Stratford-upon-Avon · Warwickshire
Brick arch repairs in Stratford-upon-Avon
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Stratford-upon-Avon 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£400per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- CV37
- Population
- about 30,000
- Area
- Warwickshire
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
How do local ground conditions affect brick arch repairs in Stratford-upon-Avon?
Stratford-upon-Avon (CV37) has around 30,000 residents and sits in Warwickshire. Nearby, we also cover Warwick (8 miles), Leamington Spa (10 miles) and Kenilworth (12 miles).
Parts of Warwickshire have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Warwickshire lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Warwickshire: Regency houses in Leamington Spa, timber-framed buildings in Stratford and Warwick, and brick terraces and estates in the north.
Methods for brick arch repairs
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
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
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.
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
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Stratford-upon-Avon
Guide prices below are for homes in Stratford-upon-Avon, on West Midlands 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. | £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.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Stratford-upon-Avon?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Stratford-upon-Avon 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 carry out brick arch repairs in Stratford-upon-Avon?
We do. Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Warwick and Leamington Spa. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Does the ground around Stratford-upon-Avon cause cracking?
Much of Warwickshire is Mercia Mudstone and Lias clay, with the Warwickshire coalfield under Nuneaton and Bedworth in the north. Clay soils near trees can shrink in dry summers. 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.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Stratford-upon-Avon
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Wall tie replacement
Brick arch repairs near Stratford-upon-Avon
Once the brick and mortar match is agreed for your Stratford-upon-Avon arch, we put a fixed price in writing before any work is booked.