Ashford · Surrey
Concrete repairs in Ashford
Where flats and houses in Ashford and across Surrey 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£95per m² inc VAT
- Postcodes
- TW15, TW16, TW18
- Population
- about 27,000
- Area
- Surrey
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Ashford?
Ashford, Surrey: about 27,000 residents across postcode districts TW15, TW16, TW18. Neighbouring towns we cover: Staines-upon-Thames (2 miles), Sunbury-on-Thames (3 miles) and Chertsey (4 miles).
Surrey is one of the parts of the UK where clay soils are most likely to move with the seasons. Ground movement here is more often linked to soils, drains and trees than to mining. What you mostly find across Surrey: Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and detached houses in the commuter towns, and post-war estates.
What to look for before calling about concrete repairs
- Hollow sound when the surface is tapped with a hammer
- Exposed steel bars showing where concrete has fallen away
- Fine cracks running in straight lines along the line of the reinforcement
Concrete repairs prices in Ashford
These are guide prices for Ashford, using South East rates and including VAT. Your written quote follows photos or a survey, and is fixed once the repair is specified.
| 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 |
How we usually approach concrete repairs
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
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
What happens during concrete repairs, step by step?
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.
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.
Questions about concrete repairs in Ashford
How much will concrete repairs cost in Ashford?
Guide prices for concrete repairs in Ashford 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.
Do you cover Ashford?
Yes, Ashford is covered, along with postcode districts TW15, TW16, TW18. We also cover nearby Staines-upon-Thames and Sunbury-on-Thames.
Is the ground in Surrey prone to subsidence?
North Surrey sits on London Clay, the south on Weald Clay, with chalk along the North Downs and sands in the west. Large gardens with mature trees on clay make seasonal subsidence a familiar problem. 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.
Why does concrete crack and rust?
Concrete cracks as it shrinks, moves with temperature or carries more load than intended. Steel inside it rusts when carbonation or salts reach it and moisture gets in. The two feed each other: cracks let water in, and rusting steel expands and cracks the concrete further.
Other structural repairs in Ashford
- Brick arch repairs
- Boundary and garden wall repairs
- Floor joist repairs
- Subsidence insurance claim repairs
- Gable end wall repairs
Concrete repairs near Ashford
Managing a block in Ashford with tired concrete balconies? Send photos or an engineer’s schedule, and we will price the repairs balcony by balcony.