Godalming · Surrey
Concrete repairs in Godalming
Spalling concrete on a Godalming balcony, canopy or lintel almost always starts with the steel inside. Once carbonation or salts reach the bars, they rust and swell, and the concrete breaks away along their line until the steel is repaired and protected.
Guide price from£95per m² inc VAT
- Postcodes
- GU7
- Population
- about 23,000
- Area
- Surrey
- Pricing region
- South East
What should you know about the ground under Godalming?
Godalming is in Surrey and takes in postcode districts GU7. About 23,000 people live there. If you are just outside Godalming, we also cover Guildford (4 miles), Haslemere (8 miles) and Aldershot (8 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. Housing stock in Surrey: Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and detached houses in the commuter towns, and post-war estates.
How much will concrete repairs cost in Godalming?
The ranges below reflect typical South East 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 | £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 Godalming?
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
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 Godalming?
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.
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
- Exposed steel bars showing where concrete has fallen away
- Rust-coloured stains or streaks running down the concrete surface
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 Godalming: questions and answers
How much will concrete repairs cost in Godalming?
Guide prices for concrete repairs in Godalming 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 Godalming?
Yes, Godalming is covered, along with postcode districts GU7. We also cover nearby Guildford and Haslemere.
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.
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.
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.
Other structural repairs in Godalming
- Roof structure repairs
- Retaining wall repairs
- Bowing wall repairs
- Extension pulling away repairs
- Brick arch repairs
Concrete repairs near Godalming
The written quote for concrete repairs in Godalming sets out the estimated areas and lengths, then becomes a fixed price in writing once the repair is specified.