Chippenham · Wiltshire
Brick arch repairs in Chippenham
Before repairing a brick arch at a Chippenham property, we check what sits behind it. A rotting timber lintel on the inner face is a frequent hidden cause, and fixing only the visible arch would leave the real problem in place.
Guide price from£410per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SN14, SN15
- Population
- about 36,000
- Area
- Wiltshire
- Pricing region
- South West
What should you know about the ground under Chippenham?
Chippenham, Wiltshire: about 36,000 residents across postcode districts SN14, SN15. We also take enquiries from nearby Calne (5 miles), Melksham (6 miles) and Devizes (9 miles).
Wiltshire has a mix of ground, with clay in some places and firmer rock in others. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Wiltshire: stone cottages, railway terraces in Swindon, and large post-war and new-build estates.
Which repair method suits a home in Chippenham?
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
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
What happens when we carry out brick arch repairs in Chippenham?
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.
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Gaps opening between arch bricks at the top or bottom edge
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Chippenham?
These are guide prices for Chippenham, using South West rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Stitching and reinforcing a sound archest. | £410 – £1,250 | per arch |
| Rebuilding an arch (one side) | £925 – £1,350 | per opening |
| Rebuilding an arch (both sides) | £1,850 – £2,700 | 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 Chippenham: questions and answers
What is the price of brick arch repairs in Chippenham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Chippenham start from about £410 per arch, including VAT, on South West 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 Chippenham?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Chippenham, including SN14, SN15, and from nearby places such as Calne and Melksham. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Chippenham cause cracking?
Southern Wiltshire is chalk, while the north around Swindon, Chippenham and Trowbridge sits on Oxford and Kimmeridge Clays that are prone to seasonal movement near trees. Bath stone was mined underground around Corsham. 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.
Should a brick arch be repaired with lime mortar?
On older houses built with soft bricks and lime, yes, in most cases. Lime mortar lets the wall breathe and is weaker than the brick, so any movement or frost damage happens in the joints rather than the bricks. Modern hard brickwork can take a cement-based mortar.
More repairs we carry out in Chippenham
- Resin injection ground stabilisation
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Chimney stack repairs
- Roof structure repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
Brick arch repairs near Chippenham
If bricks in an arch at your Chippenham property are loose, photograph them from a safe distance and send them over for advice.