Dunstable · Bedfordshire
Concrete repairs in Dunstable
Where flats and houses in Dunstable and across Bedfordshire have concrete balconies, canopies or lintels several decades old, carbonation has had time to reach the reinforcement. That is when spalling and straight-line cracking tend to appear.
Guide price from£90per m² inc VAT
- Postcodes
- LU6
- Population
- about 52,000
- Area
- Bedfordshire
- Pricing region
- East of England
What is the ground like in Bedfordshire?
Dunstable, Bedfordshire: about 52,000 residents across postcode districts LU6. We also take enquiries from nearby Luton (5 miles), Leighton Buzzard (6 miles) and Harpenden (9 miles).
Much of Bedfordshire sits on clay that shrinks in dry summers and swells in wet winters. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. Typical buildings in Bedfordshire: Victorian terraces in Bedford and Luton, large inter-war and post-war estates, and newer estates on former clay pits and brickfields.
Symptoms that point to concrete repairs
- Damp patches, white deposits or drips on a balcony or canopy underside
- Exposed steel bars showing where concrete has fallen away
- Hollow sound when the surface is tapped with a hammer
Guide prices for concrete repairs in Dunstable
The ranges below reflect typical East of England costs for concrete repairs, including VAT. Scaffold, access and making good can push a job to the top of the range.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete patch repair | £90 – £190 | per m² |
| Crack injection | £190 – £505 | per metre |
| Small jobs (minimum visit)est. | £470 – £945 | per visit |
Methods for concrete repairs
Crack injection
Cracks are sealed at the surface, then a low-viscosity resin is injected under pressure through ports until it fills the crack. A rigid resin bonds the two faces back together, while a flexible one seals live cracks against water. The choice depends on whether the crack is still moving.
Best for: Cracks letting water in, or splitting a slab or beam
Recasting or strengthening
Where steel has lost much of its section, or a lintel or canopy is too far gone to patch, the element is propped and rebuilt, replaced or strengthened to an engineer’s design. It is less common, but sometimes the more lasting option for small canopies and old precast lintels.
Best for: Badly corroded lintels, canopies and balcony edges
From first photo to finished repair
Photos and a description
Send photos of the damage close up and from a distance, plus the whole balcony, canopy or elevation. Tell us roughly how old the building is and whether anything has fallen, so we can judge whether to make it safe first.
Survey and tapping test
On site we tap the surface to find hollow areas, check the steel where it is exposed and note drainage. Where the extent is unclear, a cover meter, carbonation test or chloride test may be advised before repair.
Written quote
You receive a no-obligation written quote setting out the estimated area of patching, the length of crack injection, coatings and access. It becomes a fixed price in writing once the repair is specified, with any re-measure terms stated clearly.
Rules for concrete 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 concrete repairs cost in Dunstable?
Guide prices for concrete repairs in Dunstable start from about £90 per m², including VAT, on East of England rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Do you cover Dunstable?
Yes, Dunstable is covered, along with postcode districts LU6. We also cover nearby Luton and Leighton Buzzard.
Is the ground in Bedfordshire prone to subsidence?
Much of Bedfordshire sits on Oxford Clay and Gault Clay, with chalk rising towards the Chilterns in the south. The clay vales shrink in dry summers and swell in wet winters, which is why seasonal cracking is common around Bedford. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Do you repair concrete on blocks of flats?
Yes, we repair concrete on houses, flats and small commercial buildings, including balconies, walkway edges, canopies and lintels. For flats, the freeholder, managing agent or owners’ association normally instructs the work. We can price to an engineer’s schedule where one has been prepared.
What is spalling concrete?
Spalling is concrete breaking away from the surface in flakes or chunks. In reinforced concrete it is usually caused by the steel inside rusting and expanding, which pushes the cover off. It often follows a straight line where a bar sits close to the surface, with rust staining nearby.
Other structural repairs in Dunstable
- Floor joist repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Bowing wall repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
Concrete repairs near Dunstable
Get a free initial assessment of cracked or spalling concrete in Dunstable from your photos or a call, including whether an engineer should look first.