Manchester · Greater Manchester
Concrete repairs in Manchester
A crumbling balcony edge at a Manchester property is rarely just cosmetic. It is usually a sign of rusting steel inside, and the sooner it is repaired, the less concrete has to be broken out and rebuilt.
Guide price from£80per m² inc VAT
- Postcodes
- M1, M2, M4, M8, M9
- Population
- about 570,000
- Area
- Greater Manchester
- Pricing region
- North West
What should you know about the ground under Manchester?
We cover Manchester and its postcode districts M1, M2, M4, M8, M9, part of Greater Manchester, with a population of roughly 570,000. If you are just outside Manchester, we also cover Salford (2 miles), Middleton (5 miles) and Sale (5 miles).
Parts of Greater Manchester have clay that can shrink near trees in dry spells. Parts of Greater Manchester lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Housing stock in Greater Manchester: Red-brick terraces, mill-town stone terraces, inter-war semis and post-war estates.
What happens when we carry out concrete repairs in Manchester?
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.
Engineer where needed
If the steel has lost significant section, or the element carries a balcony, stair or wall, an independent chartered structural engineer is appointed to assess and specify. We can arrange this, and the repair follows their scope.
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.
Signs you may need concrete repairs
- Fine cracks running in straight lines along the line of the reinforcement
- Exposed steel bars showing where concrete has fallen away
- Damp patches, white deposits or drips on a balcony or canopy underside
How much will concrete repairs cost in Manchester?
Prices in Manchester are worked out on North West rates. They include VAT and are a starting point: access, the extent of the damage and whether an engineer or building control is involved all move the figure.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete patch repair | £80 – £175 | per m² |
| Crack injection | £175 – £460 | per metre |
| Small jobs (minimum visit)est. | £430 – £865 | per visit |
Which repair method suits a home in Manchester?
Protective coatings and sealing
After repair, an anti-carbonation coating, a waterproof deck membrane on a balcony, or a penetrating sealer slows the return of moisture and carbon dioxide. Restoring drips, upstands and falls so water drains away is as important as the coating itself.
Best for: Extending the life of repaired balconies and canopies
Patch repair
Loose and contaminated concrete is broken out behind the bar, the steel is cleaned of rust and primed, and the section is rebuilt with a repair mortar. The edges are cut square so the patch does not feather out and fail. A protective coating may be applied over the whole surface afterwards.
Best for: Localised spalling around rusting bars
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.
Concrete repairs in Manchester: questions and answers
What is the price of concrete repairs in Manchester?
Guide prices for concrete repairs in Manchester start from about £80 per m², including VAT, on North 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 concrete repairs in Manchester?
Yes. We take enquiries from across Manchester, including M1, M2, M4, M8, and from nearby places such as Salford and Middleton. Send photos for a free initial view and we will tell you what happens next.
Does the ground around Manchester cause cracking?
Greater Manchester is mostly glacial till over sandstone and mudstone, with the Lancashire coalfield beneath much of Wigan, Bolton, Salford and parts of the east. Historic mine workings, made ground and old mill sites are common. Only an investigation can say why a particular building has moved.
Can you repair a cracked concrete lintel?
Often, yes. Spalling and small cracks in a concrete lintel can be patch repaired and the steel treated. If the lintel is badly cracked, sagging or the bars have lost much of their section, replacement is usually better, and the opening is propped while it is done.
What is carbonation in concrete?
Carbonation is the gradual reaction between carbon dioxide in the air and concrete, which lowers its alkalinity from the surface inward. Alkaline concrete protects the steel inside, so when carbonation reaches the bars, they can start to rust. A simple test on a freshly broken surface shows how deep it has gone.
More repairs we carry out in Manchester
- Brick arch repairs
- Mining subsidence repairs
- Bay window subsidence repairs
- Underpinning
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
Concrete repairs near Manchester
For a guide price on concrete repairs in Manchester, use the quote tool or send photos showing the spalling, any exposed steel and the drainage.