Gillingham · Kent
Concrete repairs in Gillingham
If rust stains or loose concrete have appeared on your Gillingham property, it is worth acting before pieces fall. Patch repair, crack injection and a protective coating usually restore balconies, canopies and lintels without replacing them.
Guide price from£95per m² inc VAT
- Postcodes
- ME7, ME8
- Population
- about 100,000
- Area
- Kent
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Gillingham?
Gillingham (ME7, ME8) has around 100,000 residents and sits in Kent. Neighbouring towns we cover: Strood (3 miles), Gravesend (8 miles) and Maidstone (9 miles).
Kent is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Parts of Kent lie on a former coalfield, so a coal mining search is worth checking if movement has no obvious cause. Typical buildings in Kent: Victorian terraces in the Medway towns, weatherboarded and Wealden houses, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows.
How much will concrete repairs cost in Gillingham?
Guide prices below are for homes in Gillingham, on South East rates and including VAT. A survey or good photos let us turn them into a fixed written price.
| Item | Guide price | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete patch repair | £95 – £200 | per m² |
| Crack injection | £200 – £540 | per metre |
| Small jobs (minimum visit)est. | £505 – £1,000 | per visit |
Which repair method suits a home in Gillingham?
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
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
What happens when we carry out concrete repairs in Gillingham?
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.
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.
Break out, repair, protect
Damaged concrete is cut back to sound material, steel cleaned and primed, and the section rebuilt and cured. Cracks are injected, then the surface is coated and drainage details put right so water runs off rather than sitting.
Signs you may need concrete repairs
- Hollow sound when the surface is tapped with a hammer
- Chunks or flakes of concrete breaking away from edges and soffits
- Fine cracks running in straight lines along the line of the reinforcement
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 Gillingham: questions and answers
How much should I budget for concrete repairs in Gillingham?
Guide prices for concrete repairs in Gillingham start from about £95 per m², including VAT, on South East rates. Your fixed written price follows photos or a survey and depends on the extent of the work and access.
Can you survey a property in Gillingham?
We do. Gillingham and the surrounding area are covered, including nearby Strood and Gravesend. A free initial assessment from your photos is the first step.
Why do houses in Kent crack?
North Kent sits on London Clay, central Kent on Gault and Weald Clays and the Downs on chalk, so shrinkable clay is widespread. East Kent around Deal and Dover had a small deep coalfield, worked until the late 1980s. 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.
Is spalling concrete dangerous?
It can be, mainly because pieces may fall from balconies, canopies and soffits above doors or paths. It also means the steel is losing strength over time. Fence off the area below any loose concrete, keep people off a balcony that is badly affected, and have it assessed soon.
Related work in Gillingham
- Subsidence repairs
- Structural surveys and crack monitoring
- Wall tie replacement
- Floor joist repairs
- Crack stitching
Concrete repairs near Gillingham
Managing a block in Gillingham with tired concrete balconies? Send photos or an engineer’s schedule, and we will price the repairs balcony by balcony.