miles).
Parts of Tyne and Wear have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of Tyne and Wear, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. What you mostly find across Tyne and Wear: Tyneside flats and terraces, Victorian villas, inter-war council estates and post-war semis.
From first photo to finished repair
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Whickham
Guide prices below are for homes in Whickham, 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 |
Methods for brick arch repairs
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
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
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Whickham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Whickham 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 Whickham?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Whickham, including NE11, NE16, NE21, and from nearby places such as Blaydon-on-Tyne and Newcastle upon Tyne. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
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.
Can a dropped arch be repaired without rebuilding it?
Yes, if the drop is small and the brickwork is in good condition. Bars bonded into the joints above can take the load off the arch and hold it in place. If the bricks are loose or the arch has dropped badly, rebuilding is the more reliable repair.
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.
Other structural repairs in Whickham
- Retaining wall repairs
- Concrete repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Chimney stack repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Whickham
Our guide-price tool covers arch reinforcement and rebuilds in Whickham; add a photo and we can say which applies to yours.