Aldridge · West Midlands
Brick arch repairs in Aldridge
If you live in a period home in Aldridge, 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£400per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- WS9
- Population
- about 27,000
- Area
- West Midlands
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
Is West Midlands prone to ground movement?
Aldridge is in West Midlands and takes in postcode districts WS9. About 27,000 people live there. We also take enquiries from nearby Walsall (3 miles), Bloxwich (4 miles) and Sutton Coldfield (5 miles).
West Midlands has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Parts of West Midlands lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in West Midlands: Victorian terraces, inter-war semis, Black Country industrial housing and large post-war estates.
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Aldridge
The ranges below reflect typical West Midlands 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. | £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 |
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Symptoms that point to brick arch repairs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
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 Aldridge?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Aldridge 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 cover Aldridge?
Yes, Aldridge is covered, along with postcode districts WS9. We also cover nearby Walsall and Bloxwich.
Is the ground in West Midlands prone to subsidence?
The West Midlands is mostly Mercia Mudstone and glacial till, with the South Staffordshire coalfield under much of the Black Country, where shallow coal and limestone workings are recorded around Dudley, Tipton and Walsall. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
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.
Do flat brick arches need a lintel?
Many flat soldier arches were built with a hidden steel bar or timber behind, because they have little true arch action. When repairing one, we check what is supporting it and, where needed, reinforce it with bars or add suitable support behind.
Other structural repairs in Aldridge
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Roof structure repairs
Brick arch repairs near Aldridge
Have several dropped arches along one Aldridge elevation? We can price them together and suggest the order that makes sense.