Tipton · West Midlands
Brick arch repairs in Tipton
A dropped keystone over a front door is a familiar sight on older streets, in Tipton 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
- DY1, DY4, WV14
- Population
- about 47,000
- Area
- West Midlands
- Pricing region
- West Midlands
Is West Midlands prone to ground movement?
Tipton is in West Midlands and takes in postcode districts DY1, DY4, WV14. About 47,000 people live there. We also take enquiries from nearby Dudley (2 miles), Wednesbury (2 miles) and West Bromwich (3 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of West Midlands. Parts of West Midlands lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Across West Midlands, most homes are Victorian terraces, inter-war semis, Black Country industrial housing and large post-war estates.
What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
Brick arch repairs prices in Tipton
Guide prices below are for homes in Tipton, 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 |
How we usually approach 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
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.
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.
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 Tipton
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Tipton?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Tipton 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 Tipton?
Yes, Tipton is covered, along with postcode districts DY1, DY4, WV14. We also cover nearby Dudley and Wednesbury.
Does the ground around Tipton cause cracking?
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.
Can you match the original bricks?
Usually, because most arches are rebuilt with their own cleaned bricks, which is the best match of all. Damaged bricks are replaced with reclaimed or new bricks chosen for size, colour and texture, and the mortar is matched to the surrounding joints.
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.
More repairs we carry out in Tipton
- Retaining wall repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Floor joist repairs
Brick arch repairs near Tipton
If bricks in an arch at your Tipton property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.