Melksham · Wiltshire
Brick arch repairs in Melksham
If you live in a period home in Melksham, 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£410per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- SN12
- Population
- about 19,000
- Area
- Wiltshire
- Pricing region
- South West
What should you know about the ground under Melksham?
Melksham, Wiltshire: about 19,000 residents across postcode districts SN12. We also take enquiries from nearby Trowbridge (5 miles), Chippenham (6 miles) and Devizes (6 miles).
Clay soils are found in parts of Wiltshire. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Housing stock in Wiltshire: Stone cottages, railway terraces in Swindon, and large post-war and new-build estates.
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.
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.
What to look for before calling about brick arch repairs
- Cracks stepping out from the arch ends into the wall
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- The centre bricks of an arch sitting lower than the rest
Brick arch repairs prices in Melksham
Guide prices below are for homes in Melksham, on South West 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. | £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 |
How we usually approach brick arch repairs
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
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.
Questions about brick arch repairs in Melksham
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Melksham?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Melksham 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 cover Melksham?
We do. Melksham and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Trowbridge and Chippenham. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Is the ground in Wiltshire prone to subsidence?
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.
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.
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 Melksham
Brick arch repairs near Melksham
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Melksham home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.