Westbury · Wiltshire
Brick arch repairs in Westbury
Older Westbury houses often carry their window and door heads on brick arches built without any steel at all. When the centre bricks slip, the arch either needs reinforcing in place or rebuilding over a timber former.
Guide price from£410per arch inc VAT
- Postcodes
- BA13
- Population
- about 17,000
- Area
- Wiltshire
- Pricing region
- South West
What should you know about the ground under Westbury?
Westbury (BA13) has around 17,000 residents and sits in Wiltshire. We also take enquiries from nearby Warminster (4 miles), Trowbridge (4 miles) and Frome (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 when we carry out brick arch repairs in Westbury?
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.
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.
Signs you may need brick arch repairs
- Mortar falling out of the arch joints after frosty weather
- A flat arch that has started to sag into a shallow curve
- A vertical crack running up from the middle of the arch
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Westbury?
These are guide prices for Westbury, 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 |
Which repair method suits a home in Westbury?
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
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
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 Westbury: questions and answers
How much will brick arch repairs cost in Westbury?
Guide prices for brick arch repairs in Westbury 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 Westbury?
We do. Westbury and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Warminster and Trowbridge. 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.
Why has the middle of my brick arch dropped?
The centre of an arch usually drops because the bricks have lost their wedge, either because the wall at the sides has moved or the mortar has worn away. A rotting timber hidden behind the arch is another common cause. The keystone slipping is the visible result.
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.
Other structural repairs in Westbury
Brick arch repairs near Westbury
Send a straight-on photo of the dropped or cracked arch at your Westbury home, and we will offer a free view on whether it needs reinforcing or rebuilding.